This new Scandinavian-style establishment in the Kanda Port building is run by SaunaLab and also features an ice sauna, rooftop terrace and more.
Want to experience a real Finnish sauna? Port Kanda, which opened in late April in Kanda Nishikicho, features a traditional Finnish steam bath and a Scandinavian-style aesthetic. In case you’re wondering, Port Kanda isn’t located in Tokyo Bay—its name is meant to evoke associations with a place where people from all over the world come to relax and unwind. SaunaLab is located in the basement of this multi-story building. It was designed by sauna expert Yukitaka Yoneda, who previously worked at sauna labs in Nagoya and Fukuoka, and is based on traditional Finnish sauna culture.
There are separate areas for men and women, each with changing rooms, showers, a moderate-temperature sauna (Finnish sauna massage using dried birch leaves) and a steam room. There is also a sauna. Each area has its own sauna – don’t worry, you can use both, as the men’s and women’s areas switch places every Wednesday.
The Ok sauna is a standard sauna where birch-scented water is poured onto the rocks to create steam. From the outside, the pine hut looks like a barrel, but once inside, you’ll feel like you’re in a hut, thanks to the walls and thatched roof.
Sauna Ike is a spacious, dimly lit room reminiscent of a mountain lodge. There are three stoves, a large sink, and even tatami mats to sit on. To really cool you down after your sauna experience, both areas have a single-person ice sauna with temperatures around -25 degrees Celsius.
After enduring the intense heat, you can relax in the “vihta” rest area. It is a mixed area with a sloping wooden ramp, ideal for relaxing. You can reserve a visit to SaunaLab one week in advance. 90 minutes of sauna, 2,700 yen per person. Open daily from 12:00 to 21:00.
The basement floor also houses the SaunaLab shop, which sells handcrafted sauna hats, sauna buckets, sauna spoons, home wear, and a variety of birch wood stirrers. For refreshments, head to the Kitchen Sauna café on the first floor. They serve special sauna coffee, and you can choose between hot coffee (370 yen) or iced coffee (420 yen). The café is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (last order at 7:30 p.m.).
Check out ten commissioned works displayed throughout the building, including a fabric lamp in the shape of a sauna hat by Yuri Himuro.
The quiet wooden rooftop terrace is dotted with greenery and decorated with mountain-themed works by artist Mizue Ogiso. After the sauna, breathing in the fresh air and admiring the endless views of the city, I felt especially comfortable.
Want to be the first to know about interesting events in Tokyo? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news from Tokyo and Japan.