About11 SAUNAS & SAUNNER2025.11.11 11:11　Totonoe no hi

“Room of Breath” represents a new expression born from Japan’s deeply cultivated hot spring culture—a concept that could only emerge in this land of onsen.

Its design allows guests to feel the warmth of the water and the heat of the steam simultaneously, carrying the mineral essence of the spring through the air to the skin. This is not merely a sauna facility, but an extension of the hot spring itself.

By softening the boundary between onsen and sauna, it transforms the idea of totonou—that post-sauna state of clarity—into something deeper: a rhythm of breathing, a dialogue with nature.

By interweaving the blessings of the onsen with the sensory richness of the sauna, Room of Breath points to a new direction for sauna culture born in Japan—one that holds the potential to evolve the very category of the “onsen sauna” for the world to come.

What sets SAUNA SAKURADO apart is its devotion to detail—so precise that even the ma, the sense of intentional emptiness and pause, is designed into the experience.

Every element—from spatial composition and thermal balance to the interplay of scent, sound, water texture, and light—is meticulously orchestrated, so that the very process of unravelling the senses becomes part of totonou itself.

Now, a new collaboration with world-renowned chef Gaggan Anand and Goh Fukuyama of GohGan is unfolding, extending the refined sensibility of the sauna into the realm of gastronomy.

By designing not only the inner space but also the “margin of equilibrium” that continues beyond it, SAUNA SAKURADO propels the concept of the private sauna into its next phase—where stillness, flavor, and time converge as one continuous experience.

The true value of Janu Tokyo lies in its transformation of the sauna—from a place to sweat, into a ritual for attuning the mind and body.

By fusing culturally distinct traditions such as the banya and hammam, and translating Japan’s spirit of kiyome—purification—into a contemporary wellness experience, it presents a vision of what the sauna can become in a new era.

The gradual sharpening of the senses forms the very core of the journey, while even the silence that follows each treatment is purposefully designed as part of totonou, the state of deep equilibrium.

Time spent here is no longer an extension of the everyday; it is a voyage of renewal.

If one were to ask where the future of the sauna is headed, Janu Tokyo offers a quiet, resounding answer.

What sauna kolme kylä envisions is an evolution of sauna—from a place to “reset” into a space that awakens the senses.

Sound, light, aroma, heat, and wind intertwine to stimulate every sensory pathway, transforming the sauna itself into a stage for experience.

Beyond its architectural perfection, the facility excels in its “soft” expressions—whisking, botanical löyly, and a diversity of rituals that generate a new rhythm each time one visits.

With thoughtful programs such as Pair Day for couples, Ladies Day for women, and full private bookings for up to twenty guests, it designs time itself so that anyone can connect in their natural state.

Emerging from the local landscape of Okayama, sauna kolme kylä represents a quiet yet profound shift—an embodiment of sensorial sauna culture that signals the maturity of Japan’s regional sauna scene.

What Ochiairo envisions is a new future—one where the traditional form of the Japanese ryokan evolves through the fusion of onsen and sauna.

Within a space steeped in history and culture, experiences such as the tea room–inspired silent sauna, the mixed-gender thermal spring entered in bathing attire, the riverside barrel sauna, and the private villa Shakunage themed around an irori hearth intertwine organically, giving rise to a new realm of “staying with” the onsen sauna.

Born from the meeting of 150 years of heritage and a modern sensibility, this inn rekindles the essence of Japan’s distinctive wellness culture, where hot springs and saunas coexist in harmony.

With its third recognition following the 2019 and 2020 awards, now entering the Hall of Fame, Ochiairo stands as a beacon—illuminating the path forward for what the future of the Japanese onsen ryokan can be.

What KIWAMI SAUNA Osu presents is a powerful answer to the question: “How far can a public sauna go?”

Its story—supported by 783 backers and achieving Japan’s highest-ever crowdfunding total of ¥22,921,437—embodies the very essence of that challenge.

The bold vision of merging a historic building with a modern sauna, the dynamic heat created by its four-tiered, four-meter-high tower structure, and the two-meter-deep cold bath directly connected to the sauna—all are honed with a singular intent: to transcend limits.

As a result, KIWAMI SAUNA Osu stands as a symbol of evolution, expanding the possibilities of the public sauna and deepening the culture itself to an entirely new level.

What distinguishes TOTOPA is that its innovation extends far beyond spatial design.

In collaboration with SHISEIDO’s “BAUM,” the BAUM WELLNESS RITUAL SAUNA offers a multi-sensory ritual that fuses the power of nature with the essence of scent.

The facility also embraces the city around it—hosting aufguss ceremonies and sound meditation sessions in conjunction with urban running events such as “Run your way. Park.”

In doing so, TOTOPA functions not merely as a spa, but as a living hub for wellness culture itself.

Its commitment to expanding the meaning of the sauna through diverse experiences and values opens new horizons for urban wellness.

By envisioning the sauna as “a park-like space” within the city, TOTOPA stands as an emblem of how the future of urban sauna culture can be both connective and regenerative.

SATOYAMA TERRACE has redrawn the landscape of outdoor saunas.

It takes on the challenge of balancing the rawness of nature with refined comfort through two distinct approaches—the Mountain Sauna and the Waterfall Sauna—each stimulating a different sensory axis: heat, humidity, scent, and sound.

In particular, the Waterfall Sauna does not merely “contain a cold bath within a sauna,” but rather embodies a new paradigm where “the sauna itself coexists with water,” dissolving even the sense of time through total immersion.

The experience culminates on the open-air terrace, where one becomes one with the wind of the satoyama hills. The sensations awakened by fire and water are gently soothed by the breeze, bringing the body and mind into harmony.

Together, these elements dissolve the boundary between human and nature, redefining the outdoor sauna as a “place to bathe in wind and water.”

King & Queen redefines the ideal form of a “bathing amusement park” — a place where everyone, regardless of age or background, can find joy in the world of heat and water.

The variety of saunas and cold baths creates layers of depth in the experience, complemented by natural hot springs, high-concentration carbonated baths, and private tubs that invite relaxation in every form. Even the rooftop Sky High zone adds an outdoor dimension with tent and barrel saunas, expanding the horizon of what bathing can be.

A vibrant dining area, developed in collaboration with popular restaurant brands, extends the pleasure beyond totonou, offering delight and connection after the sauna.

By elevating the sauna into a form of “stayable entertainment,” Onsen Balcony King&Queen presents a new benchmark — a model for how modern bathing culture can evolve while remaining open, inclusive, and endlessly creative.

True to its name, SAUNA TOKYO has secured its place as the defining face of Tokyo’s sauna culture.

Its unprecedented achievement—three consecutive selections in just three years—speaks not merely to popularity, but to a relentless pursuit of the question: What should an urban sauna be.

From AI-driven ventilation and humidity control, to the transformation of aufguss into an immersive performance, and the creation of a “place of reboot” in the very heart of the metropolis, SAUNA TOKYO has set a clear benchmark for the future of city saunas.

Today, it stands as the ultimate form of the everyday urban sauna—a sanctuary woven seamlessly into modern life, where new culture continues to emerge.

Unceasing in its evolution, SAUNA TOKYO shines as a guiding light for what urban sauna culture can become, continually inspiring new ways to reconnect, recharge, and renew.

What Yuyado Daiichi embodies is a return to the origin—the realization that “onsen,” “nature,” and “sauna” were never separate to begin with.

The saunas that draw upon the heat of the spring, the open-air baths that flow as one with the river, and the environment shared with wild creatures together weave a singular moment in time and place that exists only here.

For travelers from Japan and abroad, this is not merely a place to stay, but a destination to experience the very essence of Japan’s nature and onsen culture.

By opening the door to the idea of a “destination sauna,” Yuyado Daiichi elevates Japanese sauna culture to a new stage—becoming a place the world will journey to, seeking harmony between the human spirit and the living earth.