Some of our hotels have had public baths – some on the roof, some ground level gardens. Always appreciated. In Tokyo our hotel doesn’t have public baths, though we do have a typical Japanese bathroom, which is separate from the toilet and the washstand area. There are public baths in the area that we could go to. Or we could go to a day spa.
Which we did.
Twice.
For both excursions we wound up at Ikeburku Station, which is another mega station in the Tokyo transport system. Several Metro lines, the JR train system and at least one private train line all converge there, and there is an enormous shopping complex on top and all around the station.
We found our way to the Seibu train line, and the surface train to which we were directed – there was something about it….
The train itself had the faces of three young wizards painted upon it. We were on the Toshimaen line and we knew that at the final station we would find a garden and our onsen. What we didn’t know that there was new attraction called ‘The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour’. This is in addition to an entire theme park on the theme of the Harry Potter movies elsewhere in Tokyo. It turns out that for decades there was a big amusement park/water park at Toshimaen. It closed in 2020 and the new park opened last year.
The onsen we were headed for was within sight of the train station. It is called Niwa no yu, which means Garden Hot Springs. It was lovely. In the centre was a glass enclosed circular swimming pool that backed onto a big garden. On each side of the pool we the public baths – men on one side, women on the other. Lovely pools of different temperatures and properties. Places to sit in the garden in a bath, or on a lounge chair. After we had our baths we donned the supplied lounge clothes. Wilf and I met in one of the relaxation rooms, all dark and cozy and promptly fell asleep in the lounge chairs. When we woke up we had a meal in the restaurant before getting dressed and heading back to our hotel. Lovely outing.
So lovely, in fact, that the next morning we were back at Ikebukuro, back on a Seibu line train. A pretty snazzy train, actually.
Meet LaView, the limited express bound for Chichibu, 90 minutes from Ikebukuro,
As a limited express we zoomed along pretty smartly and soon enough we were in Chichibu. Which is nestled in low mountains, one of which they are slowly taking apart… The limestone mine drew Wilf’s interest.
The town and the Seibu train people have put a lot of effort into making this a popular destination. There are hiking trails and fancy camp grounds and bikes to rent. The train station has been spiffed up and has a restaurant/shopping area – and an onsen,
Welcome to Matsuri no Yu (The festival Hot Springs)
First stop was the restaurant for the local specialty – pork cutlets!
After we had our baths – again lovely gardens and baths and time in the lovely hot water – we met up in the relaxation area. The baths are about 42C and the water is full of minerals, as the water is drawn from deep underground. Phone and cameras are strictly forbidden in the bath areas, but in the rest of the facility they are okay – half the people in the relaxation area snuggled up in the big loungers were looking at their phones,
I, on the other hand…
Had a lovely nap.
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