Sauna Town Shimokitazawa, a sauna event currently being held at a special vacant lot event space in the popular Tokyo neighborhood of Shimokitazawa, will hold a collaboration event with the Odd Taxi anime series from February 26 until March 19, 2022!

The visual was inspired by the concept of ‘Odokawa visiting Sauna Town,’ and features an illustration of the man himself wearing a Sauna Town T-shirt and holding bath goods in his hand.

Odokawa Transport Promo Towel: ¥700 (Tax Included)

Clear Folder (Odd Taxi x Sauna Town): ¥1,000 (Tax Included)

3-piece Sticker Set (Odd Taxi x Sauna Town): ¥600 (Tax Included)

A total of five collab items will be sold at the event space, including a promo towel, clear folder, and sticker set.

To commemorate the release of the upcoming Odd Taxi in the Woods film on April 1, guests can also purchase special cards to give them a ¥100 discount off one purchase. An Odd Taxi panel will also be set up as the perfect photo spot for fans, so be sure to check it out!

© P.I.C.S. / 映画小戸川交通パートナーズ

The Nordisk Village Goto Islands glamping facility has started offering tent saunas to further heighten the guest experience. 

This is the first time a tent sauna has been offered in a lodging facility in the Goto Islands. The main body of the sauna tent is made by MORZH, and sauna enthusiasts will appreciate the well-researched specifications and execution.

A wood-burning stove is used in the sauna, and guests can adjust the temperature while enjoying the view of the dancing flames. The facility also offers an original aroma oil scented with Camellia and herbs, perfect for relaxation.

Zero gravity chairs are also available for outdoor air bathing, and visitors can enjoy lounging under the starry sky and swaying trees. Why not travel to these islands in Nagasaki Prefecture for your next getaway?

Hoshino Resorts OMO7 Asahikawa has announced a new ‘Animal Sauna,’ inviting guests to spend time with cute animals to heal the body and soul. The sauna will be open from March 1 to May 31, 2022. 

Fans of Gashapon capsule toys know that animal sauna figures are popular among sauna enthusiasts. These figures are only about four centimeters big, but during this sauna event, they will be life-sized and placed within the sauna space! These massive figures were made with the help of Bandai. 

Sauna hats protect guests’ heads and hair from the heat, and sauna ponchos prevent guests from getting too cold after emerging from the space. Now, these hats feature cute animal ears, and the sauna mats are covered in animal prints as well. These will also be available to rent or buy! 

The lounge space will also be transformed, and a drink bar with animal-themed glasses will help guests to rehydrate after time in the sauna. Yes, the lounge space also features life-sized animals, perfect for nature lovers. 

Gashapon figures will be available to purchase on the first floor, so be sure to grab one as a souvenir! 

ⒸBANDAI

From October 30 until November 23, 2021, a unique underground experience is taking place at a former quarry in Oyamachi, Utsunomiya. UnderMuseumChallenge 01 GATE invites guests to enjoy massive pieces of artwork while pondering the boundaries between society, nature, daily life, and the body. The main focal point of the exhibition is the Genki Furnace, a piece of sauna-inspired art.

Usually, this old quarry isn’t open to the public. This year’s event will offer two types of tickets: one allowing visitors to view art and drive through the underground space, and the sauna art experience. Takashi Kurimayashi’s art will certainly stick with you, so either choice is a positive one. The sauna art experience will invite guests to stand within the furnace as they are surrounded by hot herbal steam. The website asks that visitors bring a swimsuit, change of clothes, and their own towel. 

The quarry is located about a 30-minute drive from the center of Utsunomiya. Stone from the area is well-known across Japan, and this particular region was named a Japanese Heritage Site in 2018. Last year, more than 700,000 tourists visited the region. 

Tokyo, Taito-ku based public bath cafe Rebon Kaisaiyu has announced a collaboration exhibition with illustrator Miyaoka Chiga, held between October 10 (public bath day) and October 24 2021, titled “Yu.”

Rebon Kaisaiyu is a renovated public bath which was built 90 years ago, now transformed into a cafe serving home-roasted specialty coffee and handmade ice cream. The wooden tag shoe boxes, watch seats, ceilings, clocks, and Mt. Fuji paintings from the public bath have been preserved, retaining the comfort and warmth of the original building. 

The space was designed around the concept of “connecting memories through a cafe,” striving to become a spot where locals could relax once more, connecting the building with the people of the new generation. The relaxing cafe has 16 seats available and is located only a five minute walk from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Station.

The collaboration exhibition will be filled with artwork using iconic public bath motifs. Miyaoka’s gentle illustrations are sure to soothe your heart, immersing you in the warmth of “Yu” (public baths). Why not relax in this unique cafe with a comforting mug of hot coffee.

Ryusenji no Yu is a chain of bath facilities throughout Japan, offering saunas, bedrock baths, and artificial hot springs. Saunas are surprisingly popular throughout the country, and recently, a beverage called Oropo has been called the perfect drink to enjoy after sitting in the heat. A mixture of the vitamin drink Oronamin C and sports drink Pocari Sweat, it’s a perfect blend to refuel after all that sweating. 

The Nagoya Moriyama location will begin selling Oropo-branded goods by BEAMS starting September 16!

Merchandise sold in the odd collaboration will include mugs featuring markings to help mix the perfect amount of Oronamin C and Pocari Sweat to make the ultimate Oropo. T-shirts with pop-up store character Oropo-kun are already the talk of social media. Those who purchase a certain amount of goods will be given a bonus sticker. 

As expected, Oropo will be served during the campaign, along with Oropo Shaved Ice, created by the queen of shaved ice Asako Harada!

BEAMS is set to have its own booth at Virtual Market 6 (Vket6) which will be hosted by HIKKY from August 14-28. At the BEAMS booth, they will be showcasing must-visit sento bathhouses. Vket is one of the biggest virtual events in the world, and uses Web to VR technology so you don’t need a VR headset, meaning people can access it simply by connecting via mobile, PC, or other smart device. This will be BEAMS’ second attendance at the event, and shop staff will appear inside as avatars.

Inside BEAMS ‘Recommended Sento 2021’ Booth at Vket 6

Inside BEAMS ‘Recommended Sento 2021’ Booth at Vket 6

Vket-chan wearing the free towel you get at the BEAMS booth

BEAMS is taking their ongoing ‘Recommended Sento 2021’ project, which is running at Kotobukiyu in Ueno, Tokyo, until September, to the virtual realm in a collaboration with COW BRAND SOAP. As well as collaboration merch, players can use Vket-chan’s 3D avatar and combine it with the free towel to bathe in the bath as her.

The virtual space is decorated with sento pictures illustrated by manga artist and calligrapher Mari Yamazaki. Users can also launch fireworks, and there are various Japanese summer-themed attractions.

The official Vket merchandise will be available on the Merch by Amazon service and can be shipped to Japan, the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo launched a new hotel plan on July 26 which includes a ticket to bathhouses around Kyoto, a bath amenity set, a hotel-original sento t-shirt, and more.

Available until March 30, 2022, the plan was conceived as a way for tourists to enjoy the ordinary, everyday Kyoto in a way that’s different from people’s usual tourist and sightseeing experiences in the city. Kyoto continues to be a hub for sento bath culture.

Hinode-yu, a bathhouse in Minami Ward, Kyoto

Hotel-original tees are available as part of the plan

Receive a bath amenity set and bathhouse ticket

Kyoto is home to around 100 unique sento bathhouses where people can enjoy a relaxing soak in a giant public bath while chatting. It’s a huge part of Kyoto culture and one which is seeing a steady increase in popularity again with the younger generation.

If you’re staying in Kyoto this year or planning a trip early next year, don’t miss out on this limited-time hotel plan.

The Tokyo-based bathhouse Oedo Onsen Monogatari is set to collaborate with the anime series Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club with a special event titled ‘Tokimeki Onsen Monogatari’ from July 30 to September 5. This will mark the site’s final collaboration with an anime series as the bathhouse is closing on September 5.

For the collaboration, panels and decorations featuring original artwork of the Nijigaku members is featured around the bathhouse. There’s also a special photospot featuring a backdrop of a scene taken the anime’s second episode.

A lottery draw will take place where you can pay ¥550 for a chance to win a cushion, illustrated print, or bromide. There are also 10 collab drinks as well as three pasta dishes to pick from. Fans can also get their hands on exclusive merch such as keyrings, tees, tapestries, and more.

Next spring will Oakland Group open the new sento bathhouse Ryusenji no Yu Spa Metsä Okata. The bathhouse is has teamed up with Japanese fashion brand BEAMS and released a collection of original items at Ryusenji no Yu’s online store on June 28.

Original Items

Mesh Tote Bags: ¥2,970 Each (Tax Included)

Mesh Satchels: ¥2,420 Each (Tax Included) / Mesh Pouches: ¥1,980 Each (Tax Included)

Salt Pillow: ¥2,970 (Tax Included) / Salt Eye Mask ¥3,300 (Tax Included)

Shower Sandals: ¥2,200 Each (Tax Included)

Towels: ¥1,980 Each (Tax Included)

Socks: ¥1,980 Each (Tax Included)

Acrylic Keyrings: ¥1,540 Each (Tax Included)

Dakimakura Hugging Pillow: ¥3,850 (Tax Included)

T-Shirts: ¥2,970 Each (Tax Included)

Pins: ¥300 Each (Tax Included)

Water Bottles: ¥1,650 Each (Tax Included)

The merchandise line-up was overseen by Kazuyoshi Minamimagoe, Executive Director at BEAMS. It includes durable mesh bags, shower sandals, and other must-have items when enjoying a day at the spa. There’s also a t-shirt collection illustrated by Kao Okata, a hugging pillow, salt eye mask and pillow which are said to cool you down after a hot bath, face towels, socks made in collaboration with the old-time brand GLEN CLYDE, and more.

BEAMS has held many projects and been active in creating know-how solutions for other brands and businesses at their select shops. In 2019, they created a Business Production Team which enabled them to expand their business reach by developing products, content, promotional material, and so on. Their work doesn’t stop at the products featured in this article – they also create work uniforms, interior design, create signs for facilities, produce e-commerce sites, and much more.

Juyo-yu is a public bathhouse in Jujo, Tokyo, and remains the only one in the area. Since last year, Yutonamisha, a company specialising in the succession of bathhouses, has offered management support to Juyo-yu and has held various projects in an effort to protect the bathhouse as an important part of the town. Part of that has been to completely renovate the cafe at Juyo-ju to help it escape from closing down.

Juyo-yu’s cafe space was first built in 1985 as a means to “provide customers with even more healing.” It’s rare for a bathhouse in Japan to have its own coffee shop, making the cafe at Juyo-yu one of its greatest strengths and features. At present, however, it is not a very well-known cafe, and it suffers from various interior design problems such as it being difficult to enter and being hardly functional – problems actually highlighted by customers themselves. By undergoing renovation, and functioning as a proper cafe, it will increase the appeal of Juyo-yu and therefore its profits. It has now transformed into a comfortable, impactful space.

The name of the new cafe is Kissa Shinkai (Cafe Deep Sea). Gorgeous, blissful decor runs from the baths to the cafe , with the tiles used in the women’s bath also used for the cafe’s interior design. Shinkai also has a brand new menu with the kind of food and drink people would love to enjoy after a hot bath, such as cream soda, coffee, cake, and more.

TOKYO SENTO Festival 2020 is taking place as part of Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL, an initiative that’s hosting a diverse selection of of cultural programs in the run up to the Tokyo Olympics, promoting its appeal as a city of arts and culture.

The project launched on May 26 at 500 sento in Tokyo. It covers many forms of Japanese art from manga, to Art Brut (outsider art), contemporary art, popular characters,
and more, all of which are serving to create artistic bathhouses. Two artists to look out for are their Art Brut to Haginoyu in Tokyo.

Art Brut is an art based on original methods and ideas that are not confined to existing expression methods. “Abundance comes from human connections” will be performed by Takeru Aoki and Kiyomi Hoshi.

If you’re in Tokyo this spring and summer, don’t miss out on the Tokyo Sento Festival.