4 Recommended Pools for Cooling off in the Greater Tokyo Area

Summer in Japan is not only notoriously hot but also humid. If you're feeling physically drained after several days of sweltering weather, why not grab a bathing suit and go to a pool? Whether you can swim or not, soaking in cool water is bound to have you feeling relaxed and refreshed.

This article features four pools in the Kanto region that kids and adults can enjoy.

1. Tokyo Summerland (Akiruno City, Tokyo)

Picture courtesy of PR TIMES

Tokyo Summerland is located in the western suburb of Akiruno in Tokyo. The water park is accessible in about an hour and a half train ride from Shinjuku.

The summer season lasts annually from July 1 to September 30. During this period, the indoor "Adventure Dome" is where visitors can have fun regardless of the weather outside. This outdoor area is called the "Adventure Lagoon." Combined, they have the largest number of pools in the metropolitan area. The Adventure Dome has a wave pool with waves that go as high as 70 centimeters, a hot water pool resembling an underground lake, a spectacular waterfall, and more!

The outdoor Adventure Lagoon has Japan's largest rotating pool measuring 650 meters. At this athletic pool, you can get a feel for your balance and enjoy five water slides. It's easy to spend an entire day here. Among the many attractions, you can't miss the DEKASALA: a gigantic 131-meter-high water attraction that opened in 2014.

Tokyo Summerland

600 Kamiyotsugi, Akiruno-shi, Tokyo 197-0832

2. Hakone Kowakien Yunessun (Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture)

Picture courtesy of Hakone Kowaiken Yunessun

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun is a little different from usual pools. It is a hot springs theme park that can be enjoyed in a bathing suit. Located in Hakone, a popular hot-spring resort area, it is accessible within two hours from Tokyo.

Visitors will find some unique baths in the indoor area. There's a wine bath with relaxing scents, a low-temperature coffee hot spring, a Doctor Fish pedicure (a foot bath featuring live fish), and much more! Outdoors, there's a hot spring water slide and an athletic waterfall area geared towards kids. Hakone's spectacular scenery is also visible from here.

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun

1297 Ninotaira, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa

3. Rainbow Pool (Akishima City, Tokyo)

Boasting one of the largest pools in the metropolitan area, Rainbow Pool is located in Showa Memorial Park, which straddles Tachikawa City and Akishima City in Tokyo. Even if you leave the pool area, you can re-enter for free on the same day, making it perfect for those looking to enjoy other activities. Have fun cycling, taking boat rides on the lake, and doing other activities within the park!

Rainbow Pool also has nine pools, including water slides, a wave pool, a flowing water pool, and a monument pool. It's an authentic leisure pool that adults and kids will delight in while retreating from the summer heat.

Showa Memorial Park Rainbow Pool

1-3173 Midoricho, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo 190-0014

4. Kawagoe Aquatic Park (Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture)

Located in Kawagoe City in Saitama Prefecture, Kawagoe Aquatic Park has the largest water slide in the prefecture. There are also plenty of unique pools, including a flowing water pool. It is accessible by an hour and a half train ride from Shinjuku. During the swimming season, when pools are open, the facility has a direct bus from Kawagoe Station to Hon-Kawagoe Station.

There is also a diving pool at the stern of a sailing boat called "Hatsukarimaru," located in the center of the flowing pool. The best attraction at Kawagoe Aquatic Park is probably its affordability. Adults get in for 730 yen, while elementary and junior high school students for 210 yen. Amazingly, one can enjoy an authentic leisure pool at this price!

Kawagoe Aquatic Park

880 Ikenobe, Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture 350-1171

In Conclusion

When temperatures are high in the summer, why not head to a leisure pool facility where adults and kids can cool off and have fun?