#Sauna News Digest 2

last updated 2024/04/16

How many people in Japan go to Sauna?

As we all know, sauna experiences a popularity increase in recent years. It can be associated as a part of Japanese culture due to its uniqueness, and it is being visited by both young and old. But what is the actual percentage of people going to Sauna and how often do they do that? Have some look at the data below collected by Nexer and MySauna. The pool was answered by 1021 men and women nationwide.

When asked about how often they usually go to the sauna, 8.5% of participants answered they do it about once a month and 3.8% said they go once a week. If we summarize these two numbers, it seems that 15% of the participants visit sauna at least once a month.

When 150 respondents who regularly go to the sauna were asked about their reason to do so, "refresh and fatigue relief" was the most common response, at nearly 70%. This was followed by "I like to feel "totonou"" (20.7%). It is "one of a way to have fun with friends" was 5.3%, and "Other" 4.7%.

※ you can check the meaning of "totonou" in the terminology page

52% of the respondants that regularly go to the sauna, answered that there is facility which perfectly matches their preferences.

When asked some saunners in a free response format, what their ideal sauna would be, the following responses were collected:

- There is a TV and it's spacious (20's, Female)
- There is a nice place where I can take a nap (20s, Female)
- There is a location with a view on the ocean (20s, Female)
- There is a Neppashi (person who sends heat waves using a towel) (20s, Male)
- Whether the location is good or not (30s, Female)
- I can watch TV, music or movies inside (30s, Female)
- A private sauna with a luxurious atmosphere, music, aroma, and TV (30s, Male)

When 150 people who usually go to a sauna were asked if they would wish to have one installed in their house, 41.3% replied they would. When inquired why, the majority (75.8%) answered "I could enter it anytime I want" followed by "It would provide more comfort at home" at 16.1%.

Asked what kind of sauna they would wish to have, the most common answer, at 38.7%, was "I could listen to the music and watch movies I like", followed by "I could do a self-löyly and the highest temperature would reach 110°C", at 22.6%.

■ Survey summary
Survey period: March 8, 2024 - March 11, 2024
Survey organization: NEXER Inc.
Survey target: Men and Women nationwide
Number of answers: 1021 samples
Survey method: Internet survey

*The figures are rounded to one decimal place, which might result in the total not sum up to 100%
*Nothing was mentioned about age of the participants

Source: NEXER Inc., MySauna Inc.

A capsule hotel with a stylish sauna to open in Obiyamachi, Kochi (only for Men)

If you ever miss your last train, this is one of the places you could spend a night in.
"EN＋Sauna＆Capsule Bed" is soon going to open in Obiyamachi of Kochi.  

Upon opening the door to the sauna, you will be met by a fragrance of wood and a fashionable design of the interior.

The Capsule hotel was made by a company that has been creating hair salons and hostels in Kochi prefecture. President of the "C3 Holdings" Takuya Matsumoto says that "I wanted to somehow put a new energy into the town and came up with this sauna-capsule hotel idea".

The facility has four floors, of which second floor is dedicated to sauna of two styles: Japanese and Western.
The Japanese sauna uses Japanese cypress with an arrangement pattern of "Jizai Kumiko". Matsumoto-san emphasizes that the special feature is the gas stove: "Heat from a gas stove is milder than from an electric stove as well as stronger".

Surrounded by pop walls, the Western-style sauna bears an image of a Scandinavian hut. You can also enjoy "self-löyly" and pour the water containing ginger extract over the stones. After the sauna, it is time for the cold bath.

An indoor air bath ("naikiyoku") space in an image of a porch, offers a "totonoi" experience in front of a spray-art bonsai tree. Washrooms and shower rooms are also there.

On the fourth floor, you will find lodgings. There are 54 beds in overall. Matsumoto-san describes surroundings of the room as a "warm space encompassed by woods that will take you to a world of dreams"

The warm space surrounded by wood invites you to a world of dreams.

The sauna and accommodations are men-only, but there will also be a café on the first floor that can be used regardless of gender. Light meals and drinks will be served.

Matsumoto-san also mentions that "When people from other prefectures or outside of Japan come to visit Kochi, they surely enjoy eating and drinking as the food is delicious, but I think it is also great that they can stay over in a hotel nearby with a sauna".

The café and sauna opened at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 31, but the capsule hotel will commence late in April.

Regarding the fees: Sauna will cost 1200 yen per 2 hours. Staying over (you can use sauna too) will cost 6500 yen. A little bit pricey, however certainly worth the experience. For more, check out the enplus's Instagram.

Try out some sauna food from the pioneers: a café opened within the Finnish style hot bath/sauna facility

A café called "Nordic Cafe & Dining matka" opened inside of "Ofuro cafe utatane" in Saitama City on April 4, 2024,

The menu was prepared and adapted into the style of Ofuro Cafe by Takeo Shintani, a Finnish sauna ambassador certified by the Finnish National Tourist Board. It includes meals that he had during his travels in Scandinavia, a land rich in nature, surrounded by forests and lakes.

In addition to some innovative sweets and drinks inspired by the aurora (symbol of the Scandinavian countries) and sauna culture, you can also buy handmade cinnamon rolls made by a Finnish baker Aki Lappalainen, who runs a "Raimugi House Bakery" in Kamakura.

For tableware, Finnish items of design and functionality that have been loved around the world for hundreds of years will be used at the dinning table. One of the brand is "Arabia", with its vivid and traditional design of Scandinavian craftsmanship and the other is "iittala", with a rather more modern look and shape that fits comfortably one's hand.

Carefully picked ingredients

• Free-range fresh Salmon from Norway are sent to Japan without ever being frozen once. It is peculiar in its high quality fat and sweetness that will spread inside your mouth
• A 50-year history smoked salmon from Hokkaido called "Oji Salmon" (王子サーモン) It is smoked carefully at low temperature for one day and night in order to produce its smoky aroma and concentrated flavor
• Vegetables from the "Saitama European Vegetable Research Society" (さいたまヨーロッパ野菜研究会), a group of young farmers and chefs from Saitama City, are being used for cooking. The members of this group grow about 70 varieties of European vegetables each year
• Chicken eggs raised in Kakutani Chicken Farm (角谷養鶏場) in Kamisato-cho, Saitama Prefecture. The yolk of eggs coming from these nutrient-rich fed chickens are what is distinctive - affluent with minerals, protein and flavor

About "cafe utatane"
A hot spring facility with a concept based on Finland.
It offers a lounge with aurora, a steam bath "Sauna Kota" that resembles a Finnish sauna hut, a Scandinavian food menu in the café, and clothes worn inside the facility made in collaboration with the Finnish textile brand "Kauniste".

"Nordic Cafe & Dining matka" details

◼︎Open from April 4, 2024
◼︎Business hours: 11:00-23:00 (last order 22:00)
◼︎Location: 4-179-3 Taisei-cho, Kita-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama Prefecture

To see more, you can visit "Ofuro Cafe Utatane" webpage.

Grand opening of Finnish-style private sauna at GRAVITY in Shiwa

GRAVITY in Hizume-Nishi, Shiwa-machi, which on every day basis offers exercise coaching and massage services, opened a private sauna for reservation on April 6. It is a Finnish-style wet sauna and you can even receive a massage inside. Undoubtedly, you can spend there some special time on your own or with your friends as well.

Water poured over the sauna stones provides an ever soothing aroma fragrance. In comparison to regular dry saunas, the temperature will be set to 60~70°C, which makes it a bit lower than usual. The 3m² room can fit up to three people. Traditional Thai massage and foot massage is available.

Gravity, which specializes in KAATSU training and massage, opened the business in the town in April 2022, and moved to its current location in November 2023. Actually, the sauna has been open for a trial period since March this year.

Sauna fees are 3,850 yen per person for 90 minutes, 4,400 yen for two people, and 4,950 yen for three people. Reservations are required.