The Japan Sauna Institute’s 10,000 person survey

Saunatimes guest post series continues, as we are pleased to welcome Reiji Tachibana from the Japan Sauna Institute. “Ray” as he is known in the Western Hemisphere and Glenn first connected through the parallel universe of survey based sauna studies. Glenn helping administer The Sauna Research Institute’s Mental Health study and Ray managing Japan Sauna Institute’s own annual survey, which is detailed below.

We all know that sauna is “big in Japan.” We trust that this connection is the beginning of some major league cross hemisphere collaboration. enter “Ray”:

I, Reiji Tachibana, am a producer of the Japan Sauna Institute and have been the chairman of the Japan Sauna Institution since last year.

Let me introduce the Japan Sauna Institute and the annual investigation about Japanese Sauna to you. The Japan Sauna Institute is a general incorporated association that conducts specialized research and studies on everything related to “sauna, cold water bath, outdoor air bath”, to contribute to the health and peace of people around the world by demonstrating, evolving, and promoting irreplaceable value.

To achieve the mission, the Japan Sauna Institute has conducted the annual online survey, asking questions about Sauna to 10,000 Japanese every year since 2017. Also, because 2020-2021 is different form the usual, the Japan Sauna Institute looked into the impact by the pandemic on Japanese sauna lovers in this report.

Purpose of the survey

To contribute to the development of saunas and hot / cold bathing in Japan by understanding the reality of saunas and how the change over time in order to spread and expand awareness of hot and cold baths.

Summary and Findings

• The total number of sauna bathers has remained almost unchanged for the past five years.
• The number of light/medium users decreased, while the one of heavy users slightly increased in this
survey.
• The percentage of awareness and practice of hot and cold bathing continues to increase.
• A correlation between the frequency of sauna use and the rate of practice of hot/cold bathing.
• About 60% of respondents said that the covid-19 pandemic has “reduced the number of times they go to the sauna.

Hopefully, this report will give a certain perspective for you to understand the Japanese bathing culture.

The 2021 survey is designed and analyzed by Takahiro Tsujimoto. 

Link to the report here.