How Japanese Onsen Culture Is Influencing Western Sauna Design
The quiet aesthetic, ritualistic approach, and material philosophy of Japanese bathing culture is reshaping how Western designers think about sauna spaces.
Look at any of the most talked-about sauna and bathhouse projects of the past few years, from Therme Manchester (the massive wellbeing resort under construction in Trafford) to QC Terme's growing Italian portfolio to Soak & Sauna in Portland, and you'll notice a common thread that has nothing to do with Finland. The spatial language, material palette, and experiential sequencing borrow heavily from Japanese bathing culture.
The Influence
Japanese onsen and sento traditions bring a distinct design philosophy to thermal bathing: an emphasis on natural materials (stone, wood, water), a sequential approach to the bathing ritual, spatial compression and expansion to create emotional rhythm, and an aesthetic of restraint that values imperfection and patina over polish.
These principles are increasingly showing up in Western sauna and bathhouse design, not as direct imitation but as a design sensibility that's being hybridized with Nordic sauna traditions.
The best new sauna spaces aren't purely Finnish or purely Japanese. They're drawing from both traditions to create something that feels timeless and culturally rich.
Material and Spatial Choices
Specific Japanese-influenced design choices showing up in new Western sauna projects include: the use of hinoki (Japanese cypress) alongside traditional Nordic woods, stone and mineral plaster surfaces instead of exclusively wood interiors, outdoor transition spaces that echo the concept of the tsuboniwa (courtyard garden), and low, intimate proportions that prioritize closeness to water and earth.
Implications for Manufacturers
For sauna manufacturers and equipment suppliers, the Japanese design influence creates both opportunities and challenges. Demand for more refined finishes, natural stone integration, and custom proportions is growing, but these requirements often push beyond what standard product catalogs offer.
The convergence of Nordic and Japanese bathing aesthetics may be one of the most significant design trends shaping the commercial sauna and wellness market in the coming decade.
Arlene Scott
Senior Wellness Correspondent & Hospitality Consultant
Arlene Scott brings over fifteen years of reporting and consulting experience across energy infrastructure, sustainable design, and thermotherapy-focused hospitality.
Full byline
Arlene Scott is a Senior Wellness Correspondent for SaunaNews.com, bringing over fifteen years of experience at the intersection of energy infrastructure, sustainable design, and thermotherapy. Her work focuses on the physiological benefits of passive heat therapies and the sustainable integration of sauna culture into modern wellness routines.
Arlene's background is rooted in the clean energy transition. She was a founding writer at MicrogridMedia.com, where she covered the technical and economic viability of desalination projects, microgrid deployments, and distributed renewable energy systems. During the mid-2010s, she was a regular contributor to Greentech Media (GTM) during its independent era — prior to the Wood Mackenzie acquisition in 2016 — reporting on the early integration of thermal energy storage and sustainable infrastructure.
Transitioning her focus from macro-energy systems to human-scale wellness, Arlene now applies her technical background to the hospitality sector. She operates as an independent consultant, advising boutique hotels and eco-resorts on the design, energy efficiency, and historical authenticity of commercial sauna and thermal spa installations. Her consulting work ensures that high-end wellness facilities balance traditional Nordic bathing principles with modern sustainable engineering.
Arlene holds a specialized certification in Applied Thermic Wellness from the Nordic Institute of Passive Heat Studies (NIPHS) and is a recognized associate member of the International Sauna Association (ISA). When she isn't reviewing the latest innovations in infrared technology or consulting on a new resort project, Arlene can be found tending to her own traditional wood-fired sauna in the Pacific Northwest. You can read her complete archive of essays on energy, wellness, and sustainable living at www.arlenescott.com.
