Test & review of the Spa World Onsen in Osaka (Japan)

To find out how a session in an Onsen takes place, it’s this way.

Spa World is the Disney Land of Onsen, it is unbelievable!

Imagine an 8-story building dedicated to wellness

• On the 1st floor you have the reception.
• On the 3rd floor you can eat and drink.
• On the 4th floor you have spas with a European atmosphere (Rome, Greece, Atlantis, Capri, Spain, Mediterranean Sea and Finland)
• On the 6th floor a gym and spas with an Asian atmosphere (Japanese, “Islam”, Persian, Bali)
• On the 8th floor you have a swimming pool.

Massage rooms, solariums, rest areas, … everywhere

Difficult to make an inventory of all the services available. One can clearly spend the day there if one wishes

And the remaining floors are hotel rooms

Unbelievable

The place is so big that you get a map to find your way around

Accustomed of the onsens much more modest, when arriving, one is inevitably a little lost

First step: buy the tickets through the automatic machine

It’s translated into English so it’s very easy. The rate: 1200 yens (note that there is an extra charge if you leave the place between midnight and 5am, because obviously, this place is open H24). Relatively expensive but not that much given the vastness of the place and you should know that everything is included: towels, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, razors, pajamas, ..

Once the ticket is bought, we can enter the space, an employee gives us a bracelet. This bracelet will be used to pay for all your consumptions: restaurants, drink dispensers and even massages. You will settle the bill at the exit

Once equipped with this precious sesame, take off your shoes and put them in a locker (provide a 100 yen coin, a machine can make change if needed)

And then it’s off, you can have fun!

Please note that you will only be able to access one of the two areas (European or Asian). One is reserved for women, the other for men and every month it changes

Passage to the changing rooms where you will also need a 100 yen coin as well

The rest is finally similar to the usual Onsen experience, we wash on small stools before enjoying the baths (beware the “shower” area is at the far end, you have to cross the baths to find it), hammams and saunas

Except that there the size is multiplied tenfold, there are 5 or 6 different rooms, not even counting the outside space. So much so that once I washed, I didn’t know where to start

And in the end it’s almost too big, such an excess isn’t necessary, and one loses in zenitude and authenticity compared to smaller Onsens

If you have a small hollow, you can leave the Onsen space, put on a nice little pyjama (I was a little bit scared but there was my size 🙂 and go down to the restaurant area

The opportunity for me to test my first gyozas in Japan, nothing exceptional

After dinner, Anh enjoyed a 40-minute massage (extra charge, for 3160yen)

Once finished, insert your bracelets into a machine and adjust your consumption. Don’t forget to pick up the ticket, you will need it to get out

In conclusion: a rather incredible place by its gigantism. In the end we prefer smaller, more authentic, more popular, more zen Onsens. Go there if you have the time, preferably during the week or there will be much less people than in WE. Note that we couldn’t test the swimming pool which closes at 19h

Rates: 1200 yen (extra 1300 yen) if you leave the place between midnight and 5am

Schedules: 24 hours a day!

The entrance ticket is only payable in cash, consumptions can be paid by card (ours didn’t work though)

As in many onsen, tattoos are forbidden.