In Japan, 6 of the curated saunas fit this cut. See the full Japan country guide for every venue, or keep scrolling for just the historic saunas.
Every historic sauna in Japan
Daikokuyu
¥Tokyo, Japan
A neighbourhood bathhouse near Tokyo Skytree, its bathing hall painted with murals of the tower and Mount Fuji. Two sauna rooms sit alongside different tubs: one by the outdoor bath, one by the carbonated-spring tub. The whole space can also be booked privately outside normal hours.
Ginsuiyu
¥¥Kyoto, Japan
A neighbourhood sento near Ginkaku-ji in Kyoto's Sakyo ward, using fully softened water in both the tubs and the washing stations. The sauna comes with a television, and a cold plunge finishes the cycle.
Hotta-yu
¥Tokyo, Japan
Hotta-yu is a neighbourhood sento in Adachi's Nishiarai area, rebuilt in 2022 around its Showa-era tile mural. An auto-löyly herbal sauna sits beside the open-air bath. The men's side has a deep cold plunge, and the women's side offers two plunge temperatures.
Kozenyu
¥¥Tokyo, Japan
Kozenyu is a shrine-style sento in Setagaya, Tokyo, with a free wet-type sauna included in the entry fee. It keeps a garden for bathers to sit out in after a soak.
Terajima Yokujo
¥Tokyo, Japan
A third-generation neighbourhood bathhouse a few minutes from Higashi-Mukojima station, open since 1951. The bathing hall pairs a sauna with a cold plunge, alongside jet, bubble, electric and bedrock-combination tubs. A rotating herb bath runs weekly.
Toshimayu
¥Tokyo, Japan
Toshimayu is a shrine-style sento in Kita ward, built with the traditional miyazukuri roofline and a chimney. It runs a mist sauna alongside jet baths, a vibration bath and an electric bath. Firewood heats the bathwater, in the older tradition of the neighbourhood bathhouse.