"Midnight spas" in central Tokyo - soothing
destinations for people of the capital
This feature looks at spas in the center of Tokyo where busy Tokyo-ites who work and play until late at night can find a moment for relaxation, introducing three popular spas with convenient access! (Top photo: Spa LaQua)
Spas - Japan’s perennial source of comfort...
For a natural hot spring, try Spa LaQua!
The Spa LaQua building is a soothing space styled like a southern Japanese resort. Entry costs 2,565 yen for adults (18 and over), and 1,785 yen for students who are under 18 years of age. Tourists can easily use this facility as there are English, Chines
Japan is a nation of hot springs - they can be found in every prefecture, from the north of the country to the south. Hot spring culture is deeply rooted in Japan, with baths providing moments of rest that are essential for the Japanese lifestyle. Men and women of all ages are often heard to say that they “love to slowly soak in a large bathtub” and that “saunas are great when you’re exhausted!”
Even busy city dwellers feel the same. The PR manager of the popular Spa LaQua facility (featured in this article) says: “When evening arrives, there’s a sudden jump in the number of company employees who use this spa. At weekends, there are also many people who use the spa right through till the morning.”
Right next to the spa is the landmark Tokyo Dome! There is also a shopping mall in the same building as the spa and an amusement park on the same premises, making for a tremendously spacious complex! The image above shows the view from a deck inside the
“Midnight spas” are loved by city dwellers for the therapeutic spaces they provide. If you are feeling tired, why not visit one for yourself? These spas are open until morning, also making them ideal for travelers who want to make effective use of their limited time.
The first Tokyo spa we will introduce is the above-mentioned Spa LaQua. This spa is conveniently located just a one-minute walk from Kourakuen Station on the subway line, a two-minute walk from Kasuga Station on the subway line, and a few minutes away from Suidoubashi Station on the subway and JR lines. Visitors include many Tokyo businesspeople.
This is an open air bath for women only. Men and women each have two open air baths and indoor baths, as well as three saunas.
Above all, the secret to this spa’s popularity is its natural hot spring! The Spa LaQua PR manager says of the water quality here: “This hot spring has a little sodium chloride. The water is amber in color and gushes forth from 1,700m underground. The water of this particular hot spring is also said to produce a slim figure and beautiful people. It’s effective for people who have stiff shoulders or are sensitive to the cold, and it restores people’s energy when they are tired. It has excellent moisturizing and heat insulation properties as well. Soak at leisure to ease and warm your body and mind!
“Healing Baden” can be used for an additional 525 yen. The image above shows the “Tensenbou” resting space in the same area.
Services other than bathing are also available to enhance the pleasant experience. The facilities can be enjoyed in various ways to suit your wants... The “Healing Baden” area has five low-temperature saunas for users who want to get a sweat on, there is a nail salon and beauty parlor if you want to enhance your prettiness, and body treatments for relaxation. “Spa LaQua” is ideal as a stop-off point, but will also leave you fully satisfied if you go out of your way to pay a visit.
Times Spa Resta - an “oasis” in the city
Times Spa Resta is a luxurious resting place for adults in the Ikebukuro megalopolis, which is packed with office buildings and commercial facilities.
According to Times Spa Resta’s PR manager, “We have built a garden with flowers outside the women’s open air bath so that visitors can get a sense of the four seasons even here in the middle of the city. The aroma inside the building is also carefully selected to match the current season. People visit not only on their way home from work, but also in intervals during work.” This oasis space is a world away from the bustling streets outside!
Travelers can relax as there is printed information in English, Chinese and Korean available at the front desk. Why not visit as a luxurious hiding place during your journey?
This outdoor jacuzzi for women is illuminated at night. Bathing costs 2,520 yen. A special value option is available at a price of 1,520 yen for 90 minutes.
Pictured is the sleeping hot bath for women. Including saunas, there are six bathrooms and bathtubs for women and seven for men. Treatments are also available within the building.
Olive Spa cures with the strength of Mt. Fuji
Stone saunas provide a way of bathing where you warm your body by lying on towels, etc. that are strewn across warmed rock slabs. Olive Spa is popular for its “lava bath” version of the stone sauna. Believe it or not, lava from Mt. Fuji is used instead of the traditional rock!
The manager of Olive Spa says that lava emits a large amount of far-infrared radiation, and that of all lava types Mt. Fuji’s is the most powerful: “Many people are surprised because it gives them a different kind of sweat. It stimulates a warming detox from the depths of your body, so it’s very effective for fatigue, stiff shoulders, bad skin and swelling, etc. We have a wide range of regular users, from teenagers through to people on their way home from work.” You must check this out if you want to actually feel the great energy of Mt. Fuji.
Even travelers who have never experience lava bathing before can relax since basic explanations are available in English. The spa is located just a one-minute walk away from Roppongi Station on the Tokyo/Toei subway lines. This spa is also recommended for people who want to slowly unwind after a night on the town in Roppongi.
Private lava bath rooms can be used in pairs. Showers are also included, although your skin will be shiny and smooth after wiping sweat away just with a towel, because perspiration from lava baths is not sticky! Prices are from 4,200 yen for men and 3,360
As well as the lava baths, body treatments are also popular. Treatments can be taken in comfortable private rooms styled like Asian resorts. Full body aroma treatment starts from 16,000 yen for 100 minutes.
SHOP DATA
Facility services and prices, etc. are subject to change. Depending on the facility, there may also be limits on use relating to body art such as tattoos, etc., health conditions, age, intoxication, and so on. Fees may increase depending on the number of people using the facilities, the time, and the day of the week. Service availability times within the facilities may differ from the stated opening hours. Please check with each facility for details.
●Spa LaQua Floor 5-9, Tokyo Dome City LaQua Building, 1-1-1 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo Tel.: 03-3817-4173 Open 11:00-09:00
>>Spa LaQua
●Times Spa Resta Floors 10-12, Times Station Ikebukuro, 4-25-9 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Tel.: 03-5979-8924 Open 11:30-09:00
>>Times Spa Resta
●Olive Spa (Roppongi) Floor 2, Art Shell Building, 7-4-4 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel.: 03-3478-5533 Open 12:00-05:00 *10 other branches in Tokyo
>>Olive Spa
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