Otomeyu or Tsurunoyu in Funabori? Tokyo’s Two Black-Water Sento
Compare Funabori’s Otomeyu and Tsurunoyu by black-spring baths, sauna, opening hours, parking and distance from the Toei Shinjuku Line.
Funabori has two natural black-water bathhouses within walking distance of the Toei Shinjuku Line. The choice is less about which one is “better” and more about what matters on the day: Tsurunoyu’s outdoor spring bath and later last entry, or Otomeyu’s wider mix of baths and much larger car park.
| If you care most about… | Lean toward… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A documented flow-through outdoor spring bath | Tsurunoyu | Edogawa City identifies its outdoor black-water bath as source-fed flow-through |
| Sauna cooling options and bath variety | Otomeyu | It has a separate sauna-user cold bath and a broader set of indoor baths |
| Shorter walk from Funabori Station | Tsurunoyu | About five minutes on foot; Otomeyu is roughly seven |
| Parking | Otomeyu | 15 spaces, compared with three at Tsurunoyu |
| A later arrival | Tsurunoyu | Last entry is 11:15 p.m.; bathing ends at 11:45 |
Both charge ¥600 for adult admission under Tokyo’s current public-bath rate. Sauna use costs extra at either bathhouse; the exact add-on depends on the facility, so check at the counter rather than assuming the same package. Children’s regulated rates are ¥200 for elementary-school age and ¥100 for younger children.
What the water and sauna setups actually offer
Both facilities use natural black spring water. Tsurunoyu’s outdoor bath is the clearest choice if flow-through water is your priority: the ward describes it as a black-spring source-fed bath. Its cold plunge also uses the spring water. At Otomeyu, a half-open-air spring bath sits beside a black-water cold bath; sauna users also have their own separate cold bath and changing space.
Otomeyu has the larger bath menu, with hot and milder pools, massage jets, bubble baths, an electric bath, reclining baths and a rock bath. If you are visiting for the baths as much as the sauna, that gives you more ways to break up the visit. Neither cold bath has a stable temperature published for comparison.
Opening days can settle the question
Otomeyu opens 3–11 p.m. on weekdays and 2–11 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. It closes on Mondays, moving the closure to Tuesday when Monday is a holiday. Tsurunoyu opens 3:30 p.m.–midnight, with last entry at 11:15 and bathing ending at 11:45; Wednesday is its regular closing day.
Otomeyu is served by the Funabori 7-chome bus stop, about two minutes away, and has 15 parking spaces. Tsurunoyu is about five minutes from Funabori Station and has three spaces. These are useful distinctions if you are travelling with family or driving, but neither location is a large spa with a rest lounge. Bring your own towel or budget for a rental. For a first visit to a Japanese sento, see the Tokyo sento basics.
One name to leave off older Funabori lists is Akebonoyu: Edogawa City now marks it as closed. If you are planning a black-water day around town, check the closure calendar before setting out; the baths’ regular hours and holidays are not interchangeable.
Sources
- [Edogawa City: Otomeyu, hours, facilities and parking](https://www.city.edogawa.tokyo.jp/e032/shigotosangyo/jigyosha_oen/sento/map/kasai/sento03.html) - [Edogawa City: Tsurunoyu, hours, facilities and parking](https://www.city.edogawa.tokyo.jp/e032/shigotosangyo/jigyosha_oen/sento/map/kasai/sento01.html) - [Edogawa City: sento map and natural-spring bath descriptions](https://www.city.edogawa.tokyo.jp/shigotosangyo/jigyosha_oen/sento/map/index.html) - [Tokyo Sento Association: 2026 regulated admission fees](https://www.1010.or.jp/guide/%E5%85%A5%E6%B5%B4%E6%96%99%E9%87%91%E3%81%AE%E3%81%8A%E7%9F%A5%E3%82%89%E3%81%9B/) - Image: Edogawa City’s [sento map](https://www.city.edogawa.tokyo.jp/library_images/sento.jpg). - Image: [Tokyo Sento Association fee notice](https://www.1010.or.jp/common/img/fc_tokyo.jpg). - Image: [Otomeyu exterior and bathhouse](https://www.city.edogawa.tokyo.jp/images/2596/030otomeyu_mrkw2171.jpg), via Edogawa City. Checked: 2026-09-27Tags: Otomeyu, Tsurunoyu, Funabori onsen, Tokyo black-water spring, Tokyo sento comparison, Edogawa sento
