Tokyo Travel Forum

Which hot spring would you recommend in Tokyo? I'd prefer one within walking distance to a JR station, easy to get to from the city center, natural hotspring, and a relaxing view of nature. I'm only in Tokyo for a short time, trying to keep travel times short so I can have time for other things. So far I've only heard of these:
*Asakusa Kannon Onsen
*Ooedo Onsen (not much info on web, homepage English link is broken)
*LaQua
*Kusatsu Onsen (3hrs travel from Ueno per direction? Ugh, kinda far away)
Are there other onsens close to the city?

-Gender
Are these onsens unisex or male female separate? If separate, are pools close enough that men can see women? I'll be going with my husband, how do I communicate where to meet etc, while we're in different bathing areas, and no phones/watches allowed? Are there clocks so we can arrange a time to meet outside?

-Accommodation
Would it be better to stay in an onsen resort or another place? Are these resorts expensive? I'm just visiting Tokyo for 3 nights.


-Things to bring
Besides the obvious like a change of clothes, should I bring my own bath towel or do they rent? Are there personal lockers?

-Etiquette
How do we enter an onsen, do we just show up or is prior booking required?

-Tipping
I understand some onsens have massage parlors, if I decide to go for one, do I have to tip the masseuse, if so how much?

-Time
When is the best day/time to go, when there are not so many people?

Thank you for your advice!

The closest one that I'm aware of is Ooedo Onsen at Odaiba. It has both indoor and outdoor pools. The entrance fee depends on the entrance time, from 1567-2827 yen per person. It is cheaper in the early morning 5-8am.

Normally there are family rooms that you can book for privacy reasons, for extra charge. Most pools are gender separated unless indicated otherwise.

Usually staying in an onsen resort is expensive, and if choose to go to Ooedo, you can do it as a day trip.

There are baskets to place your clothes in the change rooms. Some places allow you to take a towel in the onsen area. There are usually signs on the door to the onsen pools that tell you what you can bring. Ask if you are not sure.

Around Tokyo, many Onsen can be small (and may in fact be "Sento", the water is heated by mechanical means).

My favorite is Seta Onsen--Sanga no Yu:

http://www.setaonsen.co.jp/

It's on the Den-en-toshi Line, about 10 minutes out of Shibuya.

This onsen has gender separate areas and mixed (bathing suit) areas.

... your questions:

You shouldn't need to bring anything with you to the Onsen. Women may want to bring makeup and personal items, but everything else is provided, towels, robes, soap, shampoo, food, drinks...

Pay at the front desk. Once you go in and lock your clothes up, you don't change until you leave. If you want to get a bite to eat, put on your robe (Yukata). A wristband tracks what you buy and you pay for that when you leave.

Carry your washcloth with you. Nothing else. Use it to casually cover yourself, feigning modesty.

When you enter the bath the first thing you will see are shower stations where you will wash thoroughly with soap and shampoo. Rinse yourself thoroughly. Rinse the washcloth thoroughly. Then you are free to roam the pools at will.

No tipping.

Go first thing in the morning, you will probably spend half a day there.

Hi,

if you want to get onsen in real natural settings, you may have to travel a little bit outside Tokyo. Although it is quite a big resort town, you may find Atami (around 1 hour by shinkansen from Tokyo) quite pleasant. The town is facing the sea and surrounded by mountains. There are many onsen facilities, so you should be able to find one you like.

Although not far from Tokyo (40 minutes shinkansen to Odawara + 15 minutes Odawara-line train) is the resort of Hakone. There are numerous onsens in Hakone. I personnally think it is worth staying for the night in a onsen, and to enjoy the ryokan service, but it will cost you between 40000 and 70000 Yens for the two of you.

For an unforgettable experience, I would recommend the Fujiya Hotel in Hakone, a truly oustandish stylish hotel. I have written a small story about it there.

http://uchimizu-en.blogspot.com/2008/02/atmospheric-hotels-from-meiji-era.html