Are you investing in your body to sustain your healthy life to be better?
I would say that swimming is one of best exercises to invest your body effectively.
Public pools in Tokyo capital area would have competitive fee and local rule, a kind of Japanese culture to share pool facility with others.
This article help you to understand local rule and how to utilize public pool in Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium as an example.
- Why Swimming at Indoor Warm Water Pool?
- Key Merits of Indoor Warm Water Pool in Tokyo
- General Info about Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium
- How to use Indoor Warm Water Pool in Tokyo
- Summary
Why Swimming at Indoor Warm Water Pool?
Swimming at indoor warm water pool has following advantages as regular body exercises, compared with running/ jogging/ walking.
- Less impacts on body joints for the thanks of shock absorption by water
- Mental relaxation by meditation floating on water
- Whole body exercise with oxygen and water loads under stable temperature
- No effects from the weather, because of indoor activities.
But there are following concerns.
- Pool Facility usage Fee as running cost
- Limited places which have pool facilities (e.g. membership gyms and hotels)
Running cost and limited place would be fixed with public pool use nearby your hometown.
Public pools have local rule, facility by facility. And it would be challenging for foreigners (i.e. non-Japanese) to understand it.
This article guides you to understand how to utilize indoor warm water pool facility in Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium (as an example of public pools).
Key Merits of Indoor Warm Water Pool in Tokyo
There are 3 key merits why indoor warm pool in Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium.
- Competitive fee (for the thanks of the heat energy reuse from garbage incineration) considering facility contents and quality.
- Available all year round (covering year-end and new-year days)
- Inspired from others (i.e. advanced swimmers and elderly people)
Competitive Fee
First merit is competitive fee of public pools, compared with other pool facilities (i.e. non-public pools).
Examples from indoor pool in Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium (as of Jan. 2020):
- JPY 300/adult for 2 hours.
- You can pay via pre-paid card as more cost-effective way (equivalent to JPY 3,000 with JPY 2,500 payment), in case that you would be frequent user of this facility.
References (non-public pool examples based on experiences):
- Membership Gym Fee (unlimited usage)/month: JPY 6,000 .. 15,000
- Membership Gym Fee/time: approximately JPY 1,000 .. 2,000
- 25m pool (for swimming)
- Width: 17m (8 lanes), Water Depth: 1.35m
- water-flowed round pool (for walking in the water)
- Size: 15m x 8m, Water Depth: 1m
- low-height pool with sliders (for kids)
- Size: 8m x 8m, Water Depth: 0.55m
- Jacuzzi (usable during break time)
- Diameter: 2.95m, Water Depth: 0.9m
- Body warming room (usable during break time)
- Looks like sauna room, while temperature is lower than sauna.
You can find pictures of Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium from below link.
Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium has special days to offer free of charge for use of indoor pool facility at 4th Saturday (9:00 – 16:00) of every month (except July and August).
Available All Year Round
Most of sports facilities will take special no-service days at year-end and new year time, while Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium has less service-off days (i.e. second Wednesday of every month).
This helps you to make your exercise schedule flexible.
Inspired from Others
Young advanced swimmers and elderly people who have self-control mindsets are making efforts to improve their lives regularly. And those people give positive influence to empower you maintaining solid mindset.
You can improve your way, learning from others.
General Info about Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium
Location of Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium
Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium is located in Katsushika-ku (at east side of Tokyo, less than 1-hour distance by trains (40 mins from JR Tokyo station to Kanamachi station) and by bus (10 mins from Kanamachi Station north exit to nearest bus stop, Mizumoto sports complex entrance).
Nearest railway station: Kanamachi Station, JR Joban Line (Local) and/or Chiyada line Tokyo Metro.
- Please find your routes via related article, Japan train route search solution.
Address: 1-23-1 Mizumoto, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo, Postal Code: 125-0032, Japan
Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium is located nearby Mizumoto Park, biggest waterside park in Tokyo.
You can refresh by yourself at Mizumoto Park, getting fresh air from forests and watching seasonal flowers and wild birds.
It would be good idea to combine both Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium and Mizumoto Park together.
Facility Usage Fee of Indoor Warm Water Pool
- Adults (more than high school student): JPY 300 within 2 hours
- Children (primary and secondary student): JPY 100 within 2 hours
- Infant: Free of charge
Time extension (i.e. more than 2 hours) is possible with addition payment.
Use of prepaid card is more cost-effective.
- It costs JPY 2,500, while it is equivalent for JPY 3,000 usable for facility/parking use.
- Vending machine (for prepaid card) is located nearby info desk at left side from main entrance.
Service Time of Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium
- Service hours: 9:00 – 21:00
- Closed: 2nd Wednesday of every month (excluding holidays in July and August).
Warm water pool facility has 10 min break-time for every hour (e.g. 09:50 – 10:00), while jacuzzi and low-temperature sauna are usable regardless break-time.
How to use Indoor Warm Water Pool in Tokyo
Recommended Goods to Bring with You
- Swimming wears (including goggles and caps)
- Towels
- Money
- Facility usage fee
- JPY 100 coin/locker for key deposit
Getting Ticket nearby Pool Entrance
You will get card tickets from vending machine located nearby pool entrance (at right side from main entrance), putting cash or prepaid card with enough money.
What to do at Pool Entrance/Exit Gate
Please insert card ticket to automated gate. Then gate door will open.
Shoes lockers are available after passing gate. You can ask locker key to pool reception.
Alternatively, plastic bags (for shoes) would be available in a basket on the floor immediately after passing the gate. You can take one of them and put your shoes into the plastic bag. Then you bring it with you and put it to a locker together with your goods like clothes.
How to use Lockers
2 sizes of lockers are available for your goods (clothes and bags). Please find a locker with key.
You need JPY 100 coin/locker (as key deposit) to lock.
- Key deposit JPY 100 will come back, when key is unlocked.
How to use Shower Room
Please take shower before/after pools.
Use of soap and/or shampoo is prohibited at shower room in pool facility.
- Shower in pool facility is designed for removing disinfectant, as the pool water contains it to prevent infectious diseases.
Local Rule to use Warm Water Pool Facility
Regular Break Time
There are 10 min break time (for pool inspection) every one hour (for example, from 09:50 to 10:00) which have to go out from pools, although during service hours.
Pool stuffs will perform water quality inspection and visual check for each pools during break time.
Please enjoy jacuzzi and/or body warming room during break time.
Local Rule for Lane Usage at 25m Swimming Pool
There are local rules how to use swimming lanes in 25m pool to have more capacity.
- Basically 2 parallel paths with clockwise direction in a lane
You can find standing signboards to indicate swimming directions at each swimming lane.
- Free Swimming (Mainly for Beginners)
- Ref) Lane 1 & 2 in below Example Figure
- Single Directional Lane Use (Mainly for Middle Level Swimmers)
- Ref) Lane 3 & 4 + Lane 5 & 6 in below Example Figure
- Bi-Directional Lanes Use (Mainly for Advanced Swimmers)
- Ref) Lane 7 & Lane 8 in Below Example Figure
Local Rule for Walking Direction at Water-flowed Round Pool
There are local rules how to walk in the round pool for more capacity.
Inner side of walking direction is clockwise, while outer side of walking direction is counter-clockwise.
Borrowing Hair Dryer
It is important not to have wet hair and body at outside in cold days especially for Wintertime.
You can borrow hair dryer, asking staffs in pool entrance desk.
Summary
Swimming in indoor warm water pool is recommended as regular exercises to sustain your healthy life.
Public pool offers competitive fee, and Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium (as an example of public pool) bring other merits as well.
This article explained how to utilize indoor warm water pool in Mizumoto Sports Complex Gymnasium as an example, in order to help to understand how to use public pools use under local rule as a part of Japanese culture.
Please utilize this info to sustain your healthy life at Tokyo capital area.
Many thanks for your attention!!
Please visit Mizumoto Park, biggest waterside park in Tokyo, referring following article.
