Make Believe Bonus: Sauna Sounds Volume 1: Akazaru Kagurazaka, Kairyou-yu, Monster Sauna

A New Occasional Series Looking At The Music Helping One To Zone Out

Akazaru Kagurazaka (Between Kagurazaka Station And Iidabashi Station, Map)

I am determined to relax. Like every one before it, the week leading up to this random Tuesday in June has been exhausting. It’s a mix of deadlines from editors, deadlines from myself, emails in need of reading and responding, interviews, live shows and so much more. I’m happy to be busy…but also wouldn’t mind a break.

A trip to the sauna is in order.

Today I brave a rainy day to go to the Kagurazaka neighborhood of Tokyo to experience a sauna presented as a sorta secret. Akazarau Kagurazaka hides amongst a few cafes and residences, barely advertising itself as a sauna. It’s currently in a “pre-opening” mode, though I think all that might mean is “apologies for any kinks in the experience.” It’s quiet, and not too crowded. My stress is already falling away.

I’m late to sauna in almost every regard. Looking back on my life, a weekly trip to sweat my problems away would have done wonders for my health, especially in those early days of freelancing. I’m also behind the curve when it comes to Japan’s ongoing “sauna boom.” That started in the late 2010s, aided in part by TV series such as Sado, which in its first season boasted a theme song written by Cornelius (the instrumental of which remained the opening number in season two, which came out following all of the Olympic issues surrounding the Shibuya-kei artist, though just one month ago the original Cornelius-vocal-featuring version appeared as an official release complete with video nodding to the show and what I think pretty clearly look like AI-generated images, above). Really though, it isn’t hard to theorize why sauna would become trendy — Japan boasts an overworked and often stressed-out population. Relaxation, when obtainable, is key.

A good sauna, to me, isn’t just about the proper heat and the availability of good spaces to zone out on afterwards. It’s also about what music they choose to play — or the decision to embrace silence — inside. In the year and a half where visiting sauna have become a regular part of my life, I’ve paid attention to what works best in this environment, as it is a vital component for me to maximize the feeling of brain-melting bliss a good session can deliver.

Welcome…to Sauna Sounds.