It had been four and a half years since my last visit to Tokyo. I currently live in Tokushima Prefecture, but four and a half years ago, Tokyo was my home. It is a place where I tasted the depths of despair, and also the place where I found the foothold to climb back up. It holds a special weight for me — which is exactly why I could never bring myself to visit casually. But the person I am now can hold my own in Tokyo. It was that confidence that drove me to make this trip.
On the day of departure, I woke up at five in the morning. The first day of a trip always brings an early wake-up — the excitement, the nerves, the anticipation all swirling together, filling my whole body with adrenaline. I went for a morning walk, had breakfast, and reviewed my itinerary. This sauna trip would likely be the kind that sauna lovers across Japan would look upon with envy. With that thought in my head, I practically skipped my way to the airport.
I boarded a flight at nine in the morning and arrived at Haneda Airport about an hour later. Tokyo, after four and a half years. So, where to first? Sauna, obviously. I had already decided which sauna I would visit first in Tokyo: Sauna Tokyo in Akasaka. About a five-minute walk from Akasaka-Mitsuke Station, the exterior I had seen so many times in magazines finally appeared before my eyes. I quickly snapped a photo of the facade, gave a small bow, and stepped inside. After checking in, I made my way to the main bathing area. The layout is compact, with short distances between areas, and the flow between the main bath, restaurant, and other facilities is easy to follow.
Stepping into the main bathing area, I found myself in another world. The interior was dim and modern, with a pleasant aroma drifting through the air. At Sauna Tokyo, the first floor houses the carbonated spring and washing area, while the second floor is home to the saunas, cold plunge baths, and an indoor relaxation space.
I started by warming up in the carbonated spring. The stiffness from the morning's flight and train ride gradually melted away. Once I was fully warmed up, it was finally time to enter the sauna.
Sauna Tokyo has five saunas. Let me walk through each one.
1. Joki Ranbu — Löyly Sauna
The main sauna, accommodating up to 40 guests, where aufguss events are held.
2. Tejaku Joki — Self Löyly Kero Sauna
A self-löyly sauna built using kelo wood, known as the jewel of Finnish timber.
3. Showa Enseki — Super Dry Sauna
A classic high-temperature dry sauna with a far-infrared heater reaching nearly 100°C, slowly roasting the entire body.
4. Meiso — Meditation Sauna
A sauna enveloped in silence and darkness. Dividers between the seats create a completely private space for meditation.
5. Todana Jofuro — Japanese Steam Sauna
A low-temperature steam sauna that recreates the steam baths of the Edo period for the modern age.
Of these, the one I had been most looking forward to was number two: Tejaku Joki — Self Löyly Kero Sauna. The sauna room built from kelo wood — known as the jewel of the forest — is extraordinary above all else for its scent. The moment you step inside, you feel something close to awe: what an incredible smell. I entered with great anticipation, wondering what kind of fragrance and atmosphere awaited me inside Sauna Tokyo's version of this room. Fortunately, I had the place entirely to myself. The scent was so overwhelmingly good that I was completely overcome — practically losing my mind. I sat on the bench, leaned my nose close to the wall, and inhaled as deeply as I could. Perfectly acceptable behavior when you are alone, though admittedly rather eccentric. The rich, deep fragrance of the kelo wood traveled through my nostrils straight to my brain. Each breath brought a wave of almost dizzy pleasure. After savoring the scent to my heart's content, I performed self-löyly multiple times and pushed my body to its limits with heat.
After the sauna comes the cold plunge — and here, three cold baths are available. The temperatures, at 8°C, 16°C, and 22°C, are ideal. The baths are also spacious. Since the tubs are connected, you can smoothly move through alternating cold immersions, such as going from 8°C to 16°C. After cooling down in the cold plunge, I moved to the dedicated indoor relaxation space. In the neatly arranged rows of chairs, men who, like me, had been captivated by the sauna were resting in quiet bliss. In addition to chairs, several beds for lying down were also provided. The room was meticulously considered in every detail — the air conditioning, the scent, the quality of the chairs, the cleanliness — to the point where it felt almost wrong not to reach a state of totonou in that space. At one end of the relaxation area, a drink bar was available. It is a paid option, but the thoughtfulness of being able to enjoy various drinks while resting was much appreciated.
For the second set, I entered the main sauna. A massive sauna stove is placed at the center of the room, with löyly accessible from above. What surprised me upon entering was that the floor was completely soaked with water. This is because staff members make regular rounds and deliberately pour water onto the floor to raise the humidity. Sauna Tokyo has an exceptionally high awareness of humidity: even in the first-set kero sauna, staff performed additional löyly on top of whatever guests were doing themselves. Thanks to this, I never felt any sense of dryness whatsoever. The combination of high temperature and high humidity had me sweating profusely in no time.
Once I hit my limit, I moved to the cold plunge and then returned to the exquisite indoor relaxation space. One of the beds was free, so I decided to lie down and rest. Beside each bed area, a shower is installed — a thoughtful touch for hygiene. By rinsing off before and after use, guests can keep the space clean. Without this, the accumulated body odors of countless men would build into something truly unbearable. As I lay on the bed, the scene before my eyes gradually blurred. As if being led into another world, I lost consciousness.
How many minutes had I spent in that other world? I had no idea what time it even was. I had experienced a depth of relaxation so profound that my sense of time had completely dissolved. With that, I set off toward my third set. I wanted to try all the different saunas while I had the chance, but the kero sauna had been so exceptional that I decided to go back in one more time. What I felt was the scent, the heat, the beating of my own heart — and the pure joy of being inside a truly outstanding sauna.
Wrapped in an overwhelming sense of happiness, I moved from the sauna to the cold plunge, and my third set came to an end.
Sauna Tokyo — a place I had researched extensively through magazines and websites — turned out to be a facility that perfectly earns the word "exquisite." It is not only the quality of the saunas that impresses, but also an elegance that suits the setting of Akasaka, Tokyo. Being here almost creates the illusion that you yourself have become a refined, sophisticated person. That, perhaps, is the particular power — and danger — of Tokyo.
After enjoying the sauna at the heart of Tokyo, I headed to my next destination. I had only just arrived in Tokyo, but I was already making my way to Chiba Prefecture. My next stop would be the most famous and popular facility in Chiba. This sauna trip was planned around visiting the most celebrated facilities in Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama, and Kanagawa. If you are a sauna enthusiast, you can probably guess exactly where I was heading: Spa Metsa Otaka — Ryusenji no Yu.
