Today I’m introducing “Marushin Spa,” just a one-to-two-minute walk from Sasazuka Station in Tokyo.
“Marushin Spa” is a conveniently located spa near the station that ranks among the best in Japan for its three key elements: the sauna, the cold plunge and outdoor air bathing, and it’s no exaggeration to say so. It is a 24-hour, men-only sauna facility!
Regular saunas weren’t hot enough for me! I went looking for a sauna above 100°C, so Joe visited “Marushin Spa,” and I’ll give you a thorough review of what it’s like, including how crowded it gets.
Marushin Spa Basics
From Sasazuka Station in Tokyo, it’s only a 1–2 minute walk to Marushin Spa, a 24-hour sauna facility for men only.
Because it’s on the 10th floor of a small building, it’s also called the “Sky Hideout,” a secret retreat in central Tokyo, and it’s used mainly by men in their 20s to 40s.
On July 10, 2022, Marushin Spa celebrated its 36th year in business and announced a full renovation of its sauna rooms, so it is a facility that is sure to draw even more attention, no doubt about it!
After the renovation, a long-awaited Ladies’ Day will reportedly be introduced too!
・July 18, 2022 (Mon) 11 p.m. – July 29, 2022 (Fri), all day
※Reopening: Saturday, July 30, 9 a.m. (planned)
Marushin Spa Location
| Name | Sasazuka Marushin Spa |
| Address | Marushin Building 10F, 1-58-6 Sasazuka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0073 |
| Phone | 03-3376-5225 |
| Business hours | Open 24 hours ※May close temporarily on New Year’s Day ※The first Monday of every month (excluding national holidays) |
| Official website | http://marushinspa.jp/ |
How to Get to Marushin Spa
Here’s how to get to Marushin Spa.
A big hot spring or spa facility is easy to walk into, but being told it’s in a corner of the 10th floor of a building makes you hesitate a little.
But don’t worry! Even if you’ve never been, you can walk in with confidence and without getting lost!
After getting off at Sasazuka Station, go through the ticket gate and head for the North Exit on your left! There’s only one ticket gate at Sasazuka, so you can’t get lost.
When you see the North Exit, turn left. Right is the opposite direction, so be careful.
After the North Exit, turn right at the T-junction you’ll see right away and head for the main street. You can also go straight, but I’ll guide you by the easier route!
Cut through the narrow alley between the buildings and turn left at the main street. Sasazuka Bowl is your landmark.
After reaching the main street, go straight. After about 100 m, you’ll see the Marushin Spa sign up above.
When you see Nakau, you’re almost there. Around the pedestrian bridge, you’ll see the Marushin Spa sign you’re looking for!
Take the elevator up to the 10th floor, where the reception is.
A Tour of Marushin Spa
Next, a tour of the inside of Marushin Spa!
Take the elevator up and you’ll see the entrance to Marushin Spa on the 10th floor. It’s a glass door, so it somehow feels easy to walk in!
Reception
Just inside the entrance, on the right, are shoe lockers. There are only 40, so the facility can hold at most 40 people at a time.
Put your shoes in, lock the locker and hand the key to the reception.
There’s no space where check-in and payment can be done at the same time; service is basically one-on-one. The reception area isn’t even two tatami mats in size.
You’ll get an explanation of the facility.
1. Locker key
2. In-house wear
3. Bath towel set
You receive these three items, and the pricing system and the locker key are explained to you.
You’ll be told to use the same number for the shoe locker key, the changing locker key and the bathroom locker, so all of them match.
Using a locker with a different number causes trouble, so make sure you never do!
Pricing is hourly: you choose the 90-minute or 3-hour course. During the daytime, if you stay beyond 3 hours, the full 90-minute course fee is charged on top, so keep track of the time!
Locker Room
After check-in, pass through the noren curtain right next to the reception and go to the locker room.
The lockers are narrow, and when two people are side by side it’s quite cramped.
A few single chairs are provided, so make good use of them.
The lockers are also quite small. The facility doesn’t assume travelers or tourists, so suitcases and backpacker-sized backpacks won’t fit.
Don’t strip down here; first change into the in-house wear.
Follow the corridor along the windows to the bathroom on the 11th floor.
Leave the locker room and climb the staircase you’ll see right away. From around here, your sauna excitement shoots up!
I can’t wait.
Bathroom Lockers
Climb the stairs and you’ll find the changing room.
It’s about four tatami mats in size, with changing lockers, three washbasins and a water server with cold and room-temperature water.
At the back there’s a space for outdoor air bathing.
Above the water server are two containers of salt.
You sweat a lot in the sauna, so adding a little salt when you rehydrate is a good idea!
The lockers in the changing room cannot be locked.
When you use the bath area, don’t carry valuables—just take your bath set! And use the same number as the one written on your locker key band!
Indoor Bath and Cold Plunge
When you enter the bathroom, the indoor bath (about 38°C) is straight ahead and the cold plunge (about 15°C) is on the right.
The indoor bath holds only two people. Soaking in it while looking out at the city from the 11th floor is fantastic!
You can submerge your whole body in the cold plunge—the depth is just right.
Sauna
In the sauna room there are METOS sauna stones in the middle, with seating at the back and near the entrance.
Here’s the sauna room as a map. The back is in two tiers and can hold 8 people.
Based on several visits, I’ve listed the seats you should take first, in numerical order.
⑤ is near the entrance, so if you stretch your legs out you’ll be in the way—be careful.
One of the Few Saunas with Self-Loyly
Loyly (sauna steam) is a must for sauna lovers!
One of this sauna’s features is that you can do self-loyly. Saunas in Tokyo where you can do self-loyly are rare, so it’s precious.
There’s a loyly bucket in the middle, and you can pour aroma water on the sauna stones yourself and enjoy sweating whenever you like.
Other people are around, so use half the usual amount of aroma water and limit yourself to one ladle.
A High-Temperature Sauna Above 100°C
Another feature of Marushin Spa’s sauna is its high-temperature sauna above 100°C. The average temperature of a dry sauna is said to be 85–90°C, so this is above average.
In addition, on days ending in 5 or 0 each month, the stove temperature is raised by 10°C, making it a 110°C ultra-high-temperature sauna. A truly scorching sauna!
On top of that, there’s loyly, so the perceived temperature momentarily reaches nearly 120°C. (Blazing!)
I went on the 5th, and the METOS thermometer read 109°C.
“Whoa! It’s hot!”
“The sweat keeps pouring out!”
Wear a sauna hat to protect your head from the heat wave.
Repeat sauna → cold plunge → rest two or three times.
After leaving the sauna, cool down properly in the relaxation chairs and the cold plunge! There are four relaxation chairs.
・To get closer to the concept of the “Sky Hideout,” a men’s retreat, the sauna room will be fully renovated on July 30, 2022
・After the renovation, it will be remodeled to hold more people, with standing benches and seated benches
Outdoor Air Bathing
If you open the door leading outside from the back of the 10th-floor changing room, there’s a space for outdoor air bathing.
Cooling off while looking at the city streets—fantastic!
Wear your towel properly, of course.
They say you can see Mt. Fuji on clear days if you go early in the morning.
At night, you can see a beautiful night view too.
Powder Room
There are three stations in the powder room, characterized by round mirrors and round sinks.
Cotton swabs, Kracie hair tonic, skin milk and skin lotion are provided.
Rest Area
Once you’ve reached “totonoi,” head to the 11th-floor rest area. Blankets and chargers can be borrowed at the front desk.
If you want one, just ask the staff.
There’s also a rest area on the 10th floor. If you want to read magazines or manga, use this one!
The sauna manga “Sa-Do” (The Way of the Sauna) is available.
A small selection of sauna magazines is a plus, too!
Dining Area
In the center of the 10th floor is a dining space serving set meals, beef sinew curry and soba-meshi (fried noodles with rice).
Medium draft beer starts at 600 yen, and various sours start at 430 yen.
The food menu ranges from single-dish snacks to “sa-meshi” (post-sauna meals) such as steak, teppanyaki, ginger pork and chashu rice bowls, plus ramen and pasta.
I ordered the ginger pork set meal for 980 yen.
The raw salad wasn’t very fresh and was a bit dry, which was a shame. The pork loin’s seasoning was perfectly to my taste, but the meat was slightly tough.
How Crowded Is Marushin Spa?
When you’re actually planning to go, crowding is what you wonder about.
You came for relaxation, so you want to avoid waiting before you enter or finding the sauna packed, as much as possible.
From the standpoint of COVID-19 infection prevention, it’s also not good to be too crowded.
So which days and times is Marushin Spa crowded?
Marushin Spa is crowded on weekends and public holidays, and especially in the afternoon to early evening.
Even on weekdays, there seem to be waits for the sauna at night.
I entered just before noon on a Saturday that was also a 5th (a high-temperature sauna day), and check-in was smooth.
As expected of one of the most popular spots in the Kanto region, in the afternoon a queue of several people formed for the sauna. Because sauna fans use it, each sauna session is long, which also contributes.
If you want to take it easy, I recommend coming after the crowds ease on Sunday evening, or on a weekday.
Marushin Spa Prices
Although it’s open 24 hours, the price system is hourly, so be a little careful.
At super sentos and hot spring spas in Tokyo, the going rate is about 2,500–3,000 yen on weekdays, with a surcharge of another 300–700 yen on weekends and holidays.
How about Marushin Spa?
| Weekdays | Weekends and holidays | |
| 90-minute course | 1,530 yen | 1,730 yen |
| 3-hour course | 2,040 yen | 2,240 yen |
| Night plan ※You can stay from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. | 2,550 yen | 2,750 yen |
| Late-night surcharge
※If you stay between midnight and 4 a.m. | 1,020 yen |
It feels a little pricey for the size of the facility, but given that it meets the must-have conditions for sauna fans, such as self-loyly and a high-temperature sauna, it’s actually great value.
After 10 p.m., you can stay until morning for 3,570 yen on weekdays!
Prices After the Renovation
After the renovation on July 30, 2022, the prices will also be revised.
The short 90-minute plan will be discontinued and the shortest option will be the 2-hour course, but overall prices rise by about 10%, and become even higher after 6 p.m. when it’s crowded.
The lowest price goes from 1,530 yen to 1,800 yen for the short 2-hour plan on weekdays.
On weekends and holidays, it goes from 1,730 yen to 2,400 yen, which is quite a bit higher. You can feel the effect of rising prices.
| Plan | Time | Weekdays | Weekends and holidays |
| Short plan (2 hours) | Opening – 5:59 p.m. | 1,800 yen | 2,400 yen |
| 6:00 p.m. – closing | 2,200 yen | 2,400 yen | |
| Long plan (4 hours) | Opening – 5:59 p.m. | 2,200 yen | 2,800 yen |
| 6:00 p.m. – closing | 2,600 yen | 2,800 yen | |
| Night plan | 10:00 p.m. – closing | 2,800 yen | 3,000 yen |
| Late-night surcharge ※If you stay between midnight and 4 a.m. | 0:00–4:00 | 1,100 yen | 1,100 yen |
My Impressions After Actually Using It
This time I used the “weekend 3-hour course, 2,240 yen,” which included a post-sauna meal in between.
For Joe, who prioritizes the sauna, it was great value and very satisfying!! A 110°C high-temperature sauna isn’t something you can experience often, so I did my hot-cold rotation more thoroughly than usual.
Two sets of 12 minutes in the sauna, 2 minutes in the cold plunge and 5 minutes of rest is possible in 90 minutes, but it gets a bit rushed.
If you’re coming from far away, I strongly recommend setting aside a full 3 hours!
A 3-hour sauna session on a Friday night—how could that not be great?
Reborn after July 30, 2022, it remains a facility sauna fans should keep an eye on.
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