FIRST PERSON
LaQua (leſt) is an urban spa in Tokyo; parts of the Yamaha Tsumagoi resort are traditional, while the onsen (right) has a futuristic feel
giant, owns two resorts and Tsumagoi is a multi-purpose site just outside the western city of Kakegawa. Te resort, which is set in a quadrant, with long drapes flowing down the buildings, has an impe- rial feel to it. While the resort had a traditional setting, the onsen was more futuristic – the entrance to the hot springs, with auto- matic sliding doors and a delicate lighting scheme, gave a sense of walking into a Ridley Scott sci-fi movie. All the pools had artificial waterfalls with thermal waters and nearby were linens and towels so soſt that you wanted to linger longer. Te special evening meal needed some translation to begin with, but it was such a culinary delight that I was actually thankful of social media sites where I could share my views with friends across the network.
URBAN ONSEN Back in Tokyo, I found that the urban onsen had been designed to transport me back to the experiences I’d had in the countryside. At LaQua, the spa zone in the Tokyo Dome City development, the
natural waters bubbled up from the Koishikawa Hot Springs just 1,700m (5,577ſt) underground. Te promotion of the qualities of the water was more up front in this city onsen, where many notices informed me of the benefits of the waters. Te therapeutic and thermal properties of the waters are intended to help with poor circulation, shoulder discomfort and neuralgia and they are also believed to benefit the skin. LaQua operates over five floors that are all interconnected to the Healing Baden Zone – the main area of water and outdoor space on floors eight to nine. LaQua is billed as a “first class space for heal- ing” but on the night I went it was full of corporate groups whose bosses wanted to go and take to the waters before an evening of eat- ing and drinking with colleagues. Of the 3,000 onsen in Japan, no two are alike. Yet the use of
natural and unique design features, coupled with meticulous atten- tion to detail and customer focus, means that every visit is one to remember and recommend. l
A
ccording to Hirokazu Iida, presi- dent of Shuei Wellness Co in Tokyo, there are three distinct types of onsen.
Tese include a small number of city onsen, which are frequented by families, friends and business colleagues who “bathe together, laugh or talk loudly and aſterwards have a party with beer and food”. In comparison there are onsen at traditional Japanese inns (ryokans) which are more focused on relaxation and are split into budget or high-end facilities. Tere are also stand alone onsen, in a natural set- ting, points out Tae Kawasaki, president and founder of Te Day Spa based in Osaka. Yoriko Soma, the president of SpaFinder Japan, elaborates on the positioning of ryokans.
“Onsen ryokans used to be central to Japanese tourism, but in the 80s switched to cater to corporate guests. Since the downturn, how- ever, such ryokans and mass-market onsens are dwindling and these traditional offerings
What role do onsen play in the Japanese wellness industry?
We asked four key professionals in the Japanese spa industry to give their take on onsen and how they fit into the country’s spa market
are reinventing themselves.” While onsen and spas have traditionally been separate – bath- ing in onsen is an old custom in Japan and spa facilities didn’t come onto the scene until inter- national operators launched there in mid-2000
– Soma says that high-end ryokans with onsen are beginning to offer spa treatments. Tomonori Maruyama, chief researcher at the
Mitsui Knowledge Industry who has closely observed the spa market in Japan agrees that
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many onsen ryokans are becoming “reincar- nated as small luxury hotels with very healthy Japanese food. Some of them have unique well- ness programmes focused on Japanese nature, culture and ingredients or provide traditional therapies such as shiatsu, acupuncture and moxibustion. Tese new ryokan spas act as cultural ambassadors now.” Kawasaki says the mix of onsen and spas is
a good one: “It is our nature to receive a body massage aſter bathing in an onsen, so it is the perfect combination to have a spa treatment area at ryokans with onsen (ryokan spa).” She says that these facilities would typically attract domestic customers and they’re especially popular with families, couples and groups of females. However, the new high-end ryokan spas are now attracting more international guests – but she admits that the lack of bilingual staff and information is a barrier that needs to be overcome if this market is to grow.
SPA BUSINESS 3 2010 ©Cybertrek 2010
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