SAUNA TEN "Birch and cloud forest"

About

An outdoor sauna standing in a birch forest 1,450 meters above sea level in Koumi, Nagano. The log cabin sauna, completed in May 2026, is a "white smoke sauna" heated with firewood for six to seven hours, storing heat to the core of more than 600 kg of sauna stones. It builds on the mechanism of a traditional smoke sauna, adding a chimney, a lid, and firebricks for greater safety. For löyly, water is gently dropped onto a single point of the stones; the steam bursts into fine particles, gathers beneath the high ceiling, and slowly envelops the whole body.

A "Herbal Ritual" led by a herbal meister is built into the sauna experience. The scents of birch and Japanese oak from the forests of Koumi fill the room, and time flows as you breathe in the forest air deeply.

The cold bath uses underground water that has taken about 50 years to filter through the land of Kita-Yatsugatake. Moving from the kakeyu rinse and a lukewarm tub on to a wine barrel, the water grows colder while keeping its soft feel, so you can cool your body to your preferred temperature. In the open-air rest area, you can gaze at the sky and the Yatsugatake mountains through the birch trees. In the crisp, clear highland air, lean back in an infinity chair and let the breeze gently stroke your flushed body.

*Closed in winter. The 2026 winter closure is scheduled to begin in late November, so please check the official website for the latest opening information.