Japanese sauna culture becomes a remedy for digital burnout

The number of saunas in Japan is surging, with more than 12,000 listed on leading portal site Sauna Ikitai. (Image: Depositphotos)

Bloomberg

Sun, 19 Nov 2023

By Gearoid ReidyIn Japan, saunas suddenly seem everywhere. On Instagram, influencers and actors appeared to visit them daily, and the app was bombarding me with ads for mountain retreats with cold-plunge pools. Several friends who are dedicated saunners – a Japanese-English word used to refer to a sauna devotee – insisted I give it a try. Local media speak of a “sauna boom” as they once had of the “tapioca boom”, with facilities popping up in central Tokyo just as boba tea stores had before the pand...

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