About 11 SAUNA & SAUNNER 2024.11.11 11:11　Totonoe no hi

A writer who has supported sauna culture through three lenses—writing, discernment, and storytelling.

In July, she published Weekend Overseas Sauna Journey, chronicling her travels through saunas around the world.

Her earlier works, including Weekend Finland, HAVE A GOOD SAUNA!, and Chotto Sauna Ittekimasu, have inspired countless readers by capturing the beauty and philosophy of the sauna experience.

Serving as a judge at both the Japan and Norway editions of the Aufguss Championship and the Sauna Herbal Cup, she stands at the forefront of competitive sauna culture.

Together with Misato Shimizu, she also co-hosts the podcast Hitomazu Kyō mo Ī Hi (“Today Is a Good Day, For Now”), offering reflections that bring sauna wisdom into everyday life.

Through her multifaceted activities, Ryoko Iwata continues to deepen and expand the reach of sauna culture—bridging everyday life and the world of steam with warmth, intellect, and grace.

Held on September 27–28, 2025, at Creative Center OSAKA, OSAKA SOUND BARTHE was one of Japan’s largest sauna festivals—an unprecedented convergence of sauna, music, and comedy.

Produced by the teams behind Osaka Sauna DESSE and Kyoto Sauna Daisakusen, the event drew thousands of enthusiasts into a two-day celebration of heat, rhythm, and laughter.

A pop-up second venue, Kitakagaya MULTI BARTHE, also opened on-site as part of Osaka Sauna DESSE, introducing the concept of a “multi-sensory sauna” that engaged every sense.

Breaking through conventional boundaries, OSAKA SOUND BARTHE expanded the horizon of sauna culture, marking a bold and unrepeatable step forward in Japan’s creative sauna movement.

As co-representative of the JAPAN SAUNA-BU ALLIANCE—a corporate coalition dedicated to revitalizing Japan’s business landscape through sauna culture—Naoki Kawata, affectionately known as “Kawa-chan,” has served as a central hub connecting companies, municipalities, and individuals.

At Sky Spa YOKOHAMA, he designed and supervised the world’s first “co-working sauna,” blending productivity and relaxation in an entirely new format.

He has also produced a diverse range of projects, including The Hive, Kurasu Sauna Tsurugi, and Akazaru Kagurazaka SAUNA, each expanding the creative and social reach of the sauna world.

In 2025, his book Shin Sauna (“The New Sauna”) further articulated his vision—bridging planning, editing, and entrepreneurship—to push the boundaries of how sauna culture can shape modern society.

Known across Japan as Sauna ou (Sauna King), Hiroshi Ota is a pioneering bathhouse consultant and sauna producer who has helped lay the foundation of modern Japanese sauna culture.

For over thirty years, he has traveled nationwide, applying his on-site expertise and insight to produce some of Japan’s most renowned facilities—including Karumaru Ikebukuro (Tokyo), Yulax (Kumamoto), HARE-TABI SAUNA (Yokohama), and Baden Garden (Tokorozawa).

In 2025, he continues to shape the future of saunas with new projects such as Safi Spa Maiko (Kobe) and SATOYAMA TERRACE (Futtsu), expanding the boundaries of what a sauna can be.

From the early days of Japan’s sauna movement to the present, Ota’s lifelong dedication and pioneering vision have defined the evolution of the culture—earning him the stature of a true legend.

Developed by CASIO, the Sadokei (Sa-Watch) is the world’s first wristwatch designed specifically for sauna use.
Engineered with high heat and humidity resistance, it features sauna-centric functions such as a “Sauna Mode (12-minute timer),” redefining how enthusiasts engage with their sauna sessions.

During its crowdfunding launch, approximately 2,200 units sold out in just about nine minutes, raising over ¥21.7 million—a testament to the passion of Japan’s sauna community.
A special collaboration model with the sauna-search platform Sauna Ikitai further fueled excitement.
With its official release on October 17, 2025, the Sadokei has become more than a tool—it’s a cultural icon that extends the spirit of sauna into everyday life.

The dynamic duo of Minami Shakeyama and Nokonoko Kubota, known together as Shakenoko, took both Japan and the world sauna stage by storm.

At Aufguss Championship Japan 2025, they claimed the national team title, before achieving an impressive 5th place finish at the Aufguss WM 2025 world championship in Italy.

Their breathtaking performances captivated audiences and set new standards for competitive aufguss artistry.

Then, on September 25—just days after the world competition—they announced their marriage, transforming from the “strongest aufguss duo” into the “strongest aufguss couple.”

With passion, precision, and storytelling that transcends the steam, Shakenoko has etched a new chapter into the evolving narrative of global sauna culture.

As Mayor of Fukuoka City, Soichiro Takashima has been one of the first public leaders to recognize the cultural and economic potential of sauna.

Viewing sauna not merely as recreation but as a catalyst for urban vitality and regional growth, he has implemented forward-looking policies that empower private innovation.

In 2023, the Fukuoka City Public Bathhouse Ordinance was amended to allow facilities with bathing areas such as tent saunas—where swimwear is worn—to receive exemptions or relaxations of mixed-bathing regulations, provided they meet hygiene and public order standards approved by the mayor.

This regulatory reform encouraged creative development across the private sector and marked a pioneering example of administrative support for cultural evolution.

Through proactive collaboration with local businesses and public communication, Mayor Takashima has strengthened the cultural foundation of sauna in Japan—elevating Fukuoka into a nationally recognized “sauna city.”

Rena Takeda began her career as a model for Popteen magazine and made her acting debut in 2015, appearing on the cover of Weekly Young Jump and in the film Assassination Classroom.

Since then, she has become an iconic figure within Japan’s sauna culture, gracing the cover of every issue of SAUNA BROS. since its launch and embodying the movement’s warmth, beauty, and strength.

In December 2024, marking the 10th anniversary of her debut, she released her photobook SISU, shot in Finland—the birthplace of sauna.

Imbued with her personal connection to sauna and its spirit of resilience, the work stands as both a milestone and a testament to her continuing journey alongside sauna culture.

An architect who bridges the worlds of architecture and sauna, Makoto Tanijiri—co-founder of SUPPOSE DESIGN OFFICE—has continually redefined spatial experience through design.

In 2023, he opened the Hiki stargazing sauna within his own building, Nekoyacho.bld, crafting a meditative space where the city meets sky and silence.

At DAICHI silent river, he created a tea-room-inspired hut sauna made of natural materials, alongside a one-of-a-kind tree sauna where heat and wind converge among the branches.

His latest project, Onari Sauna, opening in Kamakura in October 2025, fuses regional identity with architectural form and steam expression to evoke a deeply local sense of serenity.

Across Japan, Tanijiri continues to explore the intersection of sauna and architecture, transforming spaces themselves into instruments of totonou—designing not just structures, but states of being.

Positioned as “neither a hotel nor a vacation home,” NOT A HOTEL is a lifestyle brand that reimagines the concept of stay through the fusion of architecture, design, and technology.

Collaborating with world-renowned architects and leading creators, it develops one-of-a-kind spaces across Japan that harmonize deeply with local landscapes and climates.

Many of its locations feature private or shared saunas, where the scent of wood and the flow of natural air transform each stay into a holistic totonou experience.

By integrating sauna seamlessly into architecture and daily life, NOT A HOTEL has elevated the concept of totonou—bringing it into a new dimension where living, design, and wellness converge.

Developed jointly by Finland’s Harvia Plc and TOYOTA Motor Corporation, the Hydrogen Sauna is the world’s first concept model to utilize hydrogen combustion technology for sauna heating.

Earlier this year, the concept was introduced and demonstrated at two major events in Jyväskylä, Finland—the heartland of global sauna culture—drawing significant attention from the international wellness community.

From October 30 to November 9, 2025, the sauna made its Japan debut at the Japan Mobility Show 2025 in Tokyo Big Sight.

By generating gentle heat and steam without emitting CO₂, this innovative technology recreates the comforting essence of a traditional smoke sauna through modern engineering—presenting a visionary intersection of mobility, sustainability, and wellness.