サウナ

さうな
noun
sauna
1. sauna
A heated room or facility used for bathing by sitting in dry heat or steam. Saunas have become extremely popular in Japan in recent years.
サウナに(はい)る。
To go into a sauna.
仕事(しごと)(あと)にサウナで(あせ)(なが)す。
I sweat it out in the sauna after work.
このホテルにはサウナと水風呂(みずぶろ)()いている。
This hotel has a sauna and a cold plunge bath.

Sauna culture has seen a major revival in Japan, particularly since the early 2020s. The term サウナー (sauna enthusiast) is commonly used.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • サウナに(はい)る: to go into a sauna
  • サウナで(ととの)う: to achieve a state of relaxation through the sauna cycle
  • 水風呂(みずぶろ): cold plunge bath (used after sauna)
  • 外気浴(がいきよく): outdoor air bath (rest period in the sauna cycle)

USAGE:
The Japanese sauna experience typically follows a cycle: sauna → 水風呂(みずぶろ) (cold bath) → 外気浴(がいきよく) (rest). The verb (ととの)う (to be in order) is used to describe the pleasant sensation achieved through this cycle.