On the beach at Ibusuki, at the southern tip of Kyushu, staff in work clothes shovel hot volcanic sand over you up to the neck, and you lie there for ten minutes in a cotton robe while the sea breaks a few metres away. It costs about 1,500 yen (about 10 USD), more on major holidays, and it is one of the oldest spa treatments in Japan. Japan’s idea of wellness is bathing, and almost everything else grows out of it.
The hot springs themselves have their own page: our onsen guide covers the best onsen towns, ryokan, etiquette and tattoos. This page covers the rest: sand, mud and stone baths in Beppu and Kagoshima; Japan’s sauna boom; forest bathing in the cypress woods of the Kiso Valley and on Yakushima; temple stays and meditation on Mount Koya and in Kamakura; and the big spa complexes of Tokyo and Osaka.
At a Glance#
- Sand and mud baths: sunamushi sand baths at Ibusuki near Kagoshima, mud and sand baths in Beppu.
- Saunas: Japan’s sauna craze, from city saunas in Tokyo and Osaka to Sauna Shikiji in Shizuoka, famous for its spring-water cold plunge.
- Forest bathing: shinrin-yoku was named in Japan; walk the Akasawa forest in the Kiso Valley, or the cedar forests of Yakushima.
- Temple stays and meditation: shukubo lodging on Mount Koya, zazen at Engaku-ji and Kencho-ji in Kamakura, and Eihei-ji.
- City spa complexes: Spa LaQua in Tokyo and Spa World in Osaka, with baths, saunas and rest lounges.
- Costs: sand baths about 1,500 yen, city spa complexes about 1,500 to 3,500 yen, temple stays 12,000 to 30,000 yen per person with meals.
Sand, mud and stone baths#
Ibusuki is an hour south of Kagoshima by train, below the cone of Mount Kaimon. Hot spring water seeps through the beach, and at the Saraku sand bath hall you change into a yukata, lie down in a shallow trench and are buried in sand at around 50 to 55°C for about ten minutes, then rinse off in the indoor baths included in the ticket. The hall closes for a few days of maintenance in July and December and in stormy weather.
Beppu in Oita has more hot spring water than anywhere else in Japan and the widest range of treatments. Takegawara Onsen, a wooden bathhouse from 1879, has a sand bath where staff bury you indoors; Beppu Beach has an outdoor version; and the Myoban district has mud baths and thatched huts where mineral crystals are still harvested. Many spas in Beppu and elsewhere also offer ganbanyoku, stone-bed bathing, where you lie in a robe on heated stone slabs and sweat without water.
Saunas#
Saunas have long been part of Japanese bathhouses, but since the late 2010s a sauna boom has turned them into a scene of their own. Fans chase totonou, the calm high that follows rounds of sauna, cold plunge and rest outdoors. New city saunas in Tokyo and Osaka have Finnish-style stoves, self-service löyly and plunge pools as cold as 10°C, and many charge by the hour.
Sauna Shikiji in Shizuoka is the pilgrimage site, known for a cold bath filled with natural spring water from the Fuji region. Lakeside and riverside saunas in Nagano and Hokkaido let you jump into the water between sessions. Most sauna facilities follow onsen rules: wash before entering, no swimwear in single-sex areas, and many still refuse visible tattoos.
Forest bathing#
Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing, was coined in Japan in 1982 to describe slow walking in the woods for health. The Akasawa Natural Recreational Forest in the Kiso Valley, in Nagano, a forest of 300-year-old hinoki cypress, is regarded as its birthplace, and it has gentle trails and a restored forest railway. It is about an hour by car from the Nakasendo post towns.
Other good forests include Yakushima, where cedar trees over 1,000 years old stand in mossy rainforest, the beech forests of Shirakami Sanchi in the north, and the cedar avenues around Nikko. Japan has dozens of certified Forest Therapy bases with guided walks, mostly in Japanese, and some hotels near them arrange English guides. Our national parks guide covers the parks.
Temple stays and meditation#
A night in a temple on Mount Koya, two hours from Osaka, is the most complete retreat in Japan. About 50 temples take guests: you eat shojin ryori, the vegetarian Buddhist cuisine, at dusk, sleep on tatami and join the morning service at around 6:00. Rooms cost about 12,000 to 30,000 yen per person with two meals. Our where to stay in Japan guide covers booking.
For zazen, the Zen temples Engaku-ji and Kencho-ji in Kamakura, an hour from Tokyo, hold sessions open to beginners, and many Zen temples in Kyoto run short meditation sessions for visitors, usually for 1,000 to 3,000 yen. Eihei-ji in Fukui, a working training monastery of the Soto school, takes overnight guests who follow part of the monks’ schedule. Our temples guide covers the temples themselves.
City spas and massage#
Every big city has super sento and spa complexes, with several baths, saunas, rest rooms and restaurants under one roof, open late and sometimes all night. In Tokyo, Spa LaQua at Tokyo Dome City is the easiest to reach. In Osaka, Spa World in Shinsekai has whole floors of baths themed on different countries and costs from about 1,500 yen, more at peak times; it does not admit guests with tattoos. Most complexes charge about 1,500 to 3,500 yen (Spa LaQua is from 3,500 yen) and sell massages on top.
Shiatsu, Japan’s finger-pressure massage, and its older form anma are widely available at spa complexes, hotels and small clinics, often roughly 6,000 to 10,000 yen for an hour, though prices vary widely. Luxury hotels and resorts in Hakone, Kyoto and Okinawa run full spas with Japanese and Western treatments.
Rules and etiquette#
Tattoos and bathing rules
Many sento, spa complexes and saunas still refuse guests with visible tattoos, and some refuse cover stickers too. Check before you go, or book a private bath. Everywhere, wash and rinse at the seated showers before entering any bath or sauna, keep your towel out of the water, and do not wear swimwear in single-sex areas.
Drink water between rounds, avoid bathing after alcohol, and limit very hot baths and sand baths if you have heart problems or high blood pressure. Our Japanese culture guide covers wider etiquette, and the East Asia wellness and world wellness hubs compare Japan with Korea, Taiwan and beyond.
Most spa complexes include a towel set, robe and lounge in the entry price, so you can arrive with nothing. If you plan to stay late, check the rules first: many city spas add a surcharge for staying past midnight.
Best places for wellness in Japan#
More Things to Do#
Japan wellness FAQs#
What is a sand bath in Japan?
A sunamushi sand bath, mostly found in Ibusuki and Beppu, is a treatment where staff bury you in sand heated by hot spring water while you wear a cotton robe. Sessions last about ten minutes and cost around 1,500 yen in Ibusuki, including a regular bath afterwards.
What is forest bathing?
Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is slow, mindful walking in forest, promoted in Japan since 1982. The Akasawa forest in Nagano is regarded as its birthplace, and Yakushima and Shirakami Sanchi are other good forests.
Can I stay in a Japanese temple?
Yes. Mount Koya has about 50 temples that take guests, with vegetarian dinners and morning services, for about 12,000 to 30,000 yen per person with meals. Eihei-ji in Fukui also takes overnight guests.
Can I go to a spa in Japan with tattoos?
Often not. Many sento, spa complexes and saunas refuse visible tattoos, including Spa World in Osaka. Look for tattoo-friendly baths, book a private bath, or check our onsen guide for tattoo-friendly towns such as Beppu.
Where can I try zazen in Japan?
Engaku-ji and Kencho-ji in Kamakura hold beginner sessions, and many Zen temples in Kyoto run short sessions for visitors for about 1,000 to 3,000 yen. Eihei-ji in Fukui offers overnight training stays.