Review: Soak in an Onsen! (Japan)

One of the experiences that you shouldn't miss out when you go Japan is the onsen, otherwise known as the Japanese hot spring. The reason? Well, it's relaxing as hell and soothes tired muscles after a whole day of exploring, of course. The first time I went to Japan, I went to an onsen called Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs and then when I was in Osaka, I visited Spa World. I will do a review of both onsens in this post. Do note that both onsens have women only and men only baths so no worries about showing off your inner assets to the opposite gender. =)

Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs
An onsen theme park in Tokyo, it's a pretty popular for both locals and tourists. In fact, it's so popular that it was even featured in a Digimon Adventure anime!

Okay, it's not obvious from the scene in the video but if even anime characters are making it a point to visit the place, you know it's a must-visit spot! In fact, it's much like an amusement park where you can wander around in a festival-like place and pay with a number tag on your wrist. You can settle the bill upon leaving but don't go too crazy or you might find yourself running out of yen before the trip ends! LOL.

To give you a better idea of what it's like inside this onsen amusement park, here's a vid to get a preview:

Looks fun, right? I thoroughly enjoyed myself in this amusement park because there are quite a few things to do aside from soaking in the baths (indoor or outdoor with hot and cold springs to balance out the experience). Tired of soaking? There are a few sauna rooms for you to sweat it out.

You can even go out to enjoy the foot bath or fish spa outside. Aching muscles? No worries, because there are additional services such as full body massage and head spa available for an additional fee. After soaking in a hot spring, you are bound to be hungry so head on to the indoor Edo Town for some delicious nom noms like sushi, ramen and yakitori.

There are many arcade games to entertain you but if that's not your cup of tea, you can always head upstairs to the relaxation room where there are loads of recliners for you to relax on. Each recliner comes with a mini TV of its own so that's pretty swell.

What I liked: Everything! I love that you can stay for as long as you like until 9am the next day. It's one of the most relaxing places I've been to and it helps that the Edo town theme they have going on is so festive and fun-filled. The food is reasonably nice too. You will definitely want to spend the whole day there just relaxing!

Click here for directions.

Spa World
This is another spa that's located in Osaka. Similar to Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs, Spa World has both hot and cold springs that you can relax in. The design is much like a Roman bath, where there are various ways to relax. For instance, you can lie in a shallow pool of warm water or you can chill it out in a tub. As for entertainment, there aren't many options. There are a few restaurants but nothing too exciting. Families with young kids may like this place though because it has a amusement pool like Wild Wild Wet where kids can go wild.

You can get a beauty treatment or full body massage but when I was there, nearly everything was closed so I didn't find it as fun as Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs.

What I liked: The design for the baths is quite unique and you definitely can spend a long time in there. But other than that, there isn't much going for it in terms of entertainment. There are full body massages etc. although I think they close quite early around 9 pm. They do have an interesting entrance with all the life size action figures though and there is a security room with security cameras where you can place your valuables.

Click here for directions.

If you ask me, I definitely prefer the Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs because it has so many things to do and eat. Spa World is okay for me but you can still drop by to soak away your aches after walking all over the place! =)

Some tips to remember:

• You are expected to be naked but don't be shy! Everyone will be naked and there are all shapes and sizes of people enjoying the baths so don't feel too embarrassed. Chances are, they won't even notice your flabby arms or rounded posterior while they are soaking. Just be yourself.
• Don't forget to wash your body and hair before entering the baths. It's much like going to the swimming pool that way. 
• Don't stay in the hot baths for too long. Take short breaks after a while because it's not good to stay in there for extended periods of time.
• Be careful! I slipped and fell while I was entering a bath. I hurt my foot in the process and it was excruciating. Luckily I didn't hit my head. >.<
• You can put a small towel on your head or on the rocks nearby but if it falls into the bath, be sure to wring it outside the bath. 
• Tattoos are not allowed, not even a small one because the Japanese associate them with the Yakuzas or gangster ties. You might be able to use a water-proof bandage to cover up but the establishment might deny you entry if you have many tattoos on your body. 

Have fun soaking!