Seaside saunas in Japan

Higashiizu, Japan

Atagawa Sauna Koya Fuminaya is a small guesthouse in Higashiizu, built around a wood-fired sauna. A rooftop infinity cold plunge faces the Pacific. The sauna runs on self-poured löyly and takes one booked party at a time, up to eight people.

Ichinomiya, Japan

HERMiT ichinomiya is a bamboo-forest glamping site in Chiba, taken over by one group, a five-minute walk from the beach. A fixed barrel sauna with unlimited use sits on the deck next to an outdoor hot tub, alongside a dome tent and barbecue space. Bookings run through an online calendar rather than a fixed price list.

Etajima, Japan

Not Busy Sauna & Cafe is a Finnish-style community sauna on Etajima Island in the Seto Inland Sea. It is built around a low-temperature triangular sauna, a cold plunge fed by groundwater and a café serving Finnish beer, wine and coffee. Guests pour their own löyly, and small groups can book the place privately.

Happou, Japan

Sauna Cafe Umikko is a renovated former community bathhouse on the Akita coast, run as a cafe. It has a dry sauna and a lavender-scented steam sauna, and an outdoor rest area with reclining chairs looks out over the sea. Private sauna sessions can be booked alongside the day cafe.

Sasebo, Japan

Ukusauna sits above the coast on Ukujima island, the northernmost of the Goto islands off Sasebo. Its hinoki cabin is heated by a pair of wood-fired stoves with self-service löyly, and the cold plunge draws on the island's own groundwater. An outdoor rest deck looks straight out over the water.