Spend the night at Oedo Onsen Monogatari

Oedo Onsen Monogatari was the first Onsen we went to in Japan and therefore we automatically asumed that all the onsens would be as nice as that. However, this isn’t the case. Oedo onsen is a beautiful and clean modern Onsen with 13 different baths which makes you feel very Japanese because you get to wear a yukata. Don’t miss the chance to relax in these hot pools and afterward use the free shampoo and conditionder until your hair is cleaner than it ever was. In case you get hungry, there is a whole market place with restaurants. If you want to enjoy some fresh air in the mixed area, dip your feet into the outdoor foot bath and once you are tired, relax on a fat TV chair. Entry is possible from 11am to 9 am the next day, which means that it’s possible to spend the night at Oedo Onsen. How awesome! This is your perfect escape to relax in busy Tokyo.

 

Here is a breakdown of what you need to know if you want to spend the night at Oedo Onsen Monogatari

 

Steps before entering the bath

Take off your shoes and lock them into a free small shoe locker. If you have a big piece of luggage you will have to put coins into a 24h locker. A 50l backpack fits into the lockers in the changing room and so you can have access to it all night.

What you should bring to the changing room if you spend the night:

• underwear
• eye-pad for shading out the light in the sleeping room
• ear-plugs in case the snoring sound of other people bothers you
• perhaps your cell phone (there’s free wifi in the downstairs area) or something to read
• toiletries for personal use like contact lense solution
• the clothes you want to wear when you leave the onsen

Shampoo, soap, body lotion, conditionner, hair dryers, hair tie, brushes, towels and even tooth brushes are provided for free. There is a free tea/water dispenser and food you can buy from anything from snack, to appetizer to dessert.

At the entrance you receive an electronic wristband with which you can pay inside the onsen. At the end of your stay, they will scan your wrist band and you have to pay the entrance fee and everything else you spend money on.

Chose your yukata

Then you go to the yukata stand. Here, you choose from a selection of yukata and belts. You only need to know your body height and then you see which size to tell them. For example, if you are 1.74m tall, you’d take a yukata from the section up to 170cm. (The next one starts at 180cm.)

Enter the changing room

Finally, you can head into the first changing room. The numer of your locker is written onto your wristband. Strip down to underwear and put on the yukata. Several signs explain how. Take it seriously, which side needs to be on top because the other side is reserved for dead people at their funeral. Leave your belongings in the locker and head in to the main hall. You can take a small bag with your phone or makeup. There even is a small pouch inside your yukata. There will be another small locker once you enter the pool area.

 

The onsen

Again, there is a chainging room, where you receive a small towel and a slightly bigger one. The bigger one, you leave in the locker. The smaller one you mostly wear on your head from now on, to keep your hair out of the water or dab away some sweat. Put everything into the locker and then walk to the shower area naked, with just the small towel. Suddenly, you will see more naked women than you have ever seen in one spot. In case you felt a little uneasy just before, you will now realize that it was completely unnecessary because soaking naked in a hot onsen with other woman seems to be a very natural thing in Japan.

Take a quick rinse at the entrance and then take a seat at a shower booth. Now it’s time to use the free shampoo and body soap generously because the most important rule of the onsen is to enter the bath clean.

There are 13 different baths, including jet pools, oxygen bubble baths and open-air barrel baths, with a large indoor and outdoor section and a steam and dry sauna.

It’s really nice to try so many different pools and just enjoy the heat. If you get too hot, just cool off in the outdoor area or take a cold shower.

Once you are done with the baths, take the second towel to dry yourself off and then put your yukata back on. You can roam freely between the food hall, footbath area and onsen and in case you want to go back into the water, feel free to do so.

The food hall

If your stomach starts grumbling, wander around the food stands which look like an outdoor market area from ancient edo times. Then, there is a loud section with Japanese games and upstairs you can find a few massage chairs. Plus, there is a huge room with broad tv chairs and each chair has its own tv. That’s where people sleep if they spend the night at Oedo Onsen Monogatari.

The foot bath

Unlike the onsen which separates genders, the river foot bath is a romantic outdoor area which can be enjoyed by couples or groups who want to relax together. Don’t worry about being cold because there are jackets you can wear over your yukata.

 

Practical tips for your visit at Oedo Onsen Monogatari

• Use the free shuttle bus to get to Oedo Onsen Monogatari. However, the bus doesn’t run a lot and it’s not so easy to find the bus stations, so if you want to profit from the free shuttle, ask about the stop early enough and check the schedule.
• If you have a tatoo you won’t be allowed into the Onsen because you might belong to the Japanese mafia. So, if you have a tatoo, you unfortunately have to go to another onsen.

 

How to get to Oedo Onsen Monogatari (OOM)

• Use the free shuttle bus, but like I said, you will be lucky if you actually find the station at the right time.  The Tokyo Station bus stop is straight out of the Yaesu Central exit, about 100m down Yaesu Street, by the 7-11 on your left.
• Trains are also an easy option to access Oedo Onsen Monogatari. Take the Yurikamome Line to Telecom Center Station and walk 1 minute to the onsen. The awesome thing about this journey is, that you will ride the subway over the rainbow bridge and enjoy lovely views.

Address: 2-6-3, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan (google maps)

Prices: Adult 2600 Yen (weekend 2800 Yen), children from 4 – 12 y. 1000 Yen. If you enter past 6 pm it’s 2100 Yen. In case you stay past 2 am you will pay a 2160 Yen surcharge fee.

Which was your favorite Onsen in Japan or even, your favorite bath all over the world?

Have a look at the other things to do in Tokyo.