Kyoto Kyoto City
Sauna & Capsule Hotel Rumor Plaza
A sauna with a spectacular view, the pride of Gion in Kyoto
- Scenic View
- Open 24 Hours
- Auto löyly available
- Aroma löyly available
- Finnish sauna
- Sauna Available
About Sauna & Capsule Hotel Rumor Plaza
Sauna & Capsule Hotel Rumor Plaza is a men-only sauna and capsule hotel in Gion, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto. It has three sauna rooms: a löyly sauna with an IKI stove, a Finnish sauna with a METOS stove and a salt sauna finished in Shigaraki-ware tiles, and staff pour löyly three times a day. Its signatures are three cold plunges, including an extra-cold one at 14°C (57°F), and the view over all of Kyoto from the rooftop Beauty-Bubble Bath and viewing area. Capsule rooms, a breakfast buffet, relaxation treatments and a comics space are also on hand.
BathBATH
Electric + jet bath
A multifunction tub, the large bath of the 6th-floor bath area, combining an electric bath and a jet bath. The jet bath sprays a mix of warm water and air; ultrasonic waves are produced as the bubbles burst, and the warming effect boosts metabolism. In the electric bath, low-frequency stimulation works gently on the body, easing stiff shoulders and fatigue. With a big-screen TV to watch while you soak at leisure, it is the anchor tub of the indoor baths.
Ceramic-tile bath
A bath lavishly lined with Shigaraki-ware tiles. The soft, moist feel and high heat retention unique to Shigaraki ware warm the body to the core, and the non-slip tile surface gives a sense of security. The texture and warmth of the ceramic make for a refined bathing experience unlike the other tubs. It lies in the same 7th-floor open-air area as the salt sauna and Finnish sauna, so pairing it with the saunas comes naturally.
Beauty-Bubble Bath
A microbubble bath where millions of fine bubbles stream from Shigaraki-ware ceramic panels. The tiny bubbles wrap the whole body in a gentle massage, lift dirt from the pores and soften the feel of the water. After dark it is lit up, creating a dreamlike space of light and bubbles under the Gion night sky. Close to the rooftop space for cooling off in the open air, it fits naturally into the totonou cycle.
SaunaSAUNA
Löyly sauna (6F)
The main sauna, inside the 6th-floor bath area. A dual-stove setup, an IKI electric stone stove paired with a far-infrared gas stove, radiates heat through 360 degrees, so you warm evenly right down to your feet. Automatic löyly every 20 minutes keeps the humidity high, and three times a day staff pour löyly with an aroma water that changes daily and send waves of heat with a punkah looper fan. The roomy interior has a TV and even space to lie down, so you can take in the steam with your whole body while stretched out, a true luxury. This room is the engine of the “view sauna” ranked No. 1 overall in Kyoto Prefecture on Sauna Ikitai (a Japanese sauna review site).
Finnish sauna (7F)
A Finnish-style sauna newly built in the 7th-floor open-air area. By pouring water over the stones of the METOS ZIEL stove at your own pace, you control the humidity and the amount of steam yourself. Dim lighting in a mostly black room deepens the immersion, and in a silence without TV you sit with the heat. It is close to the rooftop space for cooling off in the open air and to the three cold plunges, so the totonou cycle flows smoothly. In contrast to the löyly sauna, it offers an inward sweat, with humidity building layer by layer in stillness.
Salt sauna (7F)
A salt sauna in the 7th-floor open-air area. Its benches are finished in Shigaraki-ware tiles, and you pick up natural salt from the Sea of Japan just before the double doors, then go in. At a moderate temperature you rub the salt over your whole body, and osmotic pressure helps draw out sebum and waste. Once your sweat has dissolved the salt, massage your whole body and your skin comes out smooth after bathing.
Cold BathCOLD BATH
Cold plunge (6F, indoor)
The main cold plunge, inside the 6th-floor bath area. It lets you cool down at a calm pace right after the löyly sauna. At 60 to 80 cm (24 to 31 in) deep, it is easy to sink your whole body in, and a gentle current in the water feels soft on the skin. It sits just before the stairs up to the roof, so moving from the cold plunge to the space for cooling off in the open air is smooth and the path to totonou is well laid out.
7F extra-cold plunge
An extra-cold plunge in the 7th-floor open-air area. At 14°C (57°F), the water bites with a sharp chill and comes into its own when you want a big temperature gap from the moderate heat of the Finnish sauna or salt sauna. It shifts a little with the outside temperature, but it gives a strong cold shock all year round. It sits in an area where the cold baths and the space for cooling off in the open air are one, so you can also alternate between the two cold baths.
7F cold plunge
A cold plunge set beside the extra-cold plunge in the 7th-floor open-air area. At a slightly warmer 20°C (68°F), it is the choice when you want to cool down slowly over a longer time or find the extra-cold plunge too much. It is often used to alternate with the extra-cold plunge (14°C / 57°F), and being able to switch between the two to suit your condition and mood is this area’s strength.
Stay here
Availability and rates are shown on each booking site.
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Facility Information
- Address
- 1F, 575 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
- Business Hours
- Open 24 Hours
Unknown
- Closed Days
- Unknown
- Gender Access
- Male Only
- Tattoo Policy (Communal Bath)
- No Tattoos
- Official Website
- View official site
Access
By car
- About 10 minutes from Kyoto Station
- About 20 minutes from Kyoto-Higashi Interchange on the Meishin Expressway
By train and bus
- Keihan Main Line, Gion-Shijo Station (Exit 6) → about 4 minutes on foot heading east
- Hankyu Kyoto Line, Kawaramachi Station (East Gate, Kiyamachi South Exit) → about 7 minutes on foot heading east
- Kyoto Station (bus stop D2) → City Bus Route 206, get off at Gion → about 4 minutes on foot heading west
- Kansai International Airport → JR Haruka limited express, or airport bus (to Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit) → about 10 minutes by car from Kyoto Station
Partner parking available (47 Kameicho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto; open 24 hours). No parking for motorcycles. The parking lot cannot be used during the Toka Ebisu festival.
Visited by the Editor-in-Chief
The Editor-in-Chief visited in person in January 2026
Enjoying a World-Class Sauna in the Heart of Kyoto’s Gion
Read the full review
