The 5 Best Pools in and Around Tokyo To Keep Cool This Summer
List of Contents:
Botanical Pool Club (Kyonan, Chiba)
Hotel East 21 Tokyo Garden Pool (Koto, Tokyo)
Tokyo Prince Hotel Garden Pool (Minato, Tokyo)
Hotel New Otani Makuhari Shell Pool (Makuhari, Chiba)
Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba Terrace Pool (Odaiba, Tokyo)
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Botanical Pool Club (Kyonan, Chiba)
A Bali-inspired tropical oasis
Just over an hour outside of Tokyo in the town of Kyonan, Chiba Prefecture, the
Botanical Pool Club
has quickly gone viral on social media — and for good reason. Set against a backdrop of natural forest and an ocean view, BPC transports guests to a tropical resort. With its signature circular pool surrounded by daybeds and a 40-meter infinity pool overlooking the ocean and flanked by palm trees and torches that light up at night, it feels more like a Balinese resort than a Japanese countryside retreat.
The pools are warm in the cooler months, and combined with the saunas that look out onto the greenery just outside, it is a destination that can be enjoyed year-round. Along with early pool access, hotel guests at Botanical Pool Club can also make their own barbecue after a day of swimming and sweating. It's a great getaway for couples, families or friend groups looking to unwind in style — and snap some highly Instagrammable photos in the process.
Courtesy of Hotel East 21 Tokyo
Hotel East 21 Tokyo Garden Pool (Koto, Tokyo)
One of the largest outdoor pools in Tokyo
Hotel East 21 Tokyo boasts an elegant, outdoor European-style garden pool that feels worlds away from Tokyo's concrete jungle. Surrounded by manicured hedges and classical sculptures, it's an unexpectedly tranquil retreat in the middle of the city. It's open both day and night, and available to
hotel guests and general visitors alike. Depending on the time of year, the operating hours and entrance fees vary, so check
the hotel's website
for the most up-to-date information.
Courtesy of Tokyo Prince Hotel
Tokyo Prince Hotel Garden Pool (Minato, Tokyo)
Urban luxury with a view of Tokyo Tower
Nestled in the heart of Tokyo's Minato ward, the Tokyo Prince Hotel's Garden Pool offers a serene escape with an impressive view of the iconic Tokyo Tower. This 25-meter rectangular pool is complemented by a 6-meter-diameter children's pool, making it an ideal spot for families.
The pool area is surrounded by a spacious lawn equipped with deck chairs and parasols. Guests can enjoy a variety of amenities, including rental swimsuits, lockers and the option to reserve private round sofas for an additional fee. The pool operates during the summer months, starting in mid-July, and is available for non-hotel-staying guests who pay the entrance fee. Check the hotel's
official website
for the most current information on opening hours and admission fees.
Courtesy of Hotel New Otani
Hotel New Otani Makuhari Shell Pool (Makuhari, Chiba)
A vibrant pool with Hawaiian resort flair
If you're after a more festive poolside experience, the Shell Pool at
Hotel New Otani Makuhari
might be your scene. Open from mid-July until mid-September, it offers a tropical vibe with live DJ sets on select evenings; it has day pool and night pool options, with the night pool running from 6:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m. Private gazebos, LED lighting and music make it a perfect destination for a stylish pool outing.
Courtesy of Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba
Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba Terrace Pool (Odaiba, Tokyo)
Chic rooftop swims with views of Tokyo Bay
Located on the rooftop of the
Grand Nikko
in Odaiba, this terrace pool delivers sweeping views of Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Bay and the skyline beyond. It's open from mid-July to the end of August, with both daytime and night pool options, and it's equipped with a poolside bar and stylish deck chairs. Note that the pool requires a reservation in advance.
Each of these pools brings its own unique charm to Tokyo's summer landscape, whether you're craving a peaceful garden setting, a glamorous rooftop dip or a tropical resort escape. Don't forget to check operating dates and entry requirements before visiting.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
16 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Ikebukuro Pastry Shop from 19020s Keeps Customers Coming Back with Classic Flavors
Across the road from Ikebukuro Station's east exit, nostalgic-looking shop signs jut out over the heads of passersby. The signs are for Takase Ikebukuro Honten, a shop selling Western-style sweets that was founded in 1920. Takase's lineup of confections, made in a traditional style, have become very popular, and they attract regular customers from all over Japan. The founder, who was trained as a baker, opened the shop in a different area in Ikebukuro, and in 1935, it was relocated to its current place of business. Though the shop building was destroyed by air raids in World War II, the current building was constructed soon after the war's end and the shop resumed business. The shop's name was also changed to Takase, after the founder's hometown, which is now part of Mitoyo in Kagawa interior design of Takase's main shop in Ikebukuro is sure to make customers feel the long years it's been in business. 'I don't think the feel [of the shop] has changed much from the time just after the war's end,' said Makoto Kojima, manager of the shop. The company has expanded its network to a total of five shops in Tokyo's Ikebukuro, Itabashi and Sugamo areas, and today the Takase brand is well the main shop, you find cakes and other sweets lined up in glass showcases. On the display racks, there are about 70 kinds of bread. There is also a board explaining the products in the shop. It shows its age, but in a warm, welcoming sort of way. I bought a pack of almond tuiles, a baked sweet that bears little resemblance to traditional tuile wafers. These tuiles, which go for ¥1,500 including tax, were already a shop classic about 50 years ago. They smell of fragrant almonds and have a nice crisp bite. The butter and fresh cream lend a luxurious sweetness. Though simple in appearance, it can be hard to stop eating them.'Many older folks come here for just this taste. It's the shop's trademark,' said Kojima. The recipe here for making anpan, round buns filled with red bean paste, hasn't changed since the store was first opened. The price of a bun is ¥200 including tax. Casino, a black-and-white bread with a cream filling, is another longtime best seller that has many fans. A pack costs ¥480. The shop believes deeply in making its sweets by hand and serving up a classic taste with the greatest care. 'When customers come here, they're expecting that taste to be waiting here for them,' said Kojima. 'We want to keep meeting their expectations.' Takase Ikebukuro HontenAddress: 1-1-4 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo Access: 1 minute walk from the east exit of Ikebukuro Station Hours: Open 365 days a year. The bakery at the Ikebukuro Honten shop is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. On the second floor is a cafe, and on the third floor is a restaurant that serves hamburger steak for ¥1,300, among other dishes.
SoraNews24
4 hours ago
- SoraNews24
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Seiji's stroll in Okutama takes a dark turn. With a fierce heat wave hitting east Japan, our Japanese-language reporter Seiji Nakazawa had the idea to flee to the coldest place in Tokyo that he could find. That escape plan was a success, as you can read about here, but it was on Seiji's trip back that he ran into trouble. To recap, Seiji's quest for the cold had taken him to Nippara Limestone Cave in Okutama, at the northwestern edge of the Tokyo city limits. The cave is located high in the mountains, and getting there requires first a train ride out to Oku-Tama Station, and from there a bus ride to the Shonyudo bus stop, from where it's another 10 minutes on foot to the mouth of the cave. After emerging from his soothingly cool subterranean sojourn, Seiji retraced his steps back to Shonyudo bus stop, only to realize that he now had a very long wait for the next bus back to Oku-Tama Station. As shown on the timetable above, there are only five buses a day on weekdays from Shonyudo, at 8:50 and 10:55 in the morning, and at 1:11, 2:38, and 4:11 in the afternoon (and no buses at all on weekends). Seiji had just missed the 2:38 bus, which meant that it'd be more than an hour and a half until the next one. So rather than stand there and veg out, Seiji decided to go exploring. There aren't many other tourist attractions near the cave, but the nearby neighborhood of Nippara has a cool vibe to it. It's a very small rural community, but the wooden buildings and faded signage make it feel like you've wandered into a pocket dimension where time stopped moving 50 or 60 years ago. In the light of an early summer late afternoon, the scenery takes on an especially nostalgic glow. As a matter of fact, the atmosphere was so pleasant that before he knew it, Seiji had walked all the way to a different bus stop, Higashi Nippara. Seiji could see that he would still have to sit and wait for quite a while until the next bus came by. However, there was also a local area map posted at the bus stop, and giving it a quick glance, Seiji was surprised to see that he'd already made what looked like quite a lot of progress towards Oku-Tama Station. ▼ Shonyudo bus stop (yellow), Higashi Nippara bus stop (green), and Oku-Tama Station (blue) So once again, instead of twiddling his thumbs, Seiji made the decision to move his feet, and figured he'd just walk the rest of the way to the station. Right away, this felt like a great plan. Not to knock the exciting stimulation of big city life, but for a guy whose apartment is in Shibuya and whose office is in Shinjuku, two of the busiest and most crowded parts of Tokyo, all of this tranquil greenery was a very welcome change of pace. But another change of scenery was waiting for Seiji when he reached the Nippara Tunnel. This is a 1,100-meter (3,609-foot) corridor through the mountains, but since Seiji had already spent part of his day underground, and had been walking for a lot farther than 1,100 meters to get here, he figured it'd be no sweat making it to the other side, so in he went. It didn't take long, though, for Seiji's mental state to change. The tunnel is long and curved enough that you can't see the other side as you enter, and as you advance, the light from where you came in gets dimmer and dimmer. If you're in a car, your headlights will make sure the area around you is always illuminated, but on foot, the pools of shadows between the sparse interior lighting grow darker and denser the further in you go. Making things even creepier, a constant deep, dull rumbling began to fill Seiji's ears, but looking around, he couldn't find its source. It turned out to be the noise made by cars driving in other sections of the tunnel, but with it being so long, you can hear the sound even when the vehicles are nowhere to be seen, making the reverberations freakily unsettling. Seiji was now so far into the tunnel, though, that turning around and going back the way he'd come probably wasn't going to get him out of there any more quickly than soldiering on, so he took a deep breath and pushed forward. And then, finally, he saw the literal light at the end of his tunnel ordeal. Basking in the liberating sunlight, Seiji glanced at his watch and saw that he'd been in the tunnel for 10 minutes. Psychologically though, he felt like he'd been in there for two hours, what with how the anxiety had warped his sense of time. This wasn't Seiji's only time-based surprise on his walk, either. Remember how when he checked the map way back at Higashi Nippara bus stop he'd thought he'd already walked half-way from Shonyudo to Oku-Tama Station? ▼ Again, here are Shonyudo bus stop (yellow), Higashi Nippara bus stop (green), and Oku-Tama Station (blue) on the map. Well, it turns out that map isn't drawn to exact scale. On foot, it's about 20 minutes from Shonyudo to Higashi Nippara… …but from Higashi Nippara, you've got 1 hour and 45 minutes more walking to do before you get to Oku-Tama Station. In the mapmakers' defense, the map does list the amounts of time (by bus) from one stop to the next, and if Seiji had bothered to do some quick arithmetic, he would have noticed that the combined times from Higashi Nippara to Oku-Tama Station are a lot longer than the total from Shonyudo to Higashi Nippara. Or he could have paid attention to the text at the bottom-left of the map, which says that the total bus ride from Higashi Nippara (東日原) to Oku-Tama Station (奥多摩駅) takes 30 minutes, and that the ride from Shonyudo (鍾乳洞) to Oku-Tama Station is 35, just five minutes more, which is another clue that Higashi Nippara isn't anywhere close to the midpoint. ▼ Granted, the way this is presented is a little unusual, since ditto marks are rarely used in Japanese, but still, the information is there. ▼ The whole walking route from Shonyudo to Oku-Tama Station via Higashi Nippara So yeah, even though buses are pretty infrequent from the cave, there are two good reasons Seiji didn't see anyone else trying to walk back to the station. That's not to say it's not a doable little adventure, but if you're going to try retracing Seiji's path, you'll want to make sure you've got comfy shoes and strong nerves. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
Japan Today
7 hours ago
- Japan Today
Emperor, empress begin weeklong visit to Mongolia that will honor POWs
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako walk with Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg, right, after arriving at Chinggis Khaan International Airport near Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Sunday. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako began a weeklong visit to Mongolia on Sunday during which he plans to honor thousands of Japanese prisoners of World War II who were held under harsh conditions in the country. Naruhito's visit marks the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. In recent years, he has toured some of the places where the bloodiest battles and bombings occurred, including Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Hiroshima. The emperor has said it's part of his effort at atonement and remembrance of the tragedy of war fought in the name of his grandfather, Emperor Hirohito. While the vast majority of Japanese soldiers were taken to Siberia, around 12,000 to 14,000 ended up in Mongolia, which was fighting alongside the Soviets against Japan. Most of the POWs were put to hard labor and construction work for the Mongolian government's headquarters, a state university and a theater that are still preserved in the capital Ulaanbaatar. The prisoners toiled under harsh conditions and scarce food. Japanese records show about 1,700 of them died in Mongolia. 'As we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war this year, we should never forget the pain and sorrow of the people,' Naruhito said last week. 'I believe it is important to not forget those who died, deepen understanding of the wartime past and to nurture the peace-loving heart.' Naruhito and Masako are scheduled to meet Mongolia's President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife and attend a banquet on Tuesday. The couple will also attend the opening ceremony of Naadam, Mongolia's annual festival that focuses on three traditional games of horseracing, wrestling and archery. Naruhito had previously visited Mongolia as crown prince in 2007. Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
