Spending a Whole Day in Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari Hot Springs Tokyo

Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari is an Oda era themed onsen (hot spring) located in Odaiba, Tokyo. It’s very popular among foreign tourists and Japanese as well. with natural hot-spring water and tons of other supporting facilities, you can experience authentic onsen bathing without having to go far outside the city. Here is our review of this beautiful place.

History of Odaiba and Oedo Onsen Monogatari

Odaiba is a popular shopping and entertainment district on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay. It originated as a small fort island (Odaiba literally means “fort”), built near the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) to protect Tokyo against possible attacks after American warships forced Japan into trade agreements 1853.

More than a century later, the small islands were joined into larger islands by massive landfills, and Tokyo began a spectacular development project aimed to turn the islands into a futuristic residential and business district. And in 2003, Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari was open for the first time, as the biggest Onsen theme park in Japan.

Nowadays, Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari is very popular. Especially for it’s Edo themed park and the location which is very easy to get, compared to other popular onsen resort far in the north like Hakone, which naturally much costly.

Why you need to go to Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari

When you are in Japan but you only have one day to spend before going back to your country, Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari is the only reasonable choice for you to enjoy authentic onsen experience. And as a bonus, there are more than just onsen. The entire park is themed as the street of the Edo period. Visitors can enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere as if being a time traveller to 400 years ago. If you are lucky enough, you could see they have a game show related to anime or TV programs.

The ticket is far from cheap, but you will have tons of excitement and a wonderful experience. Worth it.

Arriving in Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari

First, after you pass the entrance, you will have to put off your shoes and put them in a locker. Then you will receive a wristband as your pass. You don’t need to pay now. The wristband has a barcode key. It will record any of your expenses in the area, and you will pay when you leave.

Head to the side of the reception area where the Yukata (light summer kimono) stand is located. Choose your favourite one. There are 9 types of Yukata patterns with some Obi (belt) choice. It comes with size from S to 3L, so you could choose the right size for you.

Go to the changing room, store you belonging to the locker, and put on the Yukata. You do not need any money since everything is paid using the wristband you received before. So you could leave most of your belonging here, just carry important and some small things like your cell phone, camera, or your special makeup and bath needs.

From the changing room to the bath area, you will cross through Hirokoji. The shopping street with Japanese traditional looks and so many attractions. But you better head straight to the bathhouse first, and enjoy the Hirokoji later.

Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari 13 baths choice

The bath for man and women are separated. Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari is Traditional Japanese style which means you should naked, and no tattoo allowed. 

Take a shower at the bath entrance. Use body soap and shampoo provided in the shower area. After that, use the towel to cover your body, and go pick your choice of bath.

There are 13 different bath types. First you should try is the Oedo Onsen largest bath with 100 person capacity. This bath pumps its water from 1400m below. The water is always flowing so you could don’t need to worry about the hygiene.

The other bath you should try are Jet Pool bath, Oxygen-bubble bath, and don’t forget the outdoor bath. There are also Barrel Bath but only limited to women.

Hirokoji, the Edo Street of Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari

Back to Hirokoji, you will find various authentic Japanese food, including Sushi, Ramen, even Korean food. There are also many types of street food like Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki. There is also a quite nice ice cream shop, and fresh fruit juice if you are longing for a fresh drink.

You can enjoy food in the shop, or in the open space of the food court. You can also enjoy food in the Kawachou restaurants for a private room, but the price is quite high.

Overall, the price is not cheap, but not overpriced either. Still, you need to be aware not to spend too much, or you will get shocked when you check the bill upon leaving the Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari.

Hirokoji not only offers good food. It also has many more attractions. You can try some nostalgic game, like throwing shuriken (star shape ninja throwing weapon), and some other traditional game to bring back your memory when you were a kid.

There are some relaxing areas you can try, like the rock salt bath, and the large hall with reclining chairs to take a nap after a relaxing bath. There are said that some low-budget tourists prefer to stay in this relaxing hall overnight to save the hotel budget. Yes, the Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari is open until 9am the next day.

Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari hot-spring river

After exploring Hirakoji, the next thing to do is enjoying the Outdoor footbath, located outside the bathhouse. It located in a large Japanese style garden. Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari footbath is like a small river with 50m length. It has many small rocks at the river bed. It’s quite painful to walk on, but it really stimulates the sole of the feet. If you can endure it, it really relaxing. But you don’t have to push yourself.

The area of Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari footbath has seating and so many lanterns. So it’s so beautiful to see at night, make it such a good spot to relaxing with some friends. If it’s cold, at the entrance of the footbath you could borrow a jacket to put on top of your Yukata.

At the end of the footbath river, you will find fish foot therapy with, additional fee. Check their website for more updated information.

Private Onsen Experience in Tokyo

For you who with extra budget or want to explore more, there is Iseya Hotel inside the Oedo Onsen complex, where you can use tastefully-selected Japanese style modern rooms. There are 7 types of rooms including special rooms, Japanese style rooms, and Western-style rooms that include outdoor baths.

When staying at Iseya, a late-night fee is included in your Odaiba Oedo Onsen price, so you can freely access the on-site baths during your stay. It’s another great way to have a luxurious break time in your own private space for a while.

Conclusion of Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari

Spending all day in Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari is very relaxing and a very exciting experience. It helps you to get ready for the next day and face the real world out there. And the Edo-area traditional Japanese theme makes it much more interesting.

When you decide to go, please check their website for updated price and schedule. But here are some key information to start with

Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari Opening Hours

11:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. (next day)

Ticket price:

• Adult (over age 12): Weekday ¥2,280 (Weekend  ¥2,480, Holidays ¥2,580)
• After 6:00 p.m.: Weekdays ¥1,780 (Weekend ¥1,980, Holidays ¥2,080)
• Children (4 – 12): ¥980; Under 4 years: Free
• After 2:00 a.m.: Additional ¥2,000

How to get to Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari

·         By train

From Tokyo station, you could take JR Yamanote Line to Shimbashi station. From Shimbasi station, take a little walk to catch the monorail of Yurikamone Line and get off at the Telecom Center Station, and take another walk about 2 minutes. Actually, you can see the Oedo Onsen on the right side of the train when approaching the station, and there are so many signposts you could follow from the station to the Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari, you will hardly get lost.

If you are from Shinjuku, take Rinkai Line to Tokyo Teleport Station, and take the free shuttle bus from the Onsen. The time table is here.

·         By Bus.

Just in case the monorail is not operational, you could take a bus from Hamamatsu Cho station to Telecom Center.

A few tips

1. Go there early, as it would give you fair enough time to enjoy all the facilities in the Odaiba Oedo Onsen.
2. If you are going there late, then make it late enough. In case you have a busy day in only able to go there late, there is a reduced rate if you come after 6 pm. But beware of additional rate after 2 am.
3. If possible, choose the weekday to visit Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari, since it’s pretty crowded in the weekend, and the fee also cheaper in weekday.
4.  Purchase tickets online. Some site offer discount, try to check klook.com or govoyagin.com
5. Use the shuttle bus while you can. It could save some Yen, to spend on delicious food in Hirokoji. Check the bus timetables http://daiba.ooedoonsen.jp/access/img/img_bus-ichiran.pdf so you could adjust your time.
6. If you have a tattoo, it may be better if you skip this, unless you are sure that you can hide it properly. Maybe the staff will overlook it when you go in, but other customers could report you in and you will ask to leave Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari.

Reference:

Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari official website in English

https://daiba.ooedoonsen.jp/en/