Most of Japanese people like onsen.
Although onsen are called hot springs in English, the temperature of onsen stipulated by Japanese law is not necessarily hot.
It is called onsen if it is 25°C or higher.
And it is called onsen that contains specified ingredients even if it is lower than 25°C.
Therefore, it can be said that in Japan, the ingredients are more important than the temperature of the onsen.
Because hot springs have been used in Japan for the purpose of treating illness.
It was called “TOJI”.
TŌ = 湯 = ONSEN in this case
JI = 治 = TREATMENT.
With the development of modern medicine, we Japanese also treat illnesses in hospitals, but in the case of chronic illnesses, we sometimes do toji.
By the way, my wife Chiyoko she had eczema around her eyes as a result of daily alcohol disinfection for COVID-19 measures.
She is applying medicine to the affected area, but at the same time she decides to take a toji workcation as a “Onsen Biz Ambassador”.
In Japan, many people think that we must do toji in the countryside, but in fact, they can be done in or around Tokyo as well.
So we proved it with black-onsen that is called “KUROYU” in Japan:
KURO = 黒 = BLACK
YU = 湯 = ONSEN in this case.
It’s like petroleum and has a high moisturizing effect infiltrated with sea sediments.
There are many onsen of this type around Tokyo, because it was the seabed very long long ago.
Yes, toji of black-onsen can able to say one of the thalassotherapy🙂
CHIYOKO‘S 10-DAY TOKYO TOJI PLAN
Maps: https://OnsenHotSprings.com
October 1st:
Soshigaya Onsen 21 (Niju-ichi)
そしがや温泉21
• Setagaya Ward
• 18km from our accommodation
October 2nd:
Kamata Onsen
蒲田温泉
• Ota Ward
• 31km from our accommodation
October 3rd:
Business Hotel Goi Onsen
ビジネスホテル五井温泉
⚠️Not sento (No Tattoos Allowed)
• Ichihara city, Chiba
• 75km from our accommodation
October 4th:
Nakajimakan
中島館
• Yokohama city, Kanagawa
• 52km from our accommodation
October 5th:
Gokurakuyu Wako-ten
極楽湯 和光店
⚠️Not sento (No Tattoos Allowed)
• Wako city, Saitama
• 5km from our accommodation
October 6th:
Azabu Kokubusui Onsen Takenoyu
麻布黒美水温泉 竹の湯
• Minato Ward
• 23km from our accommodation
October 7th:
Musashikoyama Onsen shimizuyu
武蔵小山温泉 清水湯
• Shinagawa Ward
• 26km from our accommodation
October 8th:
Mikokuyu
御谷湯
• Sumida Ward
• 24km from our accommodation
October 9th:
Hotel Danrokan
ホテル談露館
⚠️Not sento (No Tattoos Allowed)
• Kofu city, Yamanashi
• 122km from our accommodation
October 10th:
Otomeyu
乙女湯
• Edogawa Ward
• 31km from our accommodation
OCTOBER 10TH IS THE DAY OF “SENTO”
The last day is a special day in Japan🙂
Because October 10 is 1010:
1000 = SEN
10 = TŌ in this case.
Sento means pay public bath and most of them are not onsen:
SEN = 銭 = MONEY
TŌ = 湯 = HOT WATER in this case.
It is stipulated by Japanese law, and there are some that are highly public and some that are for leisure purposes.
In Japan, highly public baths are often called sento, and the rates are unified for each prefecture.
(“Super sento” are not highly public baths.)
They are located in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, because in the area where many people live but many houses didn’t have a bath or shower in the old days.
Since the purpose of public baths was to keep the body clean, there are many places with a simple structure, and there are also many places with high temperature baths so that we can warm up in a short time.
High temperature baths are not only sento but also SOTOYU at onsen places like Kusatsu onsen at Gunma:
SOTO = 外 = OUTSIDE of accommodation
YU = 湯 = ONSEN in this case.
In other words, black-onsen sento are sotoyu of Tokyo, I think.
So this time, I made a plan centered on sento.
And there is one more reason.
Sento are highly public, so they don’t refuse to use us because of tattoos.
Cultures vary from country to country, and many people do not consider tattoos to be a symbol of evil unlike Japan.
The ban on tattoos may be one of the Japanese cultures, but it has the disadvantage of not being able to convey to people in other countries the culture that Japan is proud of, called onsen, I think.
Although this is the end of our report, if you’re interested in this, please feel free to contact us🙂