Ooedo-onsen Monogatari
Beth, Andrea, and I met in Ebisu, had lunch, and decided we wanted to try the onsen in Odaiba. The Ooedo-onsen Monogatari is the onsen that most foreigners visit when they head to Tokyo. The onsen has an Edo Period theme that makes it a sight to see.
When you enter the onsen you must stop at the registration desk to check in, you pay, and get a wristband with a key and bar code on it. That is what you use to pay for all of the extras at the onsen and then you just pay the total when you lave the onsen. After you get your wristband, you head over to the Yukata section, and pick out a Yukata to wear. You then head to the changing room and change into the Yukata (a bathrobe but better), and then you are free to walk around or soak.
The first thing we did was head to the footbath to soak our feet.
The shop and food stall area is huge. There are rooms for large groups to eat in and there is also a food court area that is for everyone. It is like what you would see at a mall but all of the stalls keep with the Edo period theme. I had ramen, Beth ate some tofu and vegetables, and Andrea enjoyed some tempura.
After eating our fill we went back to the baths. I headed for the restroom and missed the drama. Turns out the onsen recently started a new policy of no tattoos and called Andrea on hers.
Beth and I soaked for another hour and then we met Andrea at the footbath where she was soaking her feet and reading her book. We stopped back in the shop/food area for another snack and then headed home.
The onsen is HUGE and there is so much to do there. They have sand bath where you are buried in hot sand and a sauna where you lie down on a bed of hot rocks.
Another great thing about the onsen is that it is open from 11:00am until 9:00am. That is right! You can sleep over at the onsen for extra 1,575 yen. The normal cost is about 2,827 yen but if you arrive after 6:00pm the cost is only 1,987 yen .
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The onsen is HUGE and there is so much to do there. Make sure that you get a map with the layout of the onsen when you arrive. There are the traditional hot spring baths but there is also a food court, a small little stage show, shops, and a couple of games for children. I thought the game where you had you threw a throwing star at a target looked promising. Some of the food stalls had ramen, tempura, soba, udon, steak, tofu dishes, and other traditional Japanese foods.
There are a ton of different relaxation things to do at the onsen, they have sand bath where you are buried in hot sand and a sauna where you lie down on a bed of hot rocks. There are also massages and some weird thing where you can have fish eat the dead skin off your feet. (There is an episode of Ugly Betty where Vanessa Williams character does that). All of those things require a reservation so if you are interested make sure you make one.
Both men and women can use the footbath but all of the other baths are men or women only. (We did not have any guys with us so I cannot say what baths are on the men’s side. Sorry guys!) On the women’s side, there are two outdoor baths, a couple of barrel baths that fit one or two people. There is also a milk bath, a sauna, a bubble jet bath, a couple of baths that have different temperatures, and the cold bath.
Another great thing about the onsen is that it is open from 11:00am until 9:00am. That is right! You can sleep over at the onsen for extra 1,575 yen.
Please Note:
Swimsuits and underwear cannot be worn in the baths.
People with tattoos are not allowed to enter the baths.
Costs:
Adults (12 and over) – 2,827 yen Children (4-11) – 1,575 yen
After 6:00pm Adults – 1,987 yen Children - 1,575 yen
Staying after 2:00am – 1,575 yen
