Tokyo onsen recommendation?

Is there an onsen (hot springs bathing house) in Tokyo that anyone would recommend?

You need to realize that a large part of the Onsen Experience is the location and the view.

There area few Onsen in Tokyo, but they are more public baths - to get clean - than they are an Onsen experience.

There are many Onsen Tours available from Tokyo, that will take you outside Tokyo to give you the full experience.

Note that people with tattoos are not allowed entrance to most Onsen in Japan.

You should take the train about an hour outside of Tokyo to the Hakone onsen. You can stay in a traditional ryokan or just simply make it a day trip from Tokyo. You'll get a beautiful view of Mt Fuji and can enjoy the scenery from the train on the way there and back.

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I went to this onsen some years ago and had a very enjoyable few hours there. https://en.japantravel.com/tokyo/ooedo-onsen-monogatari/3190

You can get to it by train.

Aloha, :D

If you haven't been to an onsen before, you need to understand that there are 2 different types of baths; onsen and sento. You should look for information on both types using YouTube.

Sento is really just a bath house where you strip, scrub, rinse, then enter the community hot pool. You are expected to scrub yourself clean of dirt, sweat, sunscreen, & deodorant before you enter the soaking tub or pool. That way, the soaking pool stays clean.

Onsen is a hot spring bath where the water is from an underground hot spring. Many are built in the rural areas where there can be a view. Some onsen have a garden like area for viewing. Not all have a scenic countryside view.

There are several onsen in the greater Tokyo area which can be found using Google search. Saying Tokyo is like saying New York City or Los Angeles which are actually large metropolitan areas rather than say Vancouver, BC which is an actual city.

You need to really research onsen if you wish to use it because there are certain customs that should be observed.

Aloha, rak :D:D

Aloha, :D

 

If you haven't been to an onsen before, you need to understand that there are 2 different types of baths; onsen and sento. You should look for information on both types using YouTube.

 

Sento is really just a bath house where you strip, scrub, rinse, then enter the community hot pool. You are expected to scrub yourself clean of dirt, sweat, sunscreen, & deodorant before you enter the soaking tub or pool. That way, the soaking pool stays clean.

 

Onsen is a hot spring bath where the water is from an underground hot spring. Many are built in the rural areas where there can be a view. Some onsen have a garden like area for viewing. Not all have a scenic countryside view.

There are several onsen in the greater Tokyo area which can be found using Google search. Saying Tokyo is like saying New York City or Los Angeles which are actually large metropolitan areas rather than say Vancouver, BC which is an actual city.

You need to really research onsen if you wish to use it because there are certain customs that should be observed.

 

Aloha, rak :D:D

Yes, done the research, know the difference, know that Tokyo is a big city.............but I'm wondering if anyone can personally recommend one. Which is what I asked in the first place ;) I can look up a bunch on line, but that's not why I asked the question.

Interesting that so many people assumed I didn't know what I was talking about. Because I called an onsen a bathing house? Well, there are baths, both inside and out (usually), and that's how some of the various onsen describe themselves on their English-translated websites. And it's more the quality and aesthetic of the bathing part of the onsen that interests me rather than the spa treatments or any restaurant or entertainment facilities (for instance, the theme park environment of some does not interest me at all).

Rak,

Thanks for such a thorough explanation. I appreciate your first hand knowledge you've been so willing to share.

Hope to see you on the roll call more frequently in the next month.

See you soon in Yokohama.

dog:)

Now that the question is clear, I can give a clearer answer.

I have enjoyed many Onsen outside Tokyo, but cannot and would not recommend any in the 23 wards of Tokyo.

Is there an onsen (hot springs bathing house) in Tokyo that anyone would recommend?

The post popular onsen destination from Tokyo is Hakone. I recommend you check out the Odawara Hakone Goodwill Guides (volunteer). You can apply for someone to take you around for the day and explain the etiquette, culture, history, etc.