Onsen Story

Japan is famous for its onsen, or hot springs. But a more traditional onsen may be a little intimidating - or difficult to find - for a tourist.

What's the solution? Oedo Onsen Monogatari!

(Photos courtesy of a friend of mine.)

Oedo Onsen Monogatari (the name means 'Edo Hot Spring Story', 'Edo' being the old name for 'Tokyo') is like a hot spring theme park. It uses real, natural hot spring water, and its decor is set up to resemble an old-style Edo street.

As soon as you go in, you get a yukata (bathrobe-style kimono) which you can wear around the complex. This sets a relaxed mood right away. They give you a plastic tag which you wear around your wrist; you can use this tag to open your locker and pay for items on site; you pay the bill at the end. There is a fairly large shared area which both sexes can wander - souvenir shops, restaurants, and an outdoor foot bath. It's relaxing to sit with your feet in a foot bath, in a small garden, seeing all the tall buildings of Tokyo around outside...

Among the outdoor footbaths were ponds you could walk through, the bottom of which were lined with rocks. The website claims these rocks 'stimulate the soles of the feet', but in fact they just hurt.

You can also get the opportunity to have some unusual foot therapy in the form of 'doctor fish'. If you've never heard of them, this is really neat! Basically, you sit down at a pool full of small black fish. They love eating dead skin, so when you put your feet in, they all go for your feet. They don't have teeth, so they nibble at you with their lips. It's the strangest sensation - really, really ticklish, almost hard to keep your feet in the water at first, but then it becomes relaxing, like a vibrating massage. It costs extra, but it's a unique little experience.

You can also get massages and other treatments, though these are also not included in the entry fee. When I went, I got a sand treatment, which involved being buried up to the neck in hot sand. I forget why this was therapeutic, but it makes you sweat a lot.

In addition to these shared areas, there are segregated bathing areas (naked) with a variety of hot spring baths, both indoors and outdoors.

If you're interested in going, they are open almost 24 hours, entry for adults is 2900 yen, check out their website here. The nearest station is Yurikamome's 'Telecom Center' station.

They have information and signs in English, but it's best to be savvy with Japanese bathing etiquette before you go. As always, with Japanese hot springs, they have a rule not allowing people with tattoos.