With winter approaching, thoughts in Japan turn to onsen, the luxurious hot springs that bless the entire length of this volcanic archipelago.
For the past five years, though, the onsen¡¯s Nordic cousin, the sauna, has been gaining in popularity here. What started as the third ¡°sauna boom¡± around 2019 has evolved into a lasting cultural movement. According to a 2024 survey by the , the number of sauna enthusiasts ¡ª or ¡°saunners¡± (pronounced ²õ²¹³Ü²Ô¨¡), as they¡¯re called in Japan ¡ª has grown by an additional 1 million in the past year alone.
Spa Metsa Otaka, a sprawling Finnish-inspired bathhouse in Nagareyama, Chiba Prefecture, houses the ostentatious ¡°Dragon Sauna,¡± among other spaces. Around 35 men ¡ª naked apart from woolen hats to insulate their heads ¡ª enter a sweltering, dimly lit chamber containing four tiers of benches facing a line of heavy-duty sauna stoves. The men are vying for vacant spots on the higher benches like it¡¯s a game of musical chairs; the higher you¡¯re seated, the hotter it gets. Playing in the background is an ambient composition by Kengo Tokusashi, who writes music specifically with sauna sessions in mind.
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