Azabu Kokubisui Hot Spring Takenoyu

This was my first sento experiance and honestly this alone was worth the flight from Minneapolis. I had learned about sentos/sento (?) from a show called "Sento, Sake, Sunshine" that was on Amazon video for a short time. It centers on a Japanese office worker who finds excuses to leave early from work for the day and visit a Sento. Then he would go somewhere to get food and profess his love of beer in a 5 min monolog. Anyways, this was an amazing experiance. They use this rich dark mineral water in the baths here that is super velvety in feel and an enjoyable earthy sort of fragrance. They have 2 hot tubs of varying temperatures and 1 cold tub to cool down after soaking in the hot tubs. They also have a sauna but I did not try it on this visit. Sitting down on one of the washing stools between soaks was incredibly relaxing. Addingg to this, is a rush of joy you get after soaking or dousing yourself in the cold water tub (anyone who's ever tried a Scottish shower or an ice plunge can attest to this). Sitting there listening as people wash off, the sounds of water splashing and hitting tile, it's very serene. There's also a particularly remarkable tile mosaic of a large masted ship on the far wall with all sorts of blues and whites. This is a very tasteful and appropriate installation. Oh, and it's super cheap.

This was just what you need after a long day. It has a cute neighbourhood vibe, with mostly residents. The owners are very friendly and I felt very welcomed - thank you so much! The place is clean and orderly. Two hot tubs with black onsen water, one cold tub for dips between hot soaks. The sauna for extra charge is worth it as well. The vending machine has hydration options and they sell delicious onsen milk with multiple flavours. I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight =)

Cozy and compact neighborhood onsen. They have two hot pools (41 and 43C), a cold water pool (15C) and a sauna. The staff is friendly, and enough of the signs have been translated to English that people who can’t read Japanese can find their way around. They offer rental towels, which I would consider just to avoid getting one of my towels discolored from the water. You will have to bring your own shampoo and soap.

A very neighborhood bathhouse vibe, so be prepared to bath with anyone from 5 to 105. It was quite busy and there is only really room for 6 or 7 people to bath comfortably. I went at 10pm and there were quite a few school kids running around but by 10:30 it had quieted down. Good water that leaves your skin feeling refreshed. Clean facilities albeit a little old. All in all a nice bath in a very local environment.

A nice, foreigner freindly sento/onsen with mostly residents. There are 2 hot baths (~40° and 42°), a cold bath (~16°) and a sauna for an additional cost. The black baths are very unique and its great value (without the sauna). There are a few gentle bubble jets. I would reccommend a trip here if you are looking for a sento