Japan might not have opened its borders to travellers from Singapore yet, but fortunately, there are still many Japan-themed things you can do to fuel your wanderlust. For those of you who miss visiting onsens (hot spring bath) in Japan, here's some good news! There's a new Japanese onsen that has just opened in Singapore which will make you feel like you're in Japan. Located in Jurong, Joya Onsen Cafe is Singapore's newest attraction. The good news is that there's a private onsen at Joya Onsen Cafe too, so you can enjoy a relaxing bath in privacy.
Joya Onsen Cafe, new Japanese onsen in Singapore with a private onsen
Joya Onsen Cafe opened its doors on 22 August 2021 and it is a small family business established by local polytechnic graduates. They opened Joya Onsen Cafe as they wanted to share their love for onsen with everyone else. Their onsen facilities include a main communal bath, a cold bath and a sauna room.
Credit: @saltyaaron on Instagram
The one concern that many Muslim travellers have when travelling to Japan is adhering to the etiquette that requires you to take off all your clothes while enjoying the onsen. The reason why onsens require you to take off your clothes is because in Japan, clothing, towels or other garments that have been worn are considered "dirty" and since an onsen is a public space that you share with others, it is to maintain hygiene and cleanliness in hot springs.
Credit: @madhanrui on Instagram
However, at Joya Onsen Cafe, you can book a private onsen for 1h 30min! This means that you'll have a private bath experience all to yourself or with a loved one. The facilities in the private onsen room include a shower area, a dressing area, a private onsen pool and a sauna room. You may also wish to head over to the public onsen after that with no time restrictions. However, do note that you'll have to remove all your clothing at the public onsen.
Credit: @madhanrui on Instagram
While public passes cost $38 for adults, the private onsen costs from $80 per person for solo customers and $120 for 2 pax. Though the price per pax gets cheaper and the private onsen can accommodate up to 6 pax, the onsen only allows up to 2 pax per session due to Covid-19 measures. This may change in future so do keep a lookout on their website or social channels. Do note that you'll also need to book their private onsen in advance.
Credit: @saltyaaron on Instagram
Besides the bathing areas, there are Instagrammable corridors that'll momentarily transport you to Japan. There's also an on-site cafeteria too but as it's not halal-certified, we recommend that you dine there at your own discretion.
What's more, everyone will be given a yukata to change into at no extra cost, so you can have an authentic Japanese experience.
Joya Onsen Cafe offers a discount for first-time customers from 22 Aug to 31 Oct 2021
If you're heading to Joya Onsen Cafe from now till 31 October 2021, you can enjoy a $8/pax discount for first-timers. Check out their Facebook post for more information on this discount.
If you can't wait for the borders to reopen before travelling to Japan, why not travel to Jurong and head over to Joya Onsen Cafe? With a private onsen room, you'll be able to soak all your worries away and pretend like you're on vacation. SHARE this with your loved ones and plan a date with them!
Joya Onsen Cafe
Opening hours: Daily, 11AM-11PM
Address: 511 Upper Jurong Rd, #01-06, Singapore 638366
Website | Facebook | Instagram
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