Situated next to the Toshimaen theme park, Niwa-no-Yu Onsen (garden spa) is a relatively new super onsen, about 15 minutes from Ikebukero by train. Costing 2200yen for a ticket, you get towels, yukata, and even a free toothbrush and razor.

Inside is a selection of different flavour natural spring hot pools, sauna, steam room, cold pool, and then a lovely garden-set rotenburo outside.

Once you've bathed (usual caveats about Japanese bathing apply - shower first, so you're clean when you get in the pool) you can slip into your yukata and pop upstairs. A restaurant, bar, smoking terrace, and relaxation room await. The reclining chairs with the birdsong tweeting out of the speakers in the headrest are particularly good for a gentle sleep.

As far as I can tell there is no time limit on being there - the last visit we spent about 5 hours, bathing, sleeping, eating, bathing etc.

Super clean, very luxurious and not as gimmicky as some of the other themed onsen in Tokyo city. Worth a go if you can't get out to a countryside onsen and do it early in your trip, because after your first try you'll definitely want to do it all again.

A short walk from Toshimaen station, on the Oedo line or Seibu Ikebukero line. web-japan.org/tokyo/tips/onsen_tour/onsen_cont6.html

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If you fly into Narita, go to the JR ticket office (on the lowest floor where the trains leave from) and there they have a combo offer allowing you to buy a Narita Express ticket (the train to get you into Tokyo) and get a Suica card (the Japanese Oyster card equivalent) at the same time. The best bit is that the combined cost is little more than the cost of the Narita Express ticket on its own and the Suica card comes with 1500yen preloaded on it and you don't have to pay the usual 500yen deposit. You need your passport to be able to take up the offer..

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