Finland, a country slightly smaller than Japan, is home to 5.531 million people (2020) and boasts approximately 3 million saunas—more than the number of cars—making it a "sauna superpower." Historically considered a sacred place for childbirth and body cleansing, saunas remain an indispensable part of daily life for the Finnish people.

Wanting to learn more about Finland's sauna culture, Shigehiro Fukushima, who is in charge of men's accessories at the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store and head of the Mitsukoshi Isetan Sauna Club, went to meet Masahiro Kimura, Senior Commercial Officer at the Finnish Embassy in Japan. Kimura, who is also famous as a researcher of Christmas culture, welcomed Fukushima to a place where...

"The most Finnish sauna in Japan" was located in the embassy!

Saunas are so deeply ingrained in Finnish life that it's said the most famous Finnish word in the world is "SAUNA." The Finnish Embassy in Minami-Azabu, Tokyo, even has permanent saunas for staff and for visitors and ambassadors. In the VIP sauna room, there are sauna stones for löyly (pouring water on the sauna stones to increase the amount of steam and promote sweating), and there's even a terrace where you can relax in the fresh air.


Fukushima Narihiro (hereinafter, Fukushima): I'm surprised to see such a full-fledged sauna facility inside the embassy; it's truly a country where saunas originated. How long have you been into saunas, Kimura-san?

Masahiro Kimura (hereinafter, Kimura): I 've been into saunas for about 20 years. After I started working at the embassy, I began going to Finland and that's when I discovered Finnish saunas. I've been to more saunas in Finland than in Japan.


Fukushima: That's impressive. How often do you go to Finland?

Kimura: Before the pandemic, I used to stay in Finland about 5-6 times a year, for about 60 days a year, for work.

Fukushima: Today, I'd like to hear all about authentic saunas from Mr. Kimura.

What does "sauna" mean to Finns?

Fukushima: I'd like to ask Kimura-san a question right away: What is the biggest difference between Finnish and Finnish saunas?

Kimura: While there is a "steam bath culture" in Japan and around the world, Finnish saunas are not the "high-temperature, low-humidity dry saunas" that are common in Japan, but rather "low-temperature, high-humidity wet saunas" where you pour water onto the sauna stones yourself to perform löyly.


Fukushima: Wet-type saunas have been increasing in popularity in Japan recently. Could you tell us what got you hooked on saunas, Kimura-san?

Kimura: For Finns, saunas are such an essential part of life that they say, "No sauna, no life." After I started working at the embassy, I made friends in Finland, and when I visited them on a summer weekend, I went to his summer cottage in the woods outside the city and enjoyed a sauna. After warming up the sauna room by adding firewood, I went into the sauna, then sat on a bench outside to enjoy the fresh air, and then jumped into a lake with water at about 18℃. As I floated in the lake, all I could hear was the wind and the birds, and as I gazed at the sky, I thought, "This is amazing." After getting out of the lake, I enjoyed a cold beer while still naked and gazing at the lake...that was essentially my "first experience." The sauna was wonderful, but I was captivated by the location, the beer after the sauna, and the entire Finnish lifestyle.


Fukushima: That's a completely different experience from what we often call "getting into the zone" in saunas. I'm really envious, but what is the purpose of Finns going to saunas?

Kimura: When it comes to the purpose, it's like being asked, "Why do Japanese people like baths and go to hot springs?" and being at a loss for words. For Finns, "saunas are a part of life." Nowadays, they have saunas at home, and the whole family goes in together, for example, once a week, or they go in every day at their cottage on weekends or during summer vacation. They always go to the sauna at Christmas and the summer solstice, and they go to the sauna on holy days as a way to cleanse their bodies. A life centered around saunas is just the norm for them.

Fukushima: What kinds of saunas are there in Finland?

Kimura: In the past, the mainstream sauna was the "smoke sauna," where you would put firewood in a stone stove, light it, heat large stones piled around the stove, and then pour water on the stones to create steam. But now they've almost disappeared. In the past, there were no saunas in homes, so there were public saunas, but as saunas became more common in homes, public saunas have decreased. It's like the difference between public bathhouses and private baths in Japan.

Fukushima: But apparently there's a new wave of public saunas coming now.

Kimura: That's right. Public saunas have been making a comeback as places for communication for about the last 10 years, and they've become popular with restaurants attached or even turned into leisure parks. Let me show you my "Sauna Stamp Book."


Fukushima: What is a "sauna stamp book"?

Kimura: It's like a notebook issued by the Finnish Tourist Board that serves as proof of having taken a bath. Also, there are 100 public saunas certified by the Tourist Board throughout Finland, and if you visit many of these certified saunas, you can be awarded the title of "Finnish Sauna Master." This is the certificate.


Fukushima: I want this! I want to get the title of Master and display it in my entryway!

This is the ultimate "adult playtime"—the secrets to enjoying a Finnish sauna!

Fukushima: Since you've kindly shown us the VIP sauna room inside the embassy, could you please tell us about your "Kimura-style sauna bathing method"?

Kimura: My method of bathing is directly taught to me by my mentor, the president of the International Sauna Association. There aren't any strict rules, but I would like you to keep these five things in mind before bathing.

- Enter the sauna completely naked (except in mixed-gender saunas)
- Stop trying to endure the sauna. - Do not drink alcohol before entering the sauna. - Always drink water. - Try not to eat before entering the sauna.

Fukushima: It's hard to digest when you're full, right? What about after you've stripped naked, before you enter the sauna?

Kimura: Before entering the sauna, I always clean myself in the shower room. This is also to avoid dirtying the sauna room. I always use OSMIA body wash from Finland. The scent of birch, which is representative of Finnish nature, makes me feel like I'm in an authentic sauna and surrounded by nature. I highly recommend it.


Fukushima: What is the temperature of a sauna in Finland?

Kimura: The room temperature is around 85 to 95 degrees Celsius. Even at that temperature, when you do the löyly (steam), a wave of hot water comes, so it feels hot. I like it around 85 degrees, and I don't set a specific time for myself to stay in the sauna; I go in according to how I feel and how I'm physically.

Fukushima: This sauna room is compact and looks like it would be nice and warm. The darkness is just right, and it seems like it would be good for meditation. I actually prefer smaller spaces like this. What's next after I leave the sauna room?

Kimura: We relax in the lounge, drink sauna beer, and chat. Sometimes we also enjoy the fresh air on the balcony.

Fukushima: The furniture in the lounge is from Artek, a Finnish company, and the chairs and ottomans on the balcony are from EcoFurn, so you can really feel like you're in an authentic sauna. The sauna beer is delicious, and I heard that the "official" Finnish sauna beer was created with Kimura's help.


Kimura: "Beer tastes best when you're in a sauna!" So, I and some like-minded people formed the Sauna Beer Council, and we completed the beer through a rigorous competition with the participation of numerous Finnish craft beer manufacturers.


Fukushima: The aftertaste of birch sap is refreshing and perfect after a sauna, but please tell us about your "Beer is the best!" experience, Kimura-san.

Kimura: In northern Finland, there's a city called Oulu, famous for its IT industry. The city has a smoke sauna that can accommodate 30 to 40 people at once, and after warming up, you don't feel cold even when you go outside to minus 28 degrees Celsius. I still can't forget the taste of the beer I drank there completely naked with my hands on my hips... Let me also introduce the "sauna set" that I carry with me.

Fukushima: I'm very interested. That's the set you're taking to Finland, right?

Kimura: For towels, I bring a large bath towel and a smaller towel, a towel to use as a mat in the sauna, and since some saunas in Japan require swimwear, I also bring a swimsuit just in case. I also bring flip-flops for when I go outdoors, goggles for when I swim in the lake, shampoo and conditioner.


Fukushima: Flip-flops and goggles, impressive. Kimura, what about a sauna hat?

Kimura: Sauna hats are a Russian custom, so no one wears them in Finland. Also, the "heat wave master" who is popular in Japanese saunas is a German style, so it's not done in Finland. The Finnish style is to "pour water onto the sauna stones yourself."

Saunas are a universal language, and there are many ways to enjoy them. Let's fully enjoy Japanese saunas too!

Fukushima: What are your thoughts on the rise of saunas in Japan?

Kimura: I think it's interesting how it's developing and evolving in a way that's unique to Japan. If saunas become popular, it will also serve as promotion for Finland, the home of saunas, and it would be great if people would try sauna beer.

Fukushima: Kimura, do you feel that saunas have any beneficial effects?

Kimura: When I catch a cold, I feel like I get better after going to a sauna in Finland. Also, I think it's good for maintaining good health.

Fukushima: Are Finnish saunas really that warming?

Kimura: In Japan, dry saunas are common, but I feel like they don't warm you up to the core. In Finland, even after taking a break in the fresh air, your body stays warm for a long time, so I think there's a difference in how dry and wet saunas warm you up.

Fukushima: After hearing Kimura's story, I want to fly to Helsinki on Finnair right now!

Kimura: In Japan, there's a style and way of enjoying saunas called "Sado," but there's also a way of enjoying saunas in Finland, so if you fly to Finland, I think you'll have a truly interesting sauna experience.

Fukushima: In Japan, there aren't many saunas in private homes, but there are a variety of ways to enjoy them, such as saunas attached to public baths, located in front of train stations, or in large facilities in the suburbs, so I would like to do more with the Mitsukoshi Isetan Sauna Club.


Kimura: Saunas in Finland coexist with nature and are a very familiar part of daily life. There are many different kinds of saunas both domestically and internationally, but now portable sauna tents that can be taken outdoors are also becoming more common in Japan, so you can experience a variety of saunas. These are stressful days due to the pandemic, but please make good use of saunas to "restore" your body and mind.

Fukushima: Thank you! I'll enjoy my sauna life!



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*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.

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