Relax and chat with friends. Travel around Japan's outdoor saunas

If you would like to take part in a private group sauna trip

First, we will introduce places for groups of 4 to 6 people where you can enjoy a sauna without worrying about being seen by others. We have picked out facilities that are easy to visit with colleagues or friends, from authentic natural sauna facilities to casual sauna facilities that emphasize the overnight experience.

[Aomori Prefecture] Experience the nature of northern Japan with all your senses. Towada Sauna: An authentic sauna where nature is at its best

The first place we introduce is Towada Sauna, a private sauna for up to six people located in the Utarube Campground near the east inlet of Lake Towada. The concept is "Leave it to nature." This name comes from the fact that you can experience a sauna in a completely different environment every second, 365 days of the year, depending on the season and weather.

The barrel sauna, surrounded by trees, is made of spruce wood grown in the tundra. It has an antechamber between the outdoor area and the sauna room, and is wired so you can relax even in the coldest of temperatures.

Although there is no cold bath, you can enjoy the shores of Lake Towada, a famous northern scenic spot. The water temperature is around 20°C in summer and close to 0°C in winter.

After finishing off in the lake, enjoy an outdoor bath in a chair that allows you to feel the warmth of the wood. Gaze out across the lake at Mt. Hakkoda, and feel the waves crashing on the shore, the swaying of the trees, and the chirping of the birds as you relax in nature. This is recommended for those who want to spend irreplaceable time with friends who can enjoy a trip that is entirely at the mercy of nature.

Towada Sauna

[Kyoto Prefecture] Return to your childhood. A sauna experience that blends into village life and nature at "Goka Sauna"

How about having time like when you visited your grandma in the countryside in your childhood? The place to return to that childhood is the outdoor sauna facility "Goka Sauna", which was renovated from a traditional Japanese house that is over 100 years old.

Located in Mineyama Town, further beyond the Goka district, where the rural landscape of Kyotango, the northernmost part of Kyoto, spreads out, you can not only experience the blessings and abundance of nature, but you can also blend into the small village with a total of 15 households (as of July 2024) and forget the hustle and bustle of the city.

The sauna room, renovated from an old thatched roof house, is slowly heated by a Nordic wood stove and is designed to warm you thoroughly from the core.

The natural light coming in through the small window in the sauna room and the crackling sound of the wood stove will detox your body and mind. Instead of a cold bath, you can soak in the river that flows from the sandy beach adjacent to the sauna room, and cool down your heated body while enjoying playing in the river like a child again.

The hearth next to the sauna is not only a place to lie down and warm yourself up in the open-air bathing area, but also a place where you can grill and eat local ingredients. If you're visiting with friends, you can deepen your bond while enjoying a meal around the hearth.

This facility can be reserved for up to 6 people. If you choose a package deal with the affiliated hotel "KISSUIEN Stay & Food," you can apply for a shuttle service from the hotel to the sauna on a limited date and time, so you can spend your time without having to worry about driving.

Steam -Goka Sauna-

[Kagoshima Prefecture] Chilling: A luxurious and refreshing space with modern Japanese art

Located in a place surrounded by the beautiful sea and mountains of Amami Oshima, Ryukyu Villa is a private accommodation facility that only accommodates two groups per day (up to four people per group). The facility has a permanent exhibition of works by artists with ties to Amami Oshima, and it is a spot where you can enjoy a superb sauna experience while relaxing in an art space away from your everyday life.

Chilling is a detached villa with a sauna, designed with the concept of "spectacular view + art space." Next to the sauna is an outdoor bathing space and a mini pool where you can see the ocean and garden, so you can spend special time with friends in an extraordinary space while feeling the wind and sounds of nature.

At night, the place is lit up, creating a different view than during the day. Even on bad weather days, you can relax in the covered annex, so you can safely use the outdoor sauna. If you want to spend a refreshing and relaxing trip while also enjoying art, this is the place to visit.

Chilling (Ryukyu Villa, an art museum where you can stay overnight)

If you want to experience a sauna trip surrounded by nature and spectacular views

Next, we will introduce some sauna spots with spectacular views where you can fully enjoy the great outdoors. We have picked out facilities that are easy to visit not only with a group of friends, but also with small groups such as two people.

[Hokkaido] Embrace Mother Nature with your whole body and enjoy a panoramic view of the Kushiro Marshlands at "THE GEEK"

First, let's focus on Hokkaido's Kushiro Marsh, which is also registered under the Ramsar Convention. Located a one-minute walk from Toro Station on the Senmo Main Line along the Kushiro River, "THE GEEK" is a craft hostel with the concept of "a place for geeks to gather." There are three types of rooms: a marsh room with a panoramic view of the silvery marsh, a Japanese-style room with tatami mats that are faithful to Japanese culture, and a dormitory room with two-tiered bunk beds. You can make reservations for short- to medium-term stays according to your purpose.

The sauna room can accommodate up to eight people, so even if you are traveling with a large group, everyone can enjoy the sauna at the same time. Wearing a swimsuit is mandatory.

From the stove, which is modeled after the firebox of a steam locomotive, you can enjoy the loyly of aromatic birch water and the heat waves of about 80 degrees Celsius. After the sauna, you can rehydrate with drinking water taken from the Nishibetsu River, an underground water of Lake Mashu, which boasts the clearest water in Japan (limited quantity).

After working up a good sweat, cool your body down in the cypress barrel water bath and then head to the outdoor bathing area with a panoramic view of the Kushiro Marshlands. Fans of outdoor bathing here call it a "steam bath" because you can enjoy the view of Hokkaido's only steam locomotive, which operates only in winter. Kushiro also has a comfortable climate with an average summer temperature of around 22°C, making it the perfect spot to escape the heat while the city center is still hot. This is a famous spot unique to Hokkaido, and is recommended for trips with friends who want to fully enjoy the tourist experience.

THE GEEK

[Nagano Prefecture] Experience a tent sauna under the stars at "mökki STARDUST GLAMPING"

Achi Village, located at the southern tip of Nagano Prefecture, suddenly attracted attention when the Ministry of the Environment certified it as "the place in Japan with the most beautiful starry sky" in 2006. The numerous "starry sky tours" organized by the local tourist bureau are still popular with tourists today, and reservations are required.

One of the most popular is the glamping "mökki~STARDUST GLAMPING~," which boasts "Get in tune with the best starry sky in Japan." You can enjoy a "tent sauna" as a soothing outdoor experience in the midst of Japan's best starry sky and nature throughout the four seasons.

The MORZH tent sauna can accommodate up to four people. Inside the tent, you can enjoy self-loyly using aromatic water, which is expected to have a relaxing effect. The humidity gradually raises the perceived temperature, and after bathing your entire body in the heat wave that reaches about 100°C, you can splash around in a cold water bath that resembles a drum can! After you get out of the cold water bath, you can relax in the outdoor bathing space with a magnificent starry sky.

There are two types of accommodation: a plan where you can enjoy a BBQ using local ingredients grown in the rich nature of Minami Shinshu, and a plan where you can stay overnight without meals. Both are so popular that there is a constant waiting list for cancellations, so it is best to make a reservation early. Relaxing and talking while looking up at the stars will be an unforgettable memory. You can share a special moment with your friends that you can only experience here.

mökki STARDUST GLAMPING

[Oita Prefecture] A cavern that acts as a cold bath!? The Inatsumi Underwater Cave is enveloped in a mysterious landscape

Inazuma Underwater Cave in Bungo-Ono City, Oita Prefecture, is not only one of the largest underwater caves in Japan, but also has a tent sauna. It is the only place in Japan where you can enter the cave as a cold bath and experience a cold bath while overlooking the mysterious scenery of the cave.

As the number of tent saunas is limited, only three slots can be reserved per day. There are two types of tents, made by MORZH and SAVOTTA, and they are divided into dry sauna and steam sauna. Each tent can accommodate about five people, so if you are using it with three or four people, you can enjoy the sauna in a spacious space. The cottage near the tent has both outdoor and indoor bathing spaces.

The temperature inside the cave is 16℃ all year round, and the water temperature is also high. Even if you don't like cold baths, you'll be able to enjoy it as if you were swimming in the ocean. The not-too-cold water temperature, combined with the beautiful scenery, will encourage lively conversation. You're sure to feel refreshed both physically and mentally with your friends.

Inatsumi Underwater Cave

If you want to enjoy a sauna trip with plenty of activities

Finally, we will introduce some spots where you can enjoy activities in addition to saunas. We have picked out some must-see facilities for those who want to have a variety of experiences with friends who share similar hobbies and values.

[Tokyo] Easy access! An authentic natural tent sauna that you can assemble yourself: "Shiromaru Village"

Shiromaru Village is located in Okutama, Tokyo, a 5-minute walk from Shiromaru Station on the JR Ome Line. It is the only sauna facility in southern Kanto that uses a natural lake as its cold water bath. Tent sauna plans vary depending on the distance to the lake, and all are rental-based. It is a spot where you can have fun working together, adjusting the temperature by adding firewood and preparing your own BBQ ingredients. Each person is responsible for the tasks they are good at, and it is fun to work together to create something.

The tent sauna is made by MORZH and can accommodate up to four people. The high temperature sauna is possible only with a wood stove, so you can use it in winter without worrying about the cold. Since it is a private venue, you can of course choose the timing of the loyly as you like. You can soak in Lake Shiromaru, which serves as a cold bath, wearing a life jacket. The lake is over 3m deep, so your whole body is ice-cold, and one set will be enough to fully relax you.

All plans include a SUP package, so you can enjoy an outdoor bath in the majestic lakeside. You can also bring your pet dog, so there is no need to worry if you can't leave your pet behind. In addition to the sauna, you can also stroll around the sparkling emerald green lake and enjoy the spectacular scenery that changes with the seasons, which will create a unique memory.

Shiromaru Village

[Wakayama Prefecture] A temple where you can stay overnight and enjoy zazen and sauna. "Temple Camp Daitaiji"

If you like saunas, you've probably wondered at least once, "What does it mean to be in tune?" Temple Camp Daitaiji offers zazen and sauna as one answer. Zen sauna sharpens your senses in the abundant nature and allows you to feel one with nature. The tent sauna, held along the river in the spacious temple grounds, can be enjoyed along with experiences that are unique to temples, such as zazen and copying sutras, to clear away impurities from the mind.

The sauna room is made by PLOW and can accommodate 4 people. If you do a loyly in the sauna room heated by the wood stove, the heat waves will immediately pierce your body. The cold water bath uses river water next to the tent. There are deep areas where you can swim and shallow areas where you can lie down, so it's a good idea to use it depending on the temperature and your mood that day.

There is a theory that "Totono" means to enter a meditative state. What do saunas and zazen have in common? Experience a Zen sauna with fellow sauna lovers and share your thoughts.

Temple Camp Daitaiji

Travel with friends in search of outdoor saunas scattered all over Japan. If you have the opportunity to enjoy such a trip, you may be able to work harder and be more energetic in your private life. Why not go on a trip with friends to relieve your fatigue in an extraordinary space away from your everyday life?

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