Oedo Onsen Monogatari is one of those places that you just have to visit at least once! Located on the island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay, it is billed as a 'hot spring' theme park.
As you enter the traditional Japanese style building, you'll be asked to remove your shoes and place them in a locker. Next, you'll get in line to pay the entrance fee of 2,900 yen. At that time you'll receive a chargable wristband. No more cash changes hands, anything you eat/do within is charged to your account (which you pay upon leaving).*Be sure to grab one of the great English pamplets. It explains, very simply, how to enter the facility, how to exit, how to wear your yukata properly,...
After getting your wristband, you can choose from an assortment of gaudy polyester yukata robes. Take your choice into the locker room, find the locker that has your wristband number on it, and change into the yukata. Leave only your underwear/bra on.
Put all of your possessions in the locker, except perhaps, your camera. Photos are allowed anywhere except the naked segregated baths.
As you exit the locker room you'll be transported into a typical Japanese 'night' festival. There are arcade style games, shops, and lots of food stalls surrounding two large picnic table areas. There is also a huge tatami mat room for those who want to sit and relax Japanese style (and, if you want, you can catch poor quality/bad acting performance put on during the day on the stage in this room).
I recommend that if you are interested in any kind of massage treatment that you go straight to the sign-up counter and book it. The counter is right in front of the entrances to the two main segregated baths. Almost all of the treatments are written in English and the staff speaks some as well.
Now you are ready to have some fun. Relax and soak your feet in the outdoor garden, get a 'Doctor Fish' treatment (little fish eat the dead skin cells off your feet), take a nap or watch TV in the relaxation room, get a massage, have something tasty to eat, play some games, or, best of all, take a serious bath.
Those who are hesitant to get naked in front of strangers, I say to you, get over it! The human form has many shapes and sizes - nobody cares about yours, except you. If you don't try the bath, you are really missing out on one of the truest Japanese experiences. And, once you try it, you'll want to go again and again. If I ever leave Japan, the onsen experience is one I will miss most.
That said, if you really can't bring yourself to do it, there is plenty to keep you busy within Oedo Onsen Monogatari. English website: http://www.ooedoonsen.jp/higaeri/english/hotspa.html
**Be aware - tattoos are unacceptable in almost all public baths and onsen in Japan. You will be escorted out if you have one that can be seen by others. If it is small, covering it with a large bandage for your entire visit is acceptable.
Getting there:
1) Yurikamome Line from Shimbashi or Shiodome. Get off at 'Telecom Center'. It is just outside the station.
2) Rinkai Line from Osaki. Get off at Tokyo Teleport and look for the free Oedo Onsen shuttle. I believe it runs about every 15 minutes.
3) Cruise boat from Hinode. Make sure you take a boat that stops at the Museum of Maritime Science. These boats run infrequently so check the website before heading to Hinode. http://www.suijobus.co.jp/english/
Hours of Operation: Open from 11am to 9am the following day. Discounts for visiting in the evening. Surcharge for staying past 2am.
