Monday, October 22, 2012

Nagoya Airport's Enjoyable Japanese Bath

Naked in a hot Japanese bath located a few hundred feet from an international airport runway, we watched planes from all over the world land and fly away.

Relaxing in a Japanese Bath Between Flights
Nagoya Airport, locally called Centrair, is one of only a few airports in the world that provide travelers with the ultimate experience between flights: revitalizing hot baths, some with bubbles and jets, one that is freezing cold, and others that are hot and soothing, a wood-scented sauna, and outdoor benches. These amenities belong to a bathhouse named Fu No Yu (風の湯), roughly translated as a bath of the wind.
Poster for Sola Spa Bath Fu no Yu at the Nagoya Airport

Although the facilities are right in the middle of an international airport terminal, the admission fees are low. You can spend hours switching between baths and the sauna, or stretching out in the relaxation room, a quiet tatami-floored room.

Entrance and Towel Fees as of May 2025
Adults (junior high students and older): 1,300 yen without a towel. 1,500 with a towel.
Primary school age children: 700 yen without a towel. 900 with a towel.
Small children (three years and younger): 400 yen without a towel. 600 with a towel.
Admission is free for younger children.


Three Baths: Cold, Jet, and Hot, All with Airplane Views

As a hot spring addict, I feel honor-bound to point out that this bathhouse is not officially classified as a Japanese hot spring onsen. This type of bathhouse is called a sentou, せんとう (銭湯). The baths are filled with tap water that is not geothermally heated, so the facilities cannot be called an onsen. Nonetheless, I recommend this bathhouse because of its cleanliness, special location, and comfortable facilities.

Watching planes depart and arrive

Although Nagoya is not known for Japanese onsens, it has its share of good ones. My recommendation is Ryunsenji-no-yu (竜 泉寺の湯), a hot spring facility in Nagoya. It has various hot-water baths and an entire floor of ganbanyoku rooms, each containing miscellaneous herbs or minerals and heated to different temperatures. Experience herbal relaxation at its best.





8 comments:

  1. Not that well-travelled, but the Cent-Air is my favorite. Great food.

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    1. More people should consider Nagoya when flying in or out of Japan. The airport is easy to get to from the city, and, as you wrote, the food is excellent. Not to mention, the bath is a great way to relax, revive, or just kill time.

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  2. Interesting Article. Hoping that you will continue posting an article having a useful information. Well ap bath

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  3. Looking forward to our 2024 Japanese adventure!

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  4. Looking forward to our 2024 Japanese adventure!

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    Replies
    1. Hello Scott, I know of many other wonderful bathing opportunities in and around Nagoya, so before coming here, feel free to ask for my advice.

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  5. Do they serve food?

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    1. Yes. A low-cost restaurant serves food in a "relaxing room" within the spa. However, a wide variety of Japanese and foreign restaurants are within a short walk of Sola Spa Bath Funoyu.

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