A trip to the onsen is arguably the pinnacle of Japanese bathing culture. Not only do onsen ensure you are clean, but the cloudy, sulfur-rich waters are said to have many restorative powers due to the minerals in them. While Tokyo may not be known for an onsen, the wonders of technology and great public transport infrastructure has ensured that Tokyoites no longer have to travel far to find an onsen to suit their needs. Just be prepared to bare it all. Here are some of the best onsens around Tokyo.
Oedo Onsen Monogatari
Oedo Onsen Monofatori is an onsen-themed theme park in Odaiba. Home to six different types of baths, including one in which you can lie down (‘neyu’), a lukewarm bath ideal for cooling off in the summer heat (‘nuruyu’) and a special bath for dogs (‘Tsunayoshi Bath Tub’), Oedo Onsen Monogatari’s range of sauna, restaurants and shops makes it the perfect place for some relaxation and pampering! The onsen here are fuelled with thermal spring water rich in sodium and chlorine ions, drawn from 1,400m underground, and are effective in relieving nerve, muscle and joint pain. One of the most popular attractions within Oedo Onsen Monogatari is the Japanese Garden, with its 50m long foot bath styled after the old ukiyo-e classic depicting the famed Edo-Kyoto highway.
Tokyo Somei Onsen Sakura
While this particular onsen is especially popular during the cherry blossom season, when the somei-yoshino trees within the premises are at their finest, this atmospheric onsen bathhouse has enough going for it to be worth a visit any time of the year. The spaces within the onsen are thoughtfully and beautifully decorated to make you feel at ease from the very start, and unlike most other onsens, the sodium chloride-rich waters have been filtered to remove the colour and smell. Step into Sakura’s crystal clear hot spring baths and have your aches melt away. Facilities such as a stone sauna (reservation required), as well as a wide variety of services including dining options, yoga classes, and massage spaces are also available.
Spa LaQua
Located inside Tokyo Dome City, Spa LaQua offers a modern take on the traditional onsen with a huge array of facilities and services to be enjoyed such as Thai and Hawaiian massages, Korean body scrubs and aromatherapy. This sprawling bathhouse fills its baths with sodium chloride enriched hot spring water drawn from 1,700m underground, which has been said to help promote circulation and relieve muscle aches, neuralgia and arthritis. In addition to an open-air rotenburo and a foaming massage bath, this modern complex also offers 3 types of saunas, including an unconventional rock salt sauna said to be good for improving metabolism. With its wide range of beauty treatments offered, from hair treatment services to a chiropractic area, Spa LaQua is the perfect place to enjoy some downtime while allowing yourself to be pampered.
Toshimaen Niwa-no-yu
Don’t let the fact that it's located next to the dreary Toshimaen amusement park put you off: Niwa-No-Yu is among the nicest of Tokyo's mega-onsen bathing complexes. Housed in a Japanese garden designed by leading landscape architect Kenzo Kosugi, this onsen is among the most picturesque, surrounded with cherry blossoms in spring and Japanese pampas grass in autumn. With separate male and female onsens supplied with sodium chloride rich spring water, Niwa-no-yu’s no children policy guarantees maximum relaxation. For visitors who find the idea of being naked in front of others uncomfortable, Niwa-no-yu also has a body zone and Finnish-style sauna where bathing suits are allowed (and required!).
Maenohara Onsen Sayano Yudokoro
Housed in a tasteful Japanese-style building, with a beautiful zen garden within the onsen grounds, Maenohara Onsen Sayano Yudokoro has consistently ranked among the best onsens in Tokyo. Apart from offering some of the most reasonable entry prices (870 yen on weekdays), Sayano Yudokoro also allows guests to rent the rotemburo for an hour, catering to those who feel uncomfortable without clothes in front of others. Apart from onsen, Sayano Yudokoro also offers both dry and steam sauna, as well as a hot stone spa and a restaurant with views over the lush garden greenery. While this onsen is located slightly further away from the main attractions, its many special features make it a worthwhile place to visit.
Yunessun (Hakone)
If you only have time for one onsen while in Hakone, this is the one to go to. Hotel Kowakien Yunessun boasts a huge hot spring complex within its compound. The Yunessun complex has two areas, Mori No Yu and Yunessun itself, providing ample attractions for guests to spend their time in the complex.
Mori No Yu is the traditional onsen section, similar to the offerings at many other onsen hotels. While the traditional onsen is no slouch, the star of the show here is Yunessun, a swimsuit-compulsory area comprising play zones and unique baths. At Yunessun, onsen is taken to the next level as guests are invited to soak in unique baths filled with coffee, tea or wine among many others. The most popular one is the wine bath, where guests literally immerse themselves in wine – the staff may even pour wine over you as part of the experience.
Nikko Yumoto Onsen
Nikko is not the No.1 onsen area in the country for nothing. The quiet and relaxing onsen town of Yumoto is worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, perfect for maximum relaxation. The hot springs at Nikko-Yumoto Onsen are loaded with sulfur, giving them a milky-white colour. The water is said to make bathers’ skin lusciously smooth, giving rise to the nickname Bijin-no-Yu, or “the hot spring of beauty”.
Shirahone Onsen (Nagano)
Shirahone Onsen (白骨温泉, literally "white bone hot spring") is a small onsen town in the Northern Japan Alps. The town is a loose collection of a dozen or so ryokan parked along the slopes of a steep valley. Shirahone Onsen gets its name from its milky white spring water, which is nearly opaque with magnesium and calcium sediments and is believed to relieve gastrointestinal ailments. Indeed, some legends even claim that ”if you bathe for three days here, you won't catch a cold for three years”. Full of nature and greenery, enjoy your onsen surrounded by the rustic beauty of this small town.
