Cheap Massages Always Have a Catch

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The massage place not too far from school
It only took 16 days in Japan for me to find a massage opportunity.  Mimi, suggested we go to a place after school that advertised a reasonable price.  Massages here in Japan can be quite expensive and this seemed too good to be true.  So she made appointments for us (as I couldn't read the website and didn't know what to say).
Individual Shoe Trays

Mimi arrived before me and I received this message on my phone:  "now I know why the price was so cheap."  It turns out everyone getting a massage is all in one large room.  It is a very well-lit area with about 9 massage tables.  Men and woman can receive a massage at the same time and I noticed this was because everyone was fully clothed.   Still, we already had appointments and decided to give it a go.  I am so glad we did!

After a detailed briefing, all in Japanese, we were escorted to a small changing room where shorts and t-shirts were provided for you to wear during the massage.  I was worried there would not be any clothes which would fit me and immediately went to the drawer marked 3L.  I was saved the embarassment of a wardrobe disaster and surprisingly found a pair of shorts which fit.

Notice all the massage beds in the middle of the room.
The therapist used a small cloth to administer the massage so her hands rarely ever came in contact with my skin.  It was a new and different experience, however, the massage was good.  I felt relaxed and rejuvenated.  I would certainly go back.

Even though Japan is a no tipping country, I did tip 500 yen (about 5 USD) because I felt my therapist was really great.  I have since learned if you make a reservation with this company you can request a therapist.  On their website, each therapist is rated based on customer satisfaction and expierence.  I am still not sure how I will go about calling to make a reservation, but perhaps that is the first Japanese I should learn.


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