Onsen（Hot Spring）

Yomiuriland Chobo Onsen Kakei no Yu sits on a hill about 100m above Tokyo, and its outdoor hot spring bath looks straight out over the city. A first-hand report: what the view is really like, what ¥2,300 includes, sauna and etiquette details, and how to get there from Shinjuku in about 40 minutes.

A first-hand report on Onsen Balcony King & Queen in Tokorozawa, Saitama — a huge sauna and hot spring complex 40 minutes from Ikebukuro. Its 2-metre-deep cold bath is one of the only ones in Japan where the facility officially says you may dive in. Weekday entry is ¥950, and a free shuttle bus means you don't need a car.