Japan's Hot Spring & Sauna Facilities TOP10 - September 2025
Introducing a ranking of particularly memorable hot spring and sauna facilities visited in September 2025.
All Information Based on Actual Experience
All facilities listed on this site have been personally visited and experienced by the operator. All photos and reviews are original. We carefully select and introduce only the facilities that were truly exceptional.
Ogaki Sauna
An ultimate sauna that makes you want to visit every day in the twilight of life. The finest cold plunge bath with Japan's best natural underground water at 14°C offers a refreshing sensation as if you were in mint water. Enveloped by the 110°C sauna and the famous words of 'We Are Sauna People,' you experience blissful unconsciousness in four sets. Including a delicious ginger pork set meal and a nap, this sanctuary makes you want to end your life here.
📖 Experience Stories
Kobe Sauna & Spa
The sacred site in Kobe that became the starting point of a pilgrimage. The dark Finnish sauna wrapped in the scent of imported kelo wood and vihta from Finland is No.1 in my book. With an 11.7°C cold plunge bath and an outdoor bath in the typhoon rain, you completely lose consciousness. The 24-hour unlimited sauna access as part of the accommodation experience and the exclusive morning sauna at 4:30 AM are exceptional.
📖 Experience Stories
Megumi no Yu
Japan's top herbal sauna facility. The fresh herb löyly sauna using over 30 types of self-cultivated herbs offers an exquisite aromatic experience that fills your lungs. The 18°C cold plunge bath blended with Ibuki Mountain spring water and underground water, and the yomogi sleeping bath bring you to the brink of ultimate relaxation. A blissful two-hour, four-set experience complete with exquisite fresh herbal tea.
📖 Experience Stories
Mt. Fuji Natural Water SPA Sauna Taka no Yu
A dreamlike cold plunge bath where you can enjoy the spring water from Mount Fuji. Heat your body in the 100°C barrel sauna and cool down in three types of natural Fuji water baths (12-16°C). The cypress cold plunge bath is a luxurious one-person bath with an overflow of water. The mineral-rich natural water provides a smooth and supple skin feel, making you reluctant to leave even after five sets.
📖 Experience Stories
Golden Time Takamatsu
A top-level sauna facility in Shikoku. The combination of the intensely hot main sauna with two 105°C Metos-made iki stoves and the 8°C exquisite cold plunge bath filtered from natural hot spring water is outstanding. In a private space where you can perform a self-löyly with the aroma of green birch, you feel the heat to the point of a life-threatening experience. The 'King's Outdoor Bath' on the 7th-floor balcony is fully visible from surrounding buildings, but the immense sense of liberation after the intense sauna makes it unnoticeable. Enjoy the endless screening of 'Sauna Road' in the locker room and the radon natural hot spring with a blissful four-set experience.
📖 Experience Stories
Wellbe Sakae
The sacred site of Nagoya sauna offering the closest experience to authentic Finnish saunas. The indoor bath in a Finnish forest adorned with birch and vihta sharpens all five senses for an exquisite experience. The 12°C cold plunge bath and bird song BGM completely immerse you in the Finnish world. Although I retreated in five seconds from the -25°C ice sauna and 0°C cold plunge bath, I felt the harshness of the authentic experience.
📖 Experience Stories
Traditional House Sento - Koyaguchi no Yu
A traditional house bathhouse visited for two consecutive days due to overwhelming emotion. After cleansing the spirit at Mount Koya, the 95°C Harvia-made iki sauna and 15°C natural underground water bath are an excellent combination. The outdoor bath with the scent of incense provides a healing experience with three morning sauna sets. The chance encounter with a traveler from Nagoya was memorable, and my body yearns to visit this facility again.
📖 Experience Stories
Sauna Shikiji
The sacred site among sacred sauna sites. The sauna exceeding 110°C, the intensely hot herbal sauna, and the legendary drinkable cold plunge bath. The rare experience of scooping water overflowing from the outlet with your hand and drinking it is so delicious you exclaim 'truly delicious.' The sensation of purification from within and the voices of 'the best' heard everywhere tell the atmosphere of the sacred site.
📖 Experience Stories
Nara Kenko Land
The largest facility in Kansai for my first body scrub experience. Overcoming 10 years of embarrassment, the authentic body scrub by a Korean practitioner left my whole body smooth. Enjoyed five types of saunas using nano water, natural hot springs, and a lunch buffet. Surprised by the large amount of dead skin like eraser shavings, it was a day of rebirth as a new self.
📖 Experience Stories
Gose Takarayu
A Finnish-style sauna with earthen walls, renovated from a historic bathhouse founded in 1916. The heat retention of the earthen walls envelops you in a gentle warmth, and the scent of lemongrass and self-löyly are exquisite. The 14°C cold plunge bath and outdoor bath on log chairs offer a quiet and comfortable space. The unexpected TV coverage and encounters with regulars, along with the exquisite curry udon, made for a perfect experience.