This time I’m introducing SOLA SPA Shinjuku no Yu, about a 5-minute walk from the east exit of Shinjuku Station.
It sits in Kabukicho, Shinjuku — the “city that never sleeps,” known for its crowds of foreign tourists and people gathering on the streets — and it’s a sauna and spa facility for both men and women that only just had its renewal reopening in 2021.
With expectations running high after the renewal, Joe, a sauna and hot-spring enthusiast, went and checked it out — so in this post I’ll share what SOLA SPA Shinjuku no Yu is actually like, along with how crowded it gets.
SOLA SPA Shinjuku: The Basics
SOLA SPA Shinjuku no Yu is a 24-hour sauna and spa facility that opened in September 2021 after renovating the former men’s sauna Kori Kori in Kabukicho, Shinjuku.
It’s a 5-minute walk from Shinjuku’s east exit, close to TOHO Cinemas, located on B1F and B2F of the Humax Pavilion Shinjuku Kabukicho building, which also houses Shinjuku Copa Bowl, BAGUS, and a manga cafe. It’s also close to Seibu-Shinjuku Station, just a 3-minute walk away.
The operating company changed to Credo International Inc., a general wellness business, and as part of the renewal, a new women’s bath and sauna were added, so now both men and women can use the facility.
Shinjuku has plenty of men-only sauna and spa facilities, but SOLA SPA Shinjuku no Yu now has a women’s bath too — it’s rare to find a place women can casually stop into!
Location
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | SOLA SPA Kabukicho Shinjuku no Yu |
| Address | Humax Pavilion B1/B2, 1-20-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0021 |
| Phone | 03-6205-9925 |
| Hours | Open 24 hours |
Touring the Facility
I actually used SOLA SPA Shinjuku myself, so from here it’s time for a tour of the facility!
With pillars around the entrance, it’s a little hard to spot, but it was definitely there inside the Humax Pavilion building!
Down the stairs, and inside we go!
Front Desk & Locker Room
Down the stairs and through the entrance, I found sleek, all-black shoe lockers.
I put my shoes in and handed the shoe locker key to the front desk. I came in on a Saturday night, but there was hardly anyone around — it was so empty that I actually started to wonder if the place was doing okay.
This time I went with the 180-minute (3-hour) course, plus a towel and loungewear set (extra charge). Payment is up front, so I paid 1,700 yen via PayPay.
Amenities like toothbrushes don’t seem to be kept in the bathing area — instead, you pick up what you need at the front desk before heading in.
Make sure to grab a toothbrush and razor.
After checking in, the noren curtain for the men’s bath appears at the very back of B2F. It’s quite a walk to get there.
The carpet and ceiling are all black, giving it a dark overall impression. I found the locker room on the left.
The locker room has a simple U-shaped layout of lockers, with several round stools scattered around.
My locker number was 001. The lockers are commercial-grade, but despite the renewal, the scratches and wear are pretty noticeable.
The lock isn’t a wristband type — it’s a Velcro strap. I wondered if they’d sourced the locks secondhand somewhere; they have an old, well-worn feel.
There’s only one hanger, and since the locker is split into two tiers, you can’t fit much inside. There’s no small-items storage either, so you may struggle to find somewhere to put your phone.
The changing area is physically separate from the locker room, so you put on your loungewear first before heading to the changing area. A few people skip the locker altogether and just use the changing area directly.
Bathing Area
Walk in and you’ll find two tubs facing you, with a lukewarm bubble bath further back.
The facility isn’t barrier-free, and the drain is large with a noticeable step, so be careful if you’re a little unsteady on your feet in that blissed-out, post-sauna state.
There’s a tiled tub with a retro, Showa-era feel. It’s blue, so you might expect a cold bath, but it’s actually a fairly warm bath at around 42°C.
On the front left is the washing area, and it’s on the larger side even among Shinjuku’s many sauna and spa facilities.
The men’s side uses a striking blue lighting — not exactly what you’d expect from a former love hotel. The stools and basins are new, but the mirrors all seem fogged up, like they haven’t been polished.
The shower pressure is strong and excellent.
The shampoo is from the natural “Botanical” line, rich in plant-derived moisturizing ingredients like bilberry leaf extract and tea leaf extract.
The same shampoo is used at The Bed & Spa Tokorozawa.
Sauna
Past the corridor with the tornado bath and cool-down chairs, the sauna room is at the very back. There appear to be two sauna rooms, but only the one at the front was open — the one further back wasn’t in use.
It’s a spacious room that easily fits 10 people, heated by a far-infrared stove that can’t control humidity. The thermometer in the bone-dry room reads around 108–110°C.
There’s a flat-screen TV near the entrance, but it’s muted, and the 12-minute timer appears to be broken and stuck — so you’ll need to rely on your own internal clock.
The familiar orange sauna mats are laid out, but they don’t look like they’re swapped out regularly, and there are no kick boards, so hygiene-wise it leaves something to be desired.
There’s also a small stove for self-rolly (self-service löyly) further inside!
Changing Area & Powder Room
The changing area is spacious and easy to get dressed in. The flooring looks like the rattan-pattern material often used at hot springs and public bathhouses.
There’s a water cooler just before the entrance, so you’re well covered for rehydrating after the sauna.
There’s no sink here, but there are three Dyson hair dryers, cotton swabs, toner, and hair tonic available.
The hair tonic is POLA’s Aqua Balance Homme, meant to elevate a man’s appeal with premium skincare.
There are three sinks, but unfortunately they were taped off as out of use. If you need to wring out a towel, you’ll have to do it in the washing area instead.
There are four cool-down chairs, facing a massive commercial fan.
In the spacious changing area, you can stretch your legs out in a cool-down chair and relax. The fan is quite powerful, though, so be careful not to catch a chill.
Lounge & Rest Area
After my bath, I wandered the facility. The rest area on B1F has a manga corner and rows of relaxing single-seat faux-leather sofas, with a big pile of blankets in the middle.
In front of the manga corner there’s also a spot where you can lie down.
B2F has similar single-seat sofas, but since it’s not separated from the dining area, the lighting overall is a bit brighter. B1F seems like the better bet if you want to sleep soundly.
Toward the back of the rest area there’s a single Phoenix dart machine (100 yen per game) — maybe this used to be a dart bar.
Maybe it’s just me, but the relaxing sofas and the dart machine feel like an odd mismatch. I didn’t even have the nerve to try it.
Dining Area
The dining area is on the same floor as the B2F relaxation room, with about 5 tables where you can enjoy some sauna food.
The sauna-food menu is limited, but there’s mapo tofu rice bowl, seasonal vegetable curry, ramen, and a roast beef rice bowl. Price-wise, it’s a bit cheaper than what you’d typically find at a sauna and spa facility.
The roast beef bowl looks like it might be a pretty small portion, but I’m curious about the taste.
Food service wasn’t running on the day I visited, unfortunately.
How Crowded Does It Get?
SOLA SPA Shinjuku sits right in the heart of Kabukicho in Shinjuku. With attention building after the renewal, it’s natural to wonder how crowded the place gets.
So what days and times does SOLA SPA Shinjuku tend to get busy?
Right now, there’s almost no real crowding — even on weekends and holidays it’s relatively comfortable to use. Weekend and holiday evenings get a bit busier, but not to the point of real congestion.
I deliberately checked in on a Saturday evening, generally a busier time, but only a handful of people were using the bath and sauna (which holds 12), so given the size of the place it was quite comfortable.
The changing area, lockers, and rest area were also only lightly used, with no need to worry about navigating around other guests.
If anything, it was quiet enough to make me a little concerned!
Pricing
Sitting right next to TOHO Cinemas, SOLA SPA Shinjuku is an easy stop after a movie.
Pricing is always worth knowing up front.
The pricing structure is simply time-based, with towels and loungewear charged separately. Since towels cost extra, I noticed a few people brought their own.
| Plan | Adult Price |
|---|---|
| 60 minutes | 1,000 yen |
| 180 minutes (3 hours) | 1,500 yen |
| 360 minutes (6 hours) | 2,000 yen |
| 720 minutes (12 hours) | 2,500 yen |
| Towel (separate) | +100 yen |
| Loungewear | +100 yen |
| Extension (30 min) | +300 yen |
The 3-hour course is the one to go for.
If reading manga is part of the plan, the 6-hour course works too, but unless you have a specific reason to read here, 3 hours is plenty.
The dining area may be operating on reduced hours depending on the day, so if you’re planning your visit around a meal, it’s worth calling ahead to check.
If you’re planning on doing several sauna sessions, 60 minutes really isn’t enough!
Are There Any Coupons?
A neighborhood public bathhouse costs only 400–600 yen, while here even the 1-hour course runs 1,000 yen, and the 3-hour course 1,500 yen.
Naturally, you’d want to find any way to save a little if you’re going to use it.
Right now, there’s a coupon available for 700 yen for the 1-hour course, weekdays only. Unfortunately there’s no coupon for the 3-hour course.
My Honest Impressions
Despite being freshly renovated, the facility — especially the bathing area — still has an old, worn feel, and the cleaning doesn’t quite reach every corner, so honestly it left me wanting more.
The men’s bath and sauna are essentially unchanged from the old Kori Kori sauna, so there’s room for improvement going forward.
The sauna read 110°C, but it runs on an old-style far-infrared stove — stay in long enough and it builds up a nice intense heat, though the self-löyly stove had been removed by the time I visited.
With sauna and spa facilities everywhere packed thanks to the ongoing sauna boom, this place had surprisingly few guests — a solid pick if you’re trying to avoid the crowds.
If you’re looking to beat the crowds at a Shinjuku sauna, SOLA SPA Shinjuku no Yu is worth keeping in mind — just don’t expect too much polish just yet!
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About the author
Joe
I love hotels, hot springs, and saunas across the whole country!!
I’ve made it to 40 prefectures so far.
Around 100 hotel stays and 50+ saunas visited, and the count keeps climbing.
My hobbies are travel, golf, snowboarding, saunas, and the gym.
Getting good information is essential to living a rich life.
I’ll keep sharing useful info for wherever your next trip takes you! For work inquiries (venue PR, advertising, hotel article requests), please reach out through this blog’s contact form.
Happy to work flexibly with your needs.
Certified Sauna & Spa Health Advisor
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