Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2014

Momi no Ki House has been running massage salons for 18 years, with various locations offering shiatsu, ashifumi (back-walking), Ayurveda and herbal ball massage. But if you don’t feel like a full course rubdown , you can drop into one of their four Ashiyu (footbath) Cafés in Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro or Ueno, where you can sip relaxing herbal tea while dipping your feet in hot water for 45 minutes (¥1,050/¥1,260 after 11pm). For extra comfort, add a yumomi massage at ¥525 for 5 minutes. Each branch has its own theme: In Ikebukuro (7F Daisho Ikebukuro Higashiguchi Bldg., 1-27-8 Minami-Ikebukuro. Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. Open 11am-5am daily), the ashiyu flows like a river through the shop.