A new sauna facility has just opened in the Ginza Takagi Building, the 12-storey timber tower in Ginza designed by Tetsuo Yamaji Architects. Housed in the top two floors of the tower, 91° Sauna is one of many venues that has popped up amid a booming trend in designer sento and sauna facilities, but this one probably boasts the best view of the Tokyo cityscape.
The 11th floor has three private saunas that can be rented for individuals or small groups (group members must be the same gender), cold baths for cooling down, and a terrace where you can sit and gaze at the impressive skyline view as you relax. The 12th floor has a general communal sauna room for drop-in visitors; it can accommodate roughly 15 people at a time. The 12th-floor sauna and rooftop terrace are usually only open to men, except for every Tuesday when the floor becomes a women-only space.
Decked out in soothing timber slats, these Finnish-style saunas maintain humidity by sprinkling water over hot rocks, but if things get too steamy you can always take a quick dip in the cold baths, which are chilled to about 15-16 degrees.
Fees start at ¥3,000 for an hour on weekdays and at ¥3,400 per person on weekends and holidays for the 12th-floor communal sauna room. The private saunas on the 11th floor, which feature individual changing areas and shower booths, can be booked for ¥6,500, ¥15,000 or ¥17,000 per 90-minute session, depending on the size of the room.
Reservations for the private sauna rooms can be made online here. Note that the facility accepts cashless payments only.