Tokyo Toshima City
A Kanto-area sauna hotel on a grand scale, with 4 types of sauna and 4 types of cold plunge bath
"Sauna & Hotel Karumaru Ikebukuro" is a men-only sauna and hotel complex in Ikebukuro, Toshima City, Tokyo. Its bath area, touted as one of the largest in the Kanto region, features four types of sauna: an Aji stone stone sauna, a Kero sauna, a medicinal herb steam sauna, and a Finnish wood-fired sauna. You can cool down in four progressively different cold plunge baths, from a single-digit ultra-low-temperature bath to a relaxation bath at around 33°C, and the facility also offers carbonated spring baths, electric baths, rock baths, tub baths, and an open-air jacuzzi. With a dining area, all-you-can-read manga, reclining chairs, and a coworking space, it is the pinnacle of urban saunas where you can spend the whole day.
A carbonated spring made by artificially dissolving carbon dioxide to achieve a high concentration on the level of a therapeutic hot spring. Based on the traditional bathing therapy long called the heart bath in Europe, it is expected to help improve circulation, ease chills, and relieve fatigue. Because of its high concentration, it is intentionally finished with less foam, and the defining feature is the feeling of carbon dioxide slowly seeping in through the skin. Since the electric bath is installed inside this carbonated spring tub, you can enjoy both effects at the same time.
A new-style electric bath where you can experience three types of stimulation, push, knead, and tap, similar to a massage machine. The current is said to regulate ions in the body and promote circulation by causing the muscles to contract. It is located inside the carbonated spring tub, so the penetration effect of the high-concentration carbonated spring and the stimulation of electricity work at the same time. Because the way it feels varies greatly depending on your physical condition, people with chronic illnesses should be careful.
A rock bath made with Kitagi stone, one of the three great stones of the Setouchi region. It is set at the neutral temperature zone close to human body temperature, and by keeping energy consumption to a minimum it acts on the parasympathetic nervous system, bringing a deep sense of relaxation. Kitagi stone has been used since the Edo period in famous structures such as Osaka Castle, the Bank of Japan, and Tokyo Station, and its texture is smooth and elegant. The sensation of being neither hot nor cold blurs the boundaries of the body, creating an immersed feeling as if you were floating.
A one-person tub bath lavishly made from wood from Aomori hiba, known as one of Japan's three great beautiful forests. Aomori hiba is also called golden wood because it grows more radiant with age, and its beautiful grain and refined forest-like fragrance envelop you. In a completely closed space for one person only, you can step away from the bustle of sauna users and quietly enjoy your own time.
An outdoor open-air jacuzzi made of high-quality black granite. Along with the pleasant stimulation of the bubbles, you get the luxurious experience of feeling the sky over central Ikebukuro directly on your skin. In summer, it may be cooled down and used as an outdoor cool-down bubble bath. The contrast between the urban air and the warm water creates a distinctive sense of relaxation, making it a space that adds an accent to the sauna and bath cycle.
Irregular Holidays
Tokyo Toshima City
A Kanto-area sauna hotel on a grand scale, with 4 types of sauna and 4 types of cold plunge bath
"Sauna & Hotel Karumaru Ikebukuro" is a men-only sauna and hotel complex in Ikebukuro, Toshima City, Tokyo. Its bath area, touted as one of the largest in the Kanto region, features four types of sauna: an Aji stone stone sauna, a Kero sauna, a medicinal herb steam sauna, and a Finnish wood-fired sauna. You can cool down in four progressively different cold plunge baths, from a single-digit ultra-low-temperature bath to a relaxation bath at around 33°C, and the facility also offers carbonated spring baths, electric baths, rock baths, tub baths, and an open-air jacuzzi. With a dining area, all-you-can-read manga, reclining chairs, and a coworking space, it is the pinnacle of urban saunas where you can spend the whole day.
A carbonated spring made by artificially dissolving carbon dioxide to achieve a high concentration on the level of a therapeutic hot spring. Based on the traditional bathing therapy long called the heart bath in Europe, it is expected to help improve circulation, ease chills, and relieve fatigue. Because of its high concentration, it is intentionally finished with less foam, and the defining feature is the feeling of carbon dioxide slowly seeping in through the skin. Since the electric bath is installed inside this carbonated spring tub, you can enjoy both effects at the same time.
A new-style electric bath where you can experience three types of stimulation, push, knead, and tap, similar to a massage machine. The current is said to regulate ions in the body and promote circulation by causing the muscles to contract. It is located inside the carbonated spring tub, so the penetration effect of the high-concentration carbonated spring and the stimulation of electricity work at the same time. Because the way it feels varies greatly depending on your physical condition, people with chronic illnesses should be careful.
A rock bath made with Kitagi stone, one of the three great stones of the Setouchi region. It is set at the neutral temperature zone close to human body temperature, and by keeping energy consumption to a minimum it acts on the parasympathetic nervous system, bringing a deep sense of relaxation. Kitagi stone has been used since the Edo period in famous structures such as Osaka Castle, the Bank of Japan, and Tokyo Station, and its texture is smooth and elegant. The sensation of being neither hot nor cold blurs the boundaries of the body, creating an immersed feeling as if you were floating.
A one-person tub bath lavishly made from wood from Aomori hiba, known as one of Japan's three great beautiful forests. Aomori hiba is also called golden wood because it grows more radiant with age, and its beautiful grain and refined forest-like fragrance envelop you. In a completely closed space for one person only, you can step away from the bustle of sauna users and quietly enjoy your own time.
An outdoor open-air jacuzzi made of high-quality black granite. Along with the pleasant stimulation of the bubbles, you get the luxurious experience of feeling the sky over central Ikebukuro directly on your skin. In summer, it may be cooled down and used as an outdoor cool-down bubble bath. The contrast between the urban air and the warm water creates a distinctive sense of relaxation, making it a space that adds an accent to the sauna and bath cycle.
Irregular Holidays
A dynamic five-tier sauna that uses the rare Aji stone, a prized stone also known as the diamond of granite, across the entire wall surface. About 600 kg of sauna stones store and release heat, creating a soft, enveloping warmth that slowly heats you from the core. The humidity is fairly high, and every time the automatic löyly runs every 30 minutes, the room’s temperature and humidity surge all at once. Staff aufguss sessions by Karumaru’s aufguss team are held mainly in this sauna and are a regular highlight with strong attendance. Because it has five tiers, you can settle in at your preferred temperature zone.
A modern space that makes generous use of Kero, deadwood from European red pine over 200 years old. The one-of-a-kind design, with the inner wood and bark of Kero arranged alternately, is known as a Kero sauna found nowhere else in Japan. In the dim, calm room, the rich aroma unique to Kero wood lingers, while the heat stays dry and high-temperature. Self-löyly can be performed once every 15 minutes, and the fragrance becomes especially pronounced the moment the steam rises.
A traditional Finnish wood-stove sauna, said to be the only one of its kind in a major metropolitan area. The flickering light of the flames, the crackling sound of burning wood, the pleasant scent of timber, and a gentle warmth like sunlight all envelop the senses. The heat created by the METOS iki wood stove has a warmth that is distinct from electric stoves, and löyly may also be performed when more wood is added about every 20 minutes. Time spent facing the fire and the wood is popular as the experience that feels closest to nature among urban saunas.
A barrel-shaped steam sauna. Nine to 10 kinds of rare medicinal herbs, including Iburijakuso, naginatakōjū, and kuromoji, collected around Mt. Ibuki in Shiga Prefecture, known as a treasure trove of medicinal herbs, are slowly boiled and the steam is absorbed with the whole body. Although the temperature is around 50°C, the perceived temperature is extremely high because it is constantly filled with steam, and the aroma and components of the herbs penetrate the entire body through the nose and mouth. Wrapped in a barrel made of Japanese umbrella-pine, the serene space is for one person only, allowing you to enjoy a focused experience all to yourself.
An ultra-low-temperature cold plunge bath that feels like being struck by lightning, with single-digit water temperatures below 10°C and swirling jet streams. Powerful currents churn the water like a tornado, amplifying the chill and sending a shock so strong that your whole body trembles within seconds. The bath is 100 cm deep and you can even submerge yourself. Its piercingly intense cooling experience is surprising the first time, but once you get used to it, it becomes so addictive that other cold plunge baths feel unsatisfying. After the bath, there are plenty of relaxation spaces waiting both indoors and outdoors.
A gentle bubble cold plunge bath at around 25°C, designed so even people who dislike cold baths can soak comfortably. After cooling your core in the ultra-low-temperature Thunder Tornado, entering this bath brings a unique sense of bliss as the calm bubbles and soft water temperature combine to release tension throughout the body. With an easy-to-enter depth of 60 cm, it is also ideal for alternating cold baths in combination with Thunder Tornado.
A jet cold plunge bath at around 30°C, conceived as the "rest" in the cycle of "sauna => cold plunge bath => rest." This exquisite temperature, cooler than neutral temperature and warmer than Yasuragi, is paired with pleasant jet stimulation reaching different parts of the body, creating a euphoric feeling as if ascending to heaven. The front seats direct jets to the lower back and soles of the feet, while the back seats send jets to the lower back and thighs, making this a unique design that can be used not only as a cold plunge bath but also as an extension of totonou. With a shallow depth of 40 cm, it is suitable for long stays.
A one-person cold plunge bath that recreates an avanto, the Finnish word for a hole cut into frozen lake ice, in a transparent acrylic cylindrical tub. Installed in the rooftop air-bathing area, it gives you an extraordinary sensation as if descending into an ice hole. It is 100 cm deep and you can submerge yourself. Seeing the outside scenery through the transparent walls creates a completely different experience from other cold plunge baths, and it recreates in the city the original way avanto is used, with priority access for users of the wood-fired sauna.
A dynamic five-tier sauna that uses the rare Aji stone, a prized stone also known as the diamond of granite, across the entire wall surface. About 600 kg of sauna stones store and release heat, creating a soft, enveloping warmth that slowly heats you from the core. The humidity is fairly high, and every time the automatic löyly runs every 30 minutes, the room’s temperature and humidity surge all at once. Staff aufguss sessions by Karumaru’s aufguss team are held mainly in this sauna and are a regular highlight with strong attendance. Because it has five tiers, you can settle in at your preferred temperature zone.
A modern space that makes generous use of Kero, deadwood from European red pine over 200 years old. The one-of-a-kind design, with the inner wood and bark of Kero arranged alternately, is known as a Kero sauna found nowhere else in Japan. In the dim, calm room, the rich aroma unique to Kero wood lingers, while the heat stays dry and high-temperature. Self-löyly can be performed once every 15 minutes, and the fragrance becomes especially pronounced the moment the steam rises.
A traditional Finnish wood-stove sauna, said to be the only one of its kind in a major metropolitan area. The flickering light of the flames, the crackling sound of burning wood, the pleasant scent of timber, and a gentle warmth like sunlight all envelop the senses. The heat created by the METOS iki wood stove has a warmth that is distinct from electric stoves, and löyly may also be performed when more wood is added about every 20 minutes. Time spent facing the fire and the wood is popular as the experience that feels closest to nature among urban saunas.
A barrel-shaped steam sauna. Nine to 10 kinds of rare medicinal herbs, including Iburijakuso, naginatakōjū, and kuromoji, collected around Mt. Ibuki in Shiga Prefecture, known as a treasure trove of medicinal herbs, are slowly boiled and the steam is absorbed with the whole body. Although the temperature is around 50°C, the perceived temperature is extremely high because it is constantly filled with steam, and the aroma and components of the herbs penetrate the entire body through the nose and mouth. Wrapped in a barrel made of Japanese umbrella-pine, the serene space is for one person only, allowing you to enjoy a focused experience all to yourself.
An ultra-low-temperature cold plunge bath that feels like being struck by lightning, with single-digit water temperatures below 10°C and swirling jet streams. Powerful currents churn the water like a tornado, amplifying the chill and sending a shock so strong that your whole body trembles within seconds. The bath is 100 cm deep and you can even submerge yourself. Its piercingly intense cooling experience is surprising the first time, but once you get used to it, it becomes so addictive that other cold plunge baths feel unsatisfying. After the bath, there are plenty of relaxation spaces waiting both indoors and outdoors.
A gentle bubble cold plunge bath at around 25°C, designed so even people who dislike cold baths can soak comfortably. After cooling your core in the ultra-low-temperature Thunder Tornado, entering this bath brings a unique sense of bliss as the calm bubbles and soft water temperature combine to release tension throughout the body. With an easy-to-enter depth of 60 cm, it is also ideal for alternating cold baths in combination with Thunder Tornado.
A jet cold plunge bath at around 30°C, conceived as the "rest" in the cycle of "sauna => cold plunge bath => rest." This exquisite temperature, cooler than neutral temperature and warmer than Yasuragi, is paired with pleasant jet stimulation reaching different parts of the body, creating a euphoric feeling as if ascending to heaven. The front seats direct jets to the lower back and soles of the feet, while the back seats send jets to the lower back and thighs, making this a unique design that can be used not only as a cold plunge bath but also as an extension of totonou. With a shallow depth of 40 cm, it is suitable for long stays.
A one-person cold plunge bath that recreates an avanto, the Finnish word for a hole cut into frozen lake ice, in a transparent acrylic cylindrical tub. Installed in the rooftop air-bathing area, it gives you an extraordinary sensation as if descending into an ice hole. It is 100 cm deep and you can submerge yourself. Seeing the outside scenery through the transparent walls creates a completely different experience from other cold plunge baths, and it recreates in the city the original way avanto is used, with priority access for users of the wood-fired sauna.
