JAPAN'S FINEST ONSEN & SAUNA
The Finest Onsen & Sauna in Japan
57 SELECTIONS
Most of what we surveyed never even made it onto this site. This book is a further cut from what did. Our editor bathed in every onsen and sauna in it, and wrote only what they confirmed on the ground.
Jul 26–27, 2025 ／ 1 night, 2 days
When the same routine drags on for too long, there are moments when you can't tell whether you're truly living or merely going through the motions. The same can be said of sauna — if you only ever visit your home sauna, it becomes just another part of daily life, and that sense of happiness and gratitude starts to fade. In times like these, what you need is a journey into the extraordinary. The trip began without warning. On my morning walk, the thought suddenly struck me: I should head to Hakata, eat something delicious, and have a proper sauna session at Wellbe Fukuoka. Minutes later, I had showered and was already in the car.
Every stop on this itinerary was visited in person by the Editor-in-Chief.
Read it in the order we travelled.
