Everybody eventually goes through a period of intense stress. People deal with this stress in different ways. Some people let it out in sports, others let it out through art, and then there are those who get massages or go to spas to get the stress pampered out of them. There are a lot of great spas everywhere in the world and in Japan, there is an establishment that is known as the best spa in all of the land. This spa is called the Spa World.
A Guide to the Spa World found in Osaka, Japan
The district of Shinsekai, within the Osaka Prefecture, has built a reputation for being a district that got stuck in its golden era in the 1950’s. This is so because a lot of establishments there were built in that period of time and it has yet been improved or renovated since then. Despite this notion that has been created about this district, you should not shut your mind to the blooming businesses and attractions here because it is creating a new brand of charm for this district. A perfect example of such attractions is the Spa World.
Spa establishments are pretty predictable because they all generally offer the same services to their customers. The usual services they offer are steam rooms, saunas, pools, and bathing facilities. The Spa World in Shinsekai is no different in this aspect as it also offers those things but does not make the mistake of thinking that this spa is the same as any other you can go to in the world.
The Spa World is unique and there is no way anyone who has been here will ever contest that statement but before going into the details of what makes this special, you should know the general information about this place first. Spa world is a high-rise building that divides its many services and facilities throughout its many floors. Since the first floor is somewhat just the entrance to the establishment, the second floor is where your journey begins.
On the second floor, you will find the front desk, shoe lockers, valuables lockers, information desk, gift shop, banquet hall, and game corner. This floor is also where you can find an automatic payment machine and it is also the passageway for guests to reach the hotel. The hotel here is also quite a unique on because it offers a variety of rooms for the different preferences that guests might have. They have Japanese-style rooms found on the 4th floor of this hotel, Banquet rooms or Large Japanese-style rooms on the 5th floor, Western-style rooms on the 6th floor, and their double and suite rooms on the 7th floor.
To help you plan for which room you might have to take on your stay in the Spa World, here is a breakdown of the capacity for each room. There are 8 Japanese-style rooms (Type A) and these rooms can accommodate 2 to 4 people comfortably at once. There are 4 Japanese-style rooms (Type B) that can accommodate 2 to 3 people. The 4 Large Japanese-style rooms (Type A) can accommodate 5 to 12 people which the 2 Large Japanese-style rooms (Type B) can accommodate 5 to 10 people.
There are 8 Western-style rooms (Type A) that can accommodate 2 to 3 people and there are 4 Western-style rooms (Type B) that can accommodate 2 people. The 4 Western-style Double can accommodate a max of 2 people luxuriously and the 4 Suite rooms found on the same floor as these doubles can accommodate 2 to 6 people luxuriously as well.
Now, getting back to the Spa World floor division. The 3rd floor is where you can find the first of the many services and facilities you can avail of and make use of. These facilities found on the 3rd floor are the likes of the kids’ room which serves as a play area, Yuraku which is a rest and relaxation facility, the Gourmet Court which is the food and eating area, and the Tenshi No Suashi which is an aesthetics facility.
The 3rd floor is also where you can find the Sekai no Dai Ganbanyoku and this has to be the most sought out facility on the 3rd floor. Ganbanyoku means sauna and the sauna for this area is really fitting to be called the sauna area of the Spa World because it incorporates several designs of saunas based from saunas found all over the world.
They have a sauna that is called the Turkey Hamam that resembles how premium saunas in Turkey are. They have a sauna called Israel Salt that resembles how premium saunas in Israel are. This concept also applies to the rest of the saunas found here that resemble the best saunas in places like Egypt, Austria, Korea, Russia, Iceland, and Canada.
The 4th floor is called the Europe Zone and it is where you can find the Aqua Salon Heavenly that is an aesthetic facility. You can also find 3 relaxation facilities here which are namely the Akasuri Biyou, Tatami-an, and the Touyo-Seitai. There is also another play area here called the Kiddy Park. This floor is also where you can find the first part of the main attraction of Spa World and that is the European Spa.
The 5th floor is inaccessible so guests would have to take the elevator located in the locker room on the 4th floor and then go up to the 8th floor to take the another elevator down to reach the 6th floor. On the 6th floor, you will find facilities like a sports gym, a hair salon called “Prism”, aesthetic facilities called “Bali Spa Heavenly” and “Shinbieson”, and another set of relaxation facilities that are also called Akasuri Biyou and Tatami-an. This floor is also where you can find the second half of the main attraction in Spa World which is the Asian Spa.
As mentioned earlier, the 8th floor gives you access to both 6th floor and 4th floor directly via the elevator. On the 8th floor, you will find amenities like the Amusement pool and kids’ pool. The Amusement Pool is given this unique name because this pool adds some aquatic fun to the activities you can do. You can enjoy things like the Death Loop, Uzu Uzu Bam, and the Zoku Zoku Bam which can all be compared to the aquatic version of a bouncy castle where there are so many things you can do to have fun.
Aside from the pools found on the 8th floor, you can also find their sun deck here but it is only open during the summer time. Another amenity you can enjoy on this floor is the hot spring they call the “Panoramic View Bath” and as its name suggests, it is a hot spring where guests can relax in the heat of the water as the bask in the beautiful panoramic view of the skylines of the Shinsekai, which is a view inclusive of the Tsutenkaku.
Some Rules and Basic Information on Things like Tattoos as well as Details on the Onsen and the Other Facilities Found in Spa World
It is different to know what things can be found in a place like Spa World and to know how things work in the same place as well. Knowing your way around a certain place is always a benefit because it saves you time by getting you from point A to point B in the least amount of time and this is definitely application when going to Spa World. By knowing the details to be discussed here, you can maximize the time you have when you actually get there.
The first thing you have to know is how to get in. There are vending machines that can be found prior to entering Spa World and these vending machines are where you can buy your ticket in. Usually, there are promos that give you 24 hours of access to the establishment at a great price but even without the promo, this place is definitely worth the time and money.
Once you get in, you give your ticket to the front desk and in return, they will give you a waterproof green bracelet that would act as your mark to signify that you are a legitimate guest in the spa. It is highly recommendable to avail of shoe lockers and valuables lockers if you aren’t staying in the hotel here because you would surely not want that with you as you move from one wet location to another.
As stated earlier, the 3rd floor is where you can enjoy the uniquely and extremely different saunas of Spa World. These saunas are open to both male and females and they can be used unlimited times as long as your pass is valid. There is an age limit here though as only elementary school children or older can enjoy and relax in these saunas.
The 4th and 6th floor are the floors where you can find the main attraction for Spa World and that is their onsen or hot springs. The 4th floor has the European Zone while the 6th floor has the Asian Zone. You should take note of the fact that these are not open to both sexes at all times and that each zone caters to a specific gender per month. Women can enjoy the 4th floor during months that are odd-numbered which pertains to the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November. During these odd-numbered months, the men are the ones allowed to enjoy the 6th floor.
It might not be a big deal for others whether they get into the European Zone or Asian Zone but these two zones have huge differences between them. For example, the European Zone features multiple themes like Spain and Finland which offer an open-air bath with a waterfall and cold-water baths along with two sauna houses, respectively. The Asian Zone, on the other hand, features hot springs that are like Japanese bath houses which are pretty great as well. With this being said, it is vital to know which months would be ideal for you go relax in the zone you want to be in.
The pool area on the 8th floor is the mixed bathing area that is inclusive of an outdoor rooftop bath with a bar as well as a large indoor bath. You should know that Spa World has a “No Tattoo” policy but this can be easily remedied by covering your tattoos with plaster with you enter the establishment and when you make use of their other facilities like the saunas and hot springs.
Price and Service Reviews about the Spa World in Japan
The Spa World is ranked as the best establishment under the “Spas and Wellness” category in Osaka. It is ranked 1 over the 52 other spas in the area and it can surely contend to be the top spa in all of Japan. These ranking and reviews are from former guests and customers so you can be sure that the prices you have throughout your stay in Spa World would be well worth it.
Your first cost would definitely be the ticket to enter and you that would cost you 2400 yen for an adult 3-hour pass, 1300 yen for a kiddy 3-hour pass, 2700 yen for an adult all-day pass, and 1500 yen for a kiddy all-day pass. As mentioned above, there are instances where you are able to get the all-day pass tickets on a promo that would reduce the cost to 1000 yen. This admission fee covers the usage of the onsen and the swimming area that isn’t an attraction like the Panic Tornado or any other like it. Once you enter, the green bracelet they give you will also serve as your tracker for the money you will be spending in Spa World.
After getting the bracelet, the next possible thing you might want to spend on is a locker and the usage of lockers would cost you 100 yen per locker. This is fully refundable though at the end of your stay so you can kind of look passed this cost. What comes next are the saunas which you would surely want to spend on.
The prices for the saunas vary depending on the day of the week. On weekdays, an all-day ticket would cost 800 yen per person. On weekend, holidays, and certain set dates, the same ticket is sold at 1000 yen. This gives you unlimited access to all the saunas here so whether it’s a weekday or a weekend ticket you get, it will still be a bargain for what you receive in return. There are many other fees you may pay for like parking and using the play areas found on specific floors. The answers to these queries can be answered on their website so feel free to check it out yourself to get the specific details you want.
Spa World Osaka definitely brought something new to the plate with the type of amenities they have and the services they offer. There is no way that anybody would reject the idea of spending a day or two here because of all the rest and relaxation that entails for that person. It is a perfect personification of Japan’s knack for creating new and great things and it is an experience you should absolutely have when you go to Japan because you can go mile after mile or km after km but still not find any place like this place.