Not a bad place to get your sweat on at all.
Paradise, a new sauna in Tokyo’s Mita neighborhood, just opened in April 2022 but is already a hit with the SoraNews24 team. As you may have guessed from the title, they’ve started a campaign where the entire facility is open only to women on days of the month that end in zero–so the 10th, the 20th, and the 30th.
In Japan, saunas are typically more of a men’s pastime, to the point where men’s-only saunas far outnumber facilities only open to women. That’s why we think the recent boom of ladies in Japan that frequent saunas will love this deal. Our Japanese-language reporter Mariko Ohanabata is one such lady, and she got the inside scoop for us.
Paradise is located just a five-minute walk from JR Tamachi Station or Toei-Oedo Line’s Mita Station, nestled among office buildings and izakayas that populate the area. It was renovated from a pre-existing bathhouse, which would typically invoke an image of a huge indoor facility, but this one is actually fairly cozy by comparison. Mariko almost walked right by it since she was expecting a large entrance.
Upon entering, she was surprised at how classy it was with its warm and inviting wood tones. She checked in at the brand-new reception and received a small bag with a large towel, a small towel, and a locker key. One 30-minute session costs 750 yen (US$5.44), and after that it’s an additional 250 yen per 10 minutes.
They also have private sauna rooms that can be rented for an additional 500 yen or 1,000 yen depending on the time of day you want to use it. In Mariko’s case, she had booked another offer beforehand: 4,000 yen to use the personal sauna as much as she wanted for two hours (advance reservations required).
She went into the main room and felt like she was in another world. Is this Spirited Away? she thought. The same warm wood tones from the entrance were here as well, along with dark stones, plenty of greenery, and several baths and showers. In the back was a door that led to the shared sauna.
Mariko loved the small details like the stained glass windows in front of the washing area. This was Mariko’s first stop, washing herself before using the shared sauna as per traditional sauna manners. In the shared sauna were small tatami squares for customers to sit on, which Mariko appreciated.
Customers are also allowed to throw hot, lemongrass-scented water on the stones, making the spacious room even warmer. Keep in mind, though, this room is hot. When Mariko checked the thermometer in the room, it read 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit). Not too hot for Mariko, though!
She also noted the room’s low ceilings, which meant the heat would stay in the room. Yet another genius move by Paradise, Mariko thought. She lavished in the quiet of her own thoughts–no clocks or TVs in here–and then decided to try out her private sauna.
It was located on the second floor, nestled into the wall like a cozy cubbyhole. It had plenty of space to lay down and was filled with a delicious new wood smell. You can add water to the coals in this space, too, so you can adjust the temperature to your liking!
Mariko enjoyed even more private time in her cubbyhole, laying down and enjoying the atmosphere and the aromatic water–which, by the way, is pine-scented for the private booths.
After another good sweat, she headed down to the baths to rinse off and cool down. The first floor has three different cold baths, each cooled to a slightly different temperature for different customers’ preferences.
There’s even a small waterfall in one of the baths to cool your head, which warms up the most in a sauna. This isn’t a feature available in all saunas, so Mariko was excited! One bath was a lukewarm 16 degrees Celsius (61 degrees Fahrenheit) and another just 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit). It’s the closest you’ll get to an ice bath-sauna experience.
You’re allowed to just hang out on the first floor, but the second floor has an actual resting space. The tatami floors are dotted with wired chairs and electric fans.
There’s even a screen that projects art! Truly a Paradise.
Mariko was even impressed with the locker room and changing room! The lockers are made in the same warm wood tones as the rest of the facility.
There were five hair dryers (a true blessing for women’s only day), all by a reliable and powerful Japanese company Salonia.
The most important post-sweat supply: water!
And after you get dressed, there’s a lounge space with cushy sofas and a large table to hang out in. It’s a great space to prepare to venture back out into reality.
Mariko also enjoyed a lemon soda (600 yen) before heading out. Overall, Mariko highly recommends a visit! The only things she’d note are that payment is totally cashless, so make sure you have an electronic payment method ready; and that they don’t serve food in order to encourage customers to visit the nearby local eateries.
Sauna information
Paradise
Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Shiba 5-23-16
東京都港区芝5-23-16
Open 24 hours (except for cleaning time from 3 a.m. – 6 a.m.)
Ladies only day on the 10th, 20th, and 30th (10 a.m. – midnight)
Photos ©SoraNews24
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