Take-no-Yu Onsen

Azabu Juban’s Hot Spring with Black Water

Ever since hitting up Kusatsu Onsen, I’ve been on a real hot spring kick. I have been visiting as many onsen as time allows. As such you can imagine my delight when I found that Azabu Juban, an area I have lived in for nearly ten years, has its own secret onsen! Known as Take-no-Yu, this hidden gem has been in business since 1913 and has been a well guarded favorite of the locals for decades. The long-running establishment was officially licensed as an onsen in 2002 and further brought into modernity with a renovation in 2011.

Despite having a homely atmosphere like that of a normal neighborhood public sento (which re-heats water), the Take-no-Yu baths are actually sourced at a hot spring deep underground. The large amounts of peat and volcanic ash in the ground give Take-no-Yu’s waters a dark brown hue much like that of black coffee. It is literally so dark that one cannot see much past their knees after entering the bath. The waters themselves are said to be an effective panacea for recovery from exhaustion, coldness, stiff shoulders and lower-back pain.

While one might suspect that the waters would be full of dirt, the trace minerals have melted completely so there is no precipitation. Worry not, you won’t leave these baths with a layer of filth on your skin. In fact, many have made the…