10 Best Onsen in Tokyo

Maenohara Onsen Saya no Yudokoro has a beautiful garden. This day-use hot spring facility was renovated from a residence and garden created by an entrepreneur.

The residence was completed in 1946, followed by the garden, which was created by bringing famous stones from all over Japan. After becoming unoccupied in 1996, it was transformed into a hot spring facility. The soft olive-green-coloured hot water is a natural hot spring flowing from the source, and no water or chemicals are added. It’s a sodium chloride-based strong salt spring and slightly alkaline at pH 7.4. It has excellent heat retention properties to keep you warm. Other facilities include open-air baths, indoor baths, a sauna, and a bedrock bath.

Thermae-Yu located in Shinjuku Kabukicho is one of the biggest day-use hot springs in Tokyo. Bath towels and dressing gowns are available, so you can stop by without bringing anything.

The skin-softening hot water in the open-air bath is from a natural hot spring, brought in daily by a tanker truck from Nakaizu. Other unique baths include one of the largest highly-concentrated carbonate baths in the Kanto area, a neutral electrolysed water bath, and a Nordic coral light skin lotion bath. You’ll also find a bedrock bath, spa, and massage facilities, and you can enjoy cocktails at the lounge. If you get hungry, there are Japanese and Asian restaurants to choose from. This is the perfect place to refresh yourself and get rid of any stress.

Musashi Koyama Onsen Shimizuyu was opened in 1924 as a public bath. You can enjoy 2 types of natural hot springs here for the same price as a single public bath.

Each household started to have its own bath once Japan’s economy started growing, which meant a drop in the number of public baths and their customers. The second-generation owner of Shimizuyu decided to dig for hot springs in an attempt to revive the business. In 1994, he found a black-coloured hot spring, after which the number of customers tripled. In 2007, the third-generation owner succeeded in digging a golden hot spring. The black-coloured hot spring is a sodium bicarbonate spring, while the golden hot spring is rich in iodine. Here you can relax and become healthier at the same time.

Oyata Onsen Myojin no Yu is located in Adachi Ward in the north of Tokyo. This hot spring also has a restaurant and massage facilities.

The hot spring water is a strong salt spring and slightly alkaline with natural sodium chloride. Rich in salt and iron, it’s called Netsu no Yu (netsu means “heat”) and will keep you warm for a long time. It’s said to be effective for poor circulation as well as skin problems like burns and wounds. All of the bathtubs here are made from natural cypress wood for a luxurious feel. There's also an open-air bath and a sauna. The restaurant has a variety of dishes including set menus, dishes you’d normally find izakaya (Japanese-style pubs), and desserts. There's also a massage room and a barber shop. What more could you want? This is a great place to recharge your batteries while travelling.

Toshimaen Niwanoyu is a hot spring looking out onto a beautiful large Japanese garden. It's a super-relaxing place.

The Toshimaen amusement park next door was unfortunately closed, but this garden hot spring is still open. Pre-teens are not allowed in, so it should always be quiet. You can simply refresh and relax in the natural hot spring, bade pool and sauna as you appreciate the seasonal flowers of the garden. There’s also a dining area, a bar, and a relaxation area where you can get a variety of massages. This is the perfect spot for some "me time".

Tokyo Somei Onsen Sakura is located in the birthplace of Somei Yoshino, the gorgeous cherry trees that add vivid colour to the springtime. This natural hot spring has excellent heat and moisture retention properties.

The water gushes up from 1,800 metres underground. The water is clear and colourless, which is rare in Tokyo, where many natural hot springs are black. It contains plenty of natural minerals and glows golden when it's poured into the bathtubs. The water at this natural hot spring is a sodium iodide composition. It’s slightly alkaline, so it’ll make your skin lovely and smooth. To complete the experience, you can relax at the bar-restaurant after bathing. There’s even a relaxation room where you can enjoy light meals and drinks.

Mikokuyu Onsen is a black-coloured natural hot spring in Ryogoku, the sumo heartland of downtown Tokyo. The great thing about this place is that bathe while enjoying a view of Tokyo Skytree.

The public bath is a five-storey building in a built-up downtown area. Check out the stylish navy-blue noren (entrance curtain) dyed with a hot spring symbol. The site was renovated with Edo style in mind in 2015. What a luxury to enjoy 8 baths, including a natural hot spring flowing from the source, massaging bath, and semi open-air bath, all for the standard public bath fee. Look out for the painted Mt. Fuji, which is typical of traditional public baths.

Natural Hot Spring Heiwajima draws 150 tonnes of hot water per day from 2,000 metres underground. With high salt content, the water has a moisturising effect for beautiful skin.

The natural hot spring is a sodium chloride strong salt spring. Other types of baths include a high concentration carbonated spring, Finnish sauna, jet bubble bath, Togoal bath, and bedrock bath. A wide variety of dishes are available at the restaurant. After taking a bath, you can kick back at the relaxation lounge with TV-equipped reclining chairs or on the rooftop sun deck. There’s even a reading area with more than 10,000 comic books.

ONSEN RYOKAN Yuen Shinjuku is a hotel where you can enjoy the hot springs of Hakone in Shinjuku. It was opened in 2019.

It’s surprising to find that this building full of Japanese atmosphere has suddenly popped up in the middle an area dominated by office buildings. You can enjoy hot spring water brought from Hakone while looking at a panoramic view of Shinjuku in an open-air bath on the top floor, the 18th floor. The spring water is alkaline, which is good for your skin. This relaxed hotel combines the unique charms of Japanese traditional hotels with the needs of today. There are beds, but the guest rooms have raised floors so that you can take off your shoes and relax in a traditional Japanese way.

Kokubisui Onsen Take no Yu was opened as a radium hot spring in Azabu, Tokyo, in 1913. The hot spring, which can be enjoyed for a price of a public bath, is noted for its coffee-like dark brown colour.

Black hot spring water in which components like ancient plants once dissolved is effective in aiding recovery from exhaustion, poor circulation, stiff shoulders, and back pain. A high-temperature sauna is also available for an extra fee. The clear hot or cold water from the taps at Take no Yu is not tap water, but groundwater. It’s perfect for people whose hair and skin become dry when coming into contact with chlorinated tap water. Some customers even take some of the black hot spring water back with them to put on their face after washing.