Saunas in Japan and Other Asian Countries

[Guest fountainhall]

As for the Japanese Sauna discussion, the one in Shinjuku is well worth a visit. I still have fond memories of one guy who looked about 18 and spent the whole evening walking about without a towel. Obviously he was concentrating on the other young Japanese guys & not an older gaijin, but what a magnificent sight!

It seems this topic is worth a separate post. One of the joys of visiting saunas in Japan - and also in Taiwan and Korea - is that the patrons think nothing of walking around in the shower, bathing, sauna and steam room areas with no towels and no thought of covering themselves with their hands. I suppose it's just part of the culture where nudity in a bathhouse is expected, whereas any thought of nudity outside such an establishment is generally taboo.

 

'24' in Shinjuku has a medium-sized public shower area with 2 warm bathing pools, attached to which is quite a large cruising area linking the steam, sauna, rainshower, cold pool and some private shower cubicles. Almost no-one wears towels in those areas. I can happily spend a lot of time there just being amazed at the magnificence of the male body. '24' in Ueno has a smaller bathing area, but again towels are left outside before you enter.

 

There used to be a sauna in Taipei on the 5th and 6th floors of a building close to the main railway station that had a similarly large open shower area. Sadly, the building was condemned after a major earthquake about 12 years ago. Rainbow sauna is even bigger and has lots of rooms upstairs. But I have always found the guys there have 'attitude' and foreigners (or perhaps it's only older foreigners ) are not made to feel so welcome. Yet, guys in Taiwan can be even more gorgeous than their Japanese counterparts, if only because many of the younger ones will have beautifully toned bodies after their compulsory national service.

 

Perhaps one reason I find the saunas especially enjoyable in Taipei and Tokyo is there are very few foreigners around. And with some Japanese and Taiwanese enjoying the company of foreigners, on most visits I have a very 'happy' time

[Guest]

'24' in Shinjuku is the first asuna I ever visited & is still my favourite.

 

The bathing pools are directly opposite the washing area, so the view is usually quite pleasant from within these pools.

 

I find most people wear a towel at least some of the time, but overall there's a lot more on show than in Babylon (for example).

Japanese culture seems to accept nudity much more readily than Thai culture.

 

Also, one important small point. They have a spin dryer just outside the door to the wet area, so people can drop their towel in & dry it off within about 20 seconds. Every sauna should do this.

[Guest fountainhall]

I find most people wear a towel at least some of the time, but overall there's a lot more on show than in Babylon (for example).

Japanese culture seems to accept nudity much more readily than Thai culture.

Just for the sake of accuracy, z909 is correct on both counts (Taiwanese and Koreans are equally more at home with nudity in a bath house setting). I may perhaps have seen more guys walking around without towels - due perhaps to having made more visits! When you enter '24', you get a bag with a robe, a large towel and a small wash towel which you use when you wash yourself thoroughly at the sit-down showers before starting on your adventures. Conveniently, there is a wall length mirror so you can see who is wandering around as you wash yourself. The Japanese think of everything

 

The small towels are roughly 100 cms x 25 cms - plenty big enough to go around a cute slim Japanese, but less easy for more rotund foreigners The large towels are used when cruising or merely for drying off at the end of your visit.

[TotallyOz]

I'll admit that I am not really into saunas unless they are full of moneyboys. The ones I go to in Brazil are filled with them and a great deal of fun.

 

My first trip ever to a sauna was in NYC many many years ago. I enjoyed it as a learning experience but didn't return as it was just not something I wanted to do again.

[Guest fountainhall]

I'm curious. Why pay, when most people going to saunas - at least in Asia - are there purely for 'fun'?

[TotallyOz]

I'm curious. Why pay, when most people going to saunas - at least in Asia - are there purely for 'fun'?

 

I am not sure. Perhaps control?

 

I have been to Babylon several times and was hit on by very handsome Thai guys but never was interested in a dark room. I guess I much prefer the comfort of my own room most of the time. When in Brazil, I don't have much of a choice for safety reasons I would would take most of the guys to my room.

[Guest]

I guess I much prefer the comfort of my own room most of the time.

 

For intimate fun, I also prefer the comfort of my own room.

 

However:

 

1 I quite like watching the guys walking around in the Shinjuku sauna.

2 Also, it's quite nice to sweat in the sauna for a while.

3 If you have not found a guy to date, paying for intimate fun in Japan is quite a bit more expensive.