At the "Adults' Playtime" event, held at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store from March 16th (Tuesday) to 21st (Sunday), we will be proud to introduce "saunas." The event will feature introductions to items for enjoying saunas, as well as talk shows where sauna enthusiasts will share their delights.

Four sauna enthusiasts from Mitsukoshi Isetan visited METOS Sauna Soppi, a sauna facility in Akishima, to scout out locations for the event. To help attendees enjoy the event, the Mitsukoshi Isetan sauna enthusiasts shared what sparked their interest in saunas, their own ways of enjoying them, and the feeling of "getting into the zone," a sensation only those who have experienced it can understand.

Click here for details on the "Adults' Playtime" event.

What was theきっかけ (trigger/reason) that made each member discover the "way of the sauna"?

Keita Tashiro (hereinafter, Tashiro): Ms. Fukushima and I used to work in the shoe department at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , and recently we've been going to saunas together. Could you tell us what got you started going to saunas?

Ryoji Takamura (hereinafter, Takamura): I discovered health centers when I was in junior high school, and I started going to saunas when I was in college. On the way back from going out with friends in the car, I stopped by a hot spring facility and discovered how good saunas are. Now, I go two or three times a week when I can, and at least once a week when I can't.
I became completely hooked and even obtained a "Sauna and Spa Health Advisor" certification.

Kenta Kawamura (hereinafter, Kawamura): I've only been into "Sauna Way" for about a year and a half. It started when a senior colleague took me there on the way home from work. I had this preconceived notion that saunas were "places for old men, hot, and people who don't like cold baths" (laughs).
But once I went, I realized it was different and refreshing. I go three to four times a week when I'm going frequently, and even when I'm going less often, it's still one or two times a week.

Fukushima Narihiro (hereinafter, Fukushima): I did track and field from junior high school through university, and my junior high school track and field coach recommended "alternating hot and cold baths" to refresh myself after practice. At first, to be honest, I was alternating between the hot bath and the cold bath, but it didn't feel very good.
I gradually got used to it, and before I knew it, my body and mind were refreshed, and I was going back and forth between the sauna and the cold bath. Nowadays, I often go to a local public bath with a sauna and a sauna facility near the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store.

Tashiro : By the way, I've only really gotten into saunas about a year and a half to two years ago. I've been going to public baths since elementary school, and like Kawamura, I had the image that saunas were for old men. I happened to go to a public bath with a sauna, and I thought, "Maybe saunas are good?" and tried it, and the cold bath after the sauna felt great. I researched the correct way to use a sauna and have been trying to figure out my own way of using one.

The best part is going from the sauna to the cold plunge pool. Four different secrets to enjoying it!

The Tashiro cold bath is really refreshing, isn't it?

Takamura: At first, I found it hard to get into the cold bath, but the moment I thought, "This feels good!", I was completely hooked. If I stay in the sauna until the very last minute, the cold bath feels even more delicious, and now I'm addicted (laughs).

Tashiro: Ms. Takamura, who holds a "Sauna and Spa Health Advisor" qualification, what kind of sauna and spa experience do you have?

Takamura : "I spend about 8 to 12 minutes in the sauna, then 1 minute in the cold bath, and then a longer period of fresh air outside. I do this for three sets. I'm careful not to stay in the cold bath for too long. Three sets take about 70 minutes. I don't sweat much, so I prefer saunas with high humidity because I feel like I sweat more."

Kawamura: I also do about three sets. Since I got hooked, my hobby has been going to famous sauna facilities around Japan on my days off. The one I recently went to and really liked is a spa facility at a certain hotel. You can enjoy a panoramic view, a pool, and a sauna. It's also fun to go on trips to experience saunas in various prefectures.

Tashiro : It's a basic thing, but in winter, I first wash my body, then get in the bathtub to warm up, and then go into the sauna. In summer, I first wash my body, then get into the cold bath, and then go into the sauna.

Fukushima , I see, so you change the way you enter slightly depending on the season. Mr. Tashiro, please tell us about the "after-party"!

Tashiro: What we've arbitrarily dubbed the "after-party" is when we get into a hot bath after the break in the third set, then take a quick dip in a cold bath, and get out. That final dip, from the hot bath to the cold bath, is just the best.

Takamura: It seems everyone is striving to master their own unique "way of the sauna."

What is the "totonou" feeling that is essential to the way of the sauna?

Tashiro: I go into the sauna on an empty stomach, so the main appeal of saunas is that they make me hungry and clear my head. Also, the beer and food after the sauna taste so good! My body feels lighter, and I feel refreshed the next morning.

Takamura: The other day, I tried "whisking," which is gradually gaining attention in Japan.
While in the sauna, I was hit with a "vihta," a bundle of birch leaves, then floated in a cold bath and had my body rotated before taking a break. While in the cold bath, I felt like I was in zero gravity and experienced the universe.
It was my first time, but I was so relaxed that I completely forgot about my work worries (laughs). It's quite challenging for beginners, but I would definitely recommend it to seasoned sauna enthusiasts at least once.

Tashiro: I've been curious about "whisking" too. I'd like to try it, but my body can't keep up if I'm not used to saunas...

Speaking from my personal experience, the appeal of saunas isn't just about refreshing yourself; as Takamura-san has experienced, they can even help resolve your worries. Also, I find that I fall asleep more easily after a sauna, and I get a really good night's sleep.

For me, Fukushima , it's refreshing. I think the experience will vary from person to person.

Tashiro- san, do you ever experience what's commonly known as "getting into balance"? For me, when I feel "in balance," I would describe it in one word as a feeling of "nothingness." It's like any lingering anxieties or worries in my head suddenly become flat, and my mind and body return to a completely refreshed state. That's what "getting into balance" means to me.

Takamura: I find it easier to achieve a state of "to-tono" (a state of deep relaxation and well-being) at hot spring facilities that have an outdoor bathing area. During the second or third set of outdoor bathing, I feel a slight tingling sensation in my fingertips and toes, followed by an indescribable feeling of relaxation, and that's when I feel like I've achieved "to-tono."

Kawamura : As expected of Takamura-san, who has been using saunas for a long time. For me, it's like the word "totonou" (to be in a state of perfect balance) – I can neatly organize all my thoughts and feelings and feel refreshed.

I've been going to public baths and saunas in Fukushima for almost 20 years now, and if I had to describe "getting into the zone" in one word, it would be a wonderful feeling. For those who have never experienced a sauna, I hope you'll gradually get used to it and find your own sense of "getting into the zone" and how to enjoy it.

*Please note that the event details may be changed or canceled due to various circumstances.
＊The information in this article is current as of the time of publication. Product information may be revised or changed without notice.


Filming assistance provided by: METOS Sauna Soppi

Photograph: Taku Fujii
Text: Makoto Kajii