Right near the Ueno Park, Rokuryu Kousen (六龍鉱泉) is a traditional and old-fashioned Onsen/Sento facility. Despite the copious amount of hot spring facilities in Tokyo, this facility has been particularly loved by Sento fans throughout the years for its history and the distinct atmosphere.
The facility opened in 1931, and since then, despite having a number of renovations, the building has never been dismantled. The pieces of history still remain scattered throughout the facility, inside and out.
Right next to the bathtub is a tile artwork depicting Kintaikyo, a historical wooden arch bridge in Iwakuni, and the soft colors of the artwork soothes the mind.
The name of the facility, rokuryu, meaning “six dragons”, is said to have been derived from the dream that their ancestors saw, in which six dragons came dancing out of the water.
There is a koi pond in the garden, and although they may not be dragons, the koi fishes are beautiful as well.
Not only the bathtub and the tile artwork, but also the exterior of the building or the dressing room are all very old-fashioned and reminiscent of the Showa era.
On the ceiling of the dressing room is a propeller fan, which used to be a stereotypical feature of a Sento in Japan but can no longer be seen in the facilities today as they now all use electronic air-conditioning. This propeller fan screams out nostalgia for all the people of Japan.
The main feature of this Onsen is the black water, which is so dark that some people say it is almost coffee-like. Don’t worry, the blackness is due to natural substances in the water and the water is perfectly clean!
It is said that people of Tokyo likes their hot spring very hot and the Rokuryu Kosen follows through on this theory.
There are two bathtubs with different water temperatures, the one moderate and the other very hot. However, it is said that even the moderate one is as hot as 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).
This is perceived as very hot even in Japanese standards, so make sure that you do not stay in for too long, or you might start to feel dizzy.
If the moderate one is hot enough, you can imagine how hot the other bathtub can be. The bathtub is deep as well, so if you would like to challenge yourself and try it out, try to go in as slowly as possible.
There is also a jacuzzi available.
Freshen up your body and your mind in the scalding water at Rokuryu Kosen!
We also recommend this Sento to whoever wants to feel like a true local in downtown Tokyo!
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Rokuryu Kousen |
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3-4-20 Ikenohata, Taito-ku, Tokyo |
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10 minute walk from Nezu station |
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15:30~11:00 |
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Mondays |
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03-3821-3826 |
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Adult (Over 12 years old) 450 yen Elementary School Children (6-12 years old) 180 yen Child (under 6 years old) 80 yen |
Photos from
http://taito1010.com/
fc2blog
writer：nozomi
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