It doesn’t always mean that you have to travel to an Onsen resort or countryside to go in an Onsen (hot spring). I suppose Ooedo Onsen Monogatari is sometimes introduced as a Higaeri Onsen (Onsen for a day trip) in a guidebook for foreigners who travel to Tokyo. But it’s not the only option. There are several Onsen facilities in residential area that offer authentic Onsen for the local people at a reasonable price and for daily use. Shiraku-no-Yu is a good example. 
It’s not in Tokyo. It’s in Kawasaki but not in a major train station such as Kawasaki station. Nothing interesting may be found around the area, but its nearest train station is Yakou. Yakou is a train station between my station and Kawasaki station, so it’s not very far from my place. (10 minutes by train)
However, I’ve never inclined to get off a train at a station like Yakou, where there’s nothing more to offer except for the Onsen. It’s only a residential area, basically.
But now that I’m working in Kawasaki and I have a train pass from my station to Kawasaki, which allows me to get on and off at any train stations in-between, I’ve planned to get off at Yakou to go to the Onsen after work on Friday evening!
It wasn’t easy for me to find out this place. I’m poor at reading maps…It’s not on the main street, not very near the station, no signs to guide people from the station, but it’s totally in a residential area between apartments.
I could see most of the people who come to this place would be the locals who live nearby.
There were more people when I came, so I took this picture before I left when there were not many people around. I liked the interior, it’s very relaxing. 
When you enter, take off your shoes and put them in a locker (whichever open) and keep the wooden key with you. Then pay at the reception. If you bring a towel from home, it’s 850yen (1000yen for weekends). If you want to borrow towels, it’s 970yen (1150yen for weekends).
The way to approach Onsen and a changing room connected to each Onsen (Onsen for men and for women) also looked nice!
The Onsen was really good! I was quite surprised because I didn’t expect it so much, honestly. Somehow Onsen water was a bit salty and color was brown, which made me feel as if I traveled all the way to reach some hidden place. (instead of Yakou! lol I didn’t remember I was still in Kawasaki while I was in the Onsen.)
I could see it was an authentic Onsen, as I couldn’t stay so long in the water because it keeps me so warm. Also after finish bathing, I kept feeling hot for a while. You will not be able to get this feeling from normal bath or fake Onsen, where Onsen water is very weak, blended with huge amount of normal water. Also your skin becomes very smooth, after taking a bath at authentic Onsen.
Yakou and Kawasaki area is not on volcanic belt but according to them, they dug this area very deeply and Onsen water sprung. The water is nearly as close as sea water (that’s why it’s salty!) and it had been stuck in the layer of earth for hundreds of thousands of years where all kind of minerals from the earth melted into. That’s why they say bathing at Shiraku-no-Yu is like having a thalassotherapy. The sea water from old layer of earth is much more pristine than the one we have in the ocean today.
It was amazing! I was totally relaxed, almost forgetting that I was staying in Kawasaki, and it was after work. On the way back from the Onsen and while I was walking on a corridor, I was wondering how I was supposed to go back to my hotel room, and then I was surprised at myself wondering that. The whole experience even made me have such an idea very naturally! lol
I’ll definitely come back next Friday after work…hope I’ll be free from over-time work on that day!
BTW, I had a good quality sleep on that night and next morning I felt great waking up around 5:30am naturally! I’ll also write about the Izakaya (soba restaurant as well) and the cafe (macrobiotics cafe) in the facility some time later. I liked them too!
Posted by: kirin on 
Jul 4th, 2012 | 
Filed under: Daily Life
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