Several Real Great Hot Spring Baths In And Around Tokyo

And one in Kyoto

Sure, when you go to Japan, you should venture deep into the countryside and stay at a rustic and/ or fancy inn/spa.

But if you haven’t got the time, there are plenty of great options a stone’s throw from — or even in — downtown Tokyo. And I don’t mean spas where they truck hot spring water in. I mean where it’s actually bubbling up from the ground where you sit.

Most day use hot spring baths operate using a similar system: upon entering you put your shoes in a small locker and the lock is on a wristband along with a sensor. You scan that sensor every time you want to buy anything: from a towel, to a drink, to access into a special bathing area. Sometimes there’s an interim step where you turn this wristband in at the front desk and they exchange it for a sensor, but this is less common. You settle up on the way out, usually by a machine that has an English language option.

None of these are expensive. At all. I didn’t include prices because they change sometimes, but I did include links to websites, so you can check the prices for yourself before you get out there. A lot of the cost will depend on how much you want to spend on upgrades, food, drinks, etc., with the most basic option of just a bath (which usually includes a small towel that you…