Best Saunas in Niigata, Japan
sauna100
sauna100 is a sauna-only facility on the second floor of Minami-Bandai Terrace, a four-minute walk from Niigata Station's Bandai exit. A large sauna room looks out on a small garden, and a smaller room is arranged around the stove like an irori hearth. The 80 cm deep cold bath is filled with binchotan charcoal and kept free-flowing. Normally men only; women can come on mixed days (the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th, swimwear required). Visitor entry ¥2,500, no time limit; open daily 10:00–23:00.
さか井湯
Sakai-yu is a sento in Nuttari-higashi, Chuo-ku, founded in 1941, known for large tile murals of the Sado coast in both baths. There are three tubs, including a herbal bath that changes daily, plus a steam sauna with a cold bath beside it. Open 13:30–22:00, closed Fridays; parking about 30 m to the left of the entrance.
みどり湯
Midori-yu is a Showa-era sento founded in 1957, a five-minute walk from the south exit of Niigata Station along Keyaki-dori. It is known for its large round main tub and mosaic murals, with a lukewarm lying bath and, on the women's side, a hot herbal bath. Both sides have a low-temperature, high-humidity steam sauna scented with wood, with occasional vihta and aroma sessions. Entry ¥480 (adults). Open 14:00–23:00, closed Mondays.
スパ&ラウンジ長潟
Spa & Lounge Nagata is a bathhouse and lounge for ages 16 and up, near the Big Swan stadium in Chuo-ku. Its gold and silver bathrooms swap weekly and use artificial hot-spring water whose type changes monthly. The large far-infrared dry sauna has three tiers, with staff pouring water on the floor to keep it humid, a 15 °C cold bath, an open-air bath and outdoor chairs; towel-waving heat sessions run on Wednesday evenings. Single entry ¥2,200; open 8:00–23:00, Sundays and holidays to 22:00.
小松湯亀田
Komatsu-yu Kameda is the only sento in Konan-ku, near JR Kameda Station, founded in 1953. Its blue-and-green bathroom has a Mount Fuji mural by local sign painter Yagi Katsuki, the water is wood-heated, and a gentle low-temperature wet sauna runs at about 50 °C. Since reopening in May 2024 it has a yakitori shop attached. Open 10:00–21:00, closed Mondays.
小松湯（東区）
Komatsu-yu is a sento on Akiba-dori in Higashi-ku, founded in 1956 and open from early morning. Its water is heated with wood and both hot and cold water are free-flowing, with tubs at two temperatures and a herbal bath every Sunday. At the back of the bathroom is a hinoki-wood wet sauna at about 50–51 °C. There is a tatami rest area. Open 8:30–21:00, closed Mondays.
旭湯
Asahi-yu is the only sento left in Nishi-ku, a 15-minute walk from JR Uchino Station, founded in 1916. After a change of owner it was fully renovated and reopened in May 2024, with a wood-lined bathroom and a sauna added for an extra fee. Sauna directories list the sauna on the men's side at about 100 °C with an 18 °C cold bath. Open 17:30–23:30 Monday to Saturday and 15:00–21:00 on Sunday, closed Tuesdays.
極楽湯 女池店
Gokurakuyu Meike is a large super sento of the Gokurakuyu chain in Meike, Chuo-ku, a bus ride from Niigata Station's south exit. Both baths have a tiered far-infrared high-temperature sauna; the men's side adds an auto-löyly sauna that steams the stones every 30 minutes, and the women's side a gentler salt sauna. A cold bath, open-air baths, a cave bath and an outdoor cooling area complete the circuit. Entry ¥900 on weekdays, ¥950 at weekends; open 10:00–24:00, from 6:00 on weekends.
極楽湯 松崎店
Gokurakuyu Matsuzaki is a Gokurakuyu-chain super sento in Shin-Matsuzaki, Higashi-ku, with ten kinds of bath and two saunas. Both sides have a tiered far-infrared sauna, the women's side adds a salt sauna, and there is a cold-water bath plus open-air rock, carbonated and cave baths. Entry ¥900 on weekdays, ¥950 at weekends and holidays. Open daily 10:00–24:00, last entry 23:30.
極楽湯 槇尾店
Gokurakuyu Makio is a Gokurakuyu-chain super sento in Makio, Nishi-ku, near Bunri High School bus stop. It has a far-infrared sauna, a steam sauna on the men's side and a salt sauna on the women's side, a cold-water bath, and open-air baths including a high-concentration carbonated bath. Staff run aufguss sessions in the men's sauna every Saturday and Sunday at 19:00 and 21:00. Entry ¥900 weekdays, ¥950 weekends; open 9:00–24:00, from 6:00 at weekends.
金の湯
Kane no Yu is a neighbourhood sento in Nakayama, Higashi-ku, founded in 1961 on the Hachinosu shopping street. Both baths have a wet (steam) sauna with a cold bath for after the sauna, the men's side has a semi-indoor open-air bath, and the women's side has the city's only sento salt sauna (out of service at the time of the last notice). The tubs use carbonated warm water. Open 10:00–22:00, closed Tuesdays; parking for 40 cars.
アクアパークにいがた
Aquapark Niigata is a city-owned leisure pool and bath complex in Kasagi, Nishi-ku, run under the city's environment department. Alongside the pools, the bathing area has a sauna on both the men's and women's sides and a cold bath. Entry for adults is ¥600, with towel and lounge-wear rental. Open 10:00–21:30 (from 9:00 in summer), closed Wednesdays except from late July to the end of August.
sauna100
sauna100 is a sauna-only facility on the second floor of Minami-Bandai Terrace, a four-minute walk from Niigata Station's Bandai exit. A large sauna room looks out on a small garden, and a smaller room is arranged around the stove like an irori hearth. The 80 cm deep cold bath is filled with binchotan charcoal and kept free-flowing. Normally men only; women can come on mixed days (the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th, swimwear required). Visitor entry ¥2,500, no time limit; open daily 10:00–23:00.
さか井湯
Sakai-yu is a sento in Nuttari-higashi, Chuo-ku, founded in 1941, known for large tile murals of the Sado coast in both baths. There are three tubs, including a herbal bath that changes daily, plus a steam sauna with a cold bath beside it. Open 13:30–22:00, closed Fridays; parking about 30 m to the left of the entrance.
みどり湯
Midori-yu is a Showa-era sento founded in 1957, a five-minute walk from the south exit of Niigata Station along Keyaki-dori. It is known for its large round main tub and mosaic murals, with a lukewarm lying bath and, on the women's side, a hot herbal bath. Both sides have a low-temperature, high-humidity steam sauna scented with wood, with occasional vihta and aroma sessions. Entry ¥480 (adults). Open 14:00–23:00, closed Mondays.
スパ&ラウンジ長潟
Spa & Lounge Nagata is a bathhouse and lounge for ages 16 and up, near the Big Swan stadium in Chuo-ku. Its gold and silver bathrooms swap weekly and use artificial hot-spring water whose type changes monthly. The large far-infrared dry sauna has three tiers, with staff pouring water on the floor to keep it humid, a 15 °C cold bath, an open-air bath and outdoor chairs; towel-waving heat sessions run on Wednesday evenings. Single entry ¥2,200; open 8:00–23:00, Sundays and holidays to 22:00.
小松湯亀田
Komatsu-yu Kameda is the only sento in Konan-ku, near JR Kameda Station, founded in 1953. Its blue-and-green bathroom has a Mount Fuji mural by local sign painter Yagi Katsuki, the water is wood-heated, and a gentle low-temperature wet sauna runs at about 50 °C. Since reopening in May 2024 it has a yakitori shop attached. Open 10:00–21:00, closed Mondays.
小松湯（東区）
Komatsu-yu is a sento on Akiba-dori in Higashi-ku, founded in 1956 and open from early morning. Its water is heated with wood and both hot and cold water are free-flowing, with tubs at two temperatures and a herbal bath every Sunday. At the back of the bathroom is a hinoki-wood wet sauna at about 50–51 °C. There is a tatami rest area. Open 8:30–21:00, closed Mondays.
旭湯
Asahi-yu is the only sento left in Nishi-ku, a 15-minute walk from JR Uchino Station, founded in 1916. After a change of owner it was fully renovated and reopened in May 2024, with a wood-lined bathroom and a sauna added for an extra fee. Sauna directories list the sauna on the men's side at about 100 °C with an 18 °C cold bath. Open 17:30–23:30 Monday to Saturday and 15:00–21:00 on Sunday, closed Tuesdays.
極楽湯 女池店
Gokurakuyu Meike is a large super sento of the Gokurakuyu chain in Meike, Chuo-ku, a bus ride from Niigata Station's south exit. Both baths have a tiered far-infrared high-temperature sauna; the men's side adds an auto-löyly sauna that steams the stones every 30 minutes, and the women's side a gentler salt sauna. A cold bath, open-air baths, a cave bath and an outdoor cooling area complete the circuit. Entry ¥900 on weekdays, ¥950 at weekends; open 10:00–24:00, from 6:00 on weekends.
極楽湯 松崎店
Gokurakuyu Matsuzaki is a Gokurakuyu-chain super sento in Shin-Matsuzaki, Higashi-ku, with ten kinds of bath and two saunas. Both sides have a tiered far-infrared sauna, the women's side adds a salt sauna, and there is a cold-water bath plus open-air rock, carbonated and cave baths. Entry ¥900 on weekdays, ¥950 at weekends and holidays. Open daily 10:00–24:00, last entry 23:30.
極楽湯 槇尾店
Gokurakuyu Makio is a Gokurakuyu-chain super sento in Makio, Nishi-ku, near Bunri High School bus stop. It has a far-infrared sauna, a steam sauna on the men's side and a salt sauna on the women's side, a cold-water bath, and open-air baths including a high-concentration carbonated bath. Staff run aufguss sessions in the men's sauna every Saturday and Sunday at 19:00 and 21:00. Entry ¥900 weekdays, ¥950 weekends; open 9:00–24:00, from 6:00 at weekends.
金の湯
Kane no Yu is a neighbourhood sento in Nakayama, Higashi-ku, founded in 1961 on the Hachinosu shopping street. Both baths have a wet (steam) sauna with a cold bath for after the sauna, the men's side has a semi-indoor open-air bath, and the women's side has the city's only sento salt sauna (out of service at the time of the last notice). The tubs use carbonated warm water. Open 10:00–22:00, closed Tuesdays; parking for 40 cars.
アクアパークにいがた
Aquapark Niigata is a city-owned leisure pool and bath complex in Kasagi, Nishi-ku, run under the city's environment department. Alongside the pools, the bathing area has a sauna on both the men's and women's sides and a cold bath. Entry for adults is ¥600, with towel and lounge-wear rental. Open 10:00–21:30 (from 9:00 in summer), closed Wednesdays except from late July to the end of August.