Tuesday, January 30, 2007

28th Hot spring

Dec28th, hot spring theme park with my Morioka friend. "Oedo Onsen Monogatari". ("Big Edo Hot Spring Story".) About 2500 yen admission ($25). Highly recommended! But of course you gotta get all naked in the hot spring...

The park is located near Odaiba, an general entertainment district.

1. First thing after entering the door, you have to take off your shoes. There are free shoe lockers with keys.
2. Line up to get a pass (wrist band). They scan your credit card number here but the actual payment happens at the very end. You'll be assigned a second locker for cloths and other belongings.
3. Pick up your yukata. There are many patterns and sizes to choose from.
4. Get changed. (Naked under the yukata.)
5. Enter the park ground. There are many vendors, services (massage etc), games, and food court. Any money you spend would be in the form of scanning your wrist band pass.
6. Enter the hot spring area after you've had enough of the vendors. Of course you can have more afterwards.
7. Pick up your towel. Take off your yukata and put it into this area's lockers. (Yup, more lockers.) Yay~ you're all naked.
8. Now the real hot spring area. Wash before you soak. Just watch what others are doing. Body wash and shampoo are free.
9. There's an exfoliating body-scrubbing service here. (Costa extra.)
10. Try the different pools. There is also an outdoor section. It was a bit cold in winter but after soaking, it's not too bad even if you're walking outside naked.
11. After you've soak enough, dry off and put the yukata back on. Amenities are quite good. Dryer, comb, lotion, hair spray, tooth brush, Q tips... You can borrow a bag to carry the towel while hanging out some more in the vendor area.
12. Back at cloths locker. Get dressed, return towel and yukata to laundry basket, proceed to check out area.
13. This is where you actually pay. Then you'll be handed fake Edo period coins. (More like a slab of metal.)
14. The fake coins will be collected at the exit that looks like an Edo period check point. No coins, no exit.

So. It's best to go with a friend of the same sex. Don't think I need to explain. Right?

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