'Taking The Plunge' Has A Whole New Meaning At Tokyo Haneda Airport

Airports and take-offs go hand-in-hand, but airports and plunges, not so much. In fact, the very idea of an airport plunge can trigger anxiety in an already-anxious flyer — but not at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HAN) where Haneda Airport Garden offers passengers an opportunity to experience traditional Japanese onsen culture. The relaxing and often therapeutic practice involves bathing in onsen (natural hot springs), a soothing tradition that goes back more than a millennia to a time when samurai warriors considered soaking in mineral springs a remedy for injuries and fatigue. To date, more than 20,000 hot springs have been identified at locations throughout Japan. One of them emerges at the site of Tokyo Haneda Airport, a fact that did not go unnoticed when airport officials were planning the Haneda Airport Garden.

Opened in 2023, the 12-story retail complex located in Terminal 3 features two hotels plus dozens of shopping and dining venues, but the pièce de résistance is the rooftop onsen at Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand. The unexpected amenity is a component of the hotel's full-service, 24-hour spa, Izumi Tenku no Yu — and it's open to the public, including passengers transiting through the airport regardless of whether or not they are guests of the hotel. Overlooking the Tamagawa River, the open-air onsen offers expansive views that can stretch as far as Mt. Fuji — more than 80 miles away — on a clear day. The onsen ritual involves soaking in a series of bathing zones, or plunge pools, filled with water pumped from a chloride-heavy hot spring located almost a mile underground. Chloride, one of several varieties of spring water, contains salt ions and is believed to warm the body and ease muscle and joint pain.

Bathing at a Japanese onsen involves some important etiquette rules tourists must follow — even at the airport. There's no such thing as a clothing-optional onsen. It's a fully nude experience with separate bathing zones for men and women marked by color-coded curtains. The towel provided upon entry will be small. It's more of a wash cloth than a wrap-around, just enough to cover your private parts en route from the changing room to the baths. You'll get a full-sized towel too, but that's for drying off after bathing. Fully rinse before entering the bath area. Silence isn't required, but quiet is expected. Avoid the urge to paddle or dunk your head. One specific requirement may come as a surprise to Westerners — displaying a tattoo of any kind is prohibited. Guests sporting tattoos will be denied entry unless the ink is fully hidden from sight. Cover stickers are available for purchase at reception. Onsen also enforce a strict rule about acceptable hair styles. 

A walkway connects Terminal 3 to Haneda Airport Garden and Izumi Tenku no Yu at Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand. The $35 entry fee includes a face towel, a bath towel, and access to the entire facility. (Hotel guests enter at a discounted rate of about $15.) The baths are closed daily for maintenance from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition to the onsen, Izumi Tenku no Yu offers a full roster of spa and massage services. Amenities include a 15-person sauna, a six-person herbal steam sauna, a cool room, and three hot stone saunas — lava stone, rock salt, and black geranium. You may not find onsen at other airports around the world, but these 23 tips for surviving a long layover include ways to make your transit more pleasant.