Kamata Onsen

Near my hotel. Bring your own soap, towels are for rent and there is a sauna but I didn't use it. The onsen is old so it looks rugged, but I didn't mind at all. The staff is very kind and know little English I think, I spoke Japanese with them which went well. They have a coffee black bath which is interesting and the baths are quite hot. It was very relaxing and not expensive. The locals there were kind also, they do keep an eye on you to see if you're sticking to onsen rules and had complimented me on knowing them well. It is good for an hour or so just to clean up and relax a little. I liked that it was also open in the morning so I could go before heading to the airport. Just grab a bucket and stool, put your things in the bucket after washing when you head in the baths and wash again after.

Complaints from fellow reviewers about Kamata Onsen being rundown aside, I found this to be a charming facility which shows “authentic Japan”. It is certainly not geared towards tourists, nor does it need to be. It opened in 1937, and feels like you are in a well worn but comfortable home with many memories. One bath has water so dark in color that you can’t see your hand when placed an inch below the surface. The second floor apparently has dining facilities and kareoke. One correction about the pricing. The basic fee is 470 yen, and soap and shampoo is provided for free. You can bring your own towel or buy one in the facility.

Complaints from fellow reviewers about Kamata Onsen being rundown aside, I found this to be a charming facility which shows “authentic Japan”. It is certainly not geared towards tourists, nor does it need to be. It opened in 1937, and feels like you are in a well worn but comfortable home with many memories. One bath has water so dark in color that you can’t see your hand when placed an inch below the surface. The second floor apparently has dining facilities and kareoke. One correction about the pricing. The basic fee is 470 yen, and soap and shampoo is provided for free. You can bring your own towel or buy one in the facility.

I’ve been to this onsen a couple of times while in Tokyo. It is not a tourist site but we found foreigners very welcome. The black baths were quite hot but the mineral salts in the water made your skin very soft. It is the color of cola. After a nice wash and soak, you can go upstairs to the cafe to relax, cool down and enjoy a snack or drink. We went on a Sunday afternoon, they were doing traditional enka karaoke. A bit complicated to walk from the station but easy to do with Google maps.

Not too bad. Typical local bath, you won’t get the tourist treatment here, although the staff was nice. Lots of locals even on weekdays. 700-1000¥. It’s a bit older, but with coffee colored waters so black you can’t see past 5cm at temps of 44-46c, you’ll be sure to have a nice hot one. Sauna was adequate. Overall the spaces are gonna be smaller than your used to if your spoiled on tourist joints, but it truly does give you that locals only feel if that’s what your looking for.