SAUNA

A private barrel sauna facing the sea in Nanao

OH!TOMARI is a seaside whole-house stay for one group a day in Nanao, Ishikawa, on the Noto Peninsula. A Japanese hinoki barrel sauna sits on the sea-facing deck; the house also has a covered BBQ area.

Sauna access is for guests aged 13 or older, excluding primary-school pupils. Children aged 12 or younger and primary-school pupils cannot enter the sauna area or use the sauna. A stay booked with the sauna plan is required. Read sauna safety and usage rules →

Facilities: Barrel sauna, outdoor cold plunge and outdoor shower
Required plan: Sauna: Stay with the Barrel Sauna
Cold plunge & shower: either plan
Whole-house stay: One group per day; up to 6 people, counting adults and children who have started primary school. Children who have not yet started primary school stay free only when sharing existing bedding and do not count toward the 6-guest limit.
Sauna capacity: Up to 4 people at a time; a group of 6 takes turns. Children aged 12 or younger and primary-school pupils cannot enter the sauna area or use the sauna.
Hours: From check-in until 22:00; 7:00–9:00 the next morning
Plan without sauna: Sauna access is not included

Availability & rates

Inside the barrel sauna, with a view of the sea — The barrel sauna on the sea-facing deck.

A hinoki wood sauna and the sea breeze

Our BURROW barrel sauna is made with Japanese hinoki cypress wood. It is a cottage with a private sauna: the whole house is yours, one group a day.

The barrel sauna sits on a viewing deck 2.5 meters above the ground. Look out at the sea from inside, cool off in the outdoor cold plunge or shower, then rest on the deck in the sea breeze. The sauna belongs to a house that hosts just one group a day, so you do not share it with other guests.

The cold plunge tub at OH!TOMARI — The outdoor cold plunge.

The sea-facing deck and barrel sauna exterior — The sea-facing deck outside the sauna.

View BURROW’s installation story (Japanese)

Sauna specifications

The cabin: A custom-built BURROW mini barrel sauna, made by Ibaraki Mokko. The barrel wall and ceiling are 38 mm Japanese hinoki cypress, with hinoki panelling inside. It is about 2 metres long, with two benches facing each other.
How many at once: Up to 4 people. The house sleeps up to 6 people, counting adults and children who have started primary school, so a party of 6 takes turns in the sauna.
Who can use it: For safety, children aged 12 or younger, as well as primary-school pupils, cannot enter the sauna area or use the sauna. The house itself sleeps up to 6 people, counting adults and children who have started primary school; the sauna has its own rule.
Stove: An electric sauna heater, 6 kW, topped with sauna stones — so löyly (pouring water over the hot stones for steam) is welcome.
Temperature: The heater can be set up to 100°C and switches off by itself once it reaches the set temperature. A thermometer and a sand timer are in the cabin.
What to wear: Swimwear, or shorts and a T-shirt. Everyday clothes — long sleeves, long trousers, jeans — are not suitable and cannot be worn in the sauna, and nor can nothing at all. Please bring something to change into.
Cold plunge & shower: Both are outdoors. The plunge is a GROWTH G TANK oval tub, 60 × 120 × 60 cm — deep enough for an adult to sink in to the shoulders. You can cool down on the deck in front of the sauna.

Choose a plan with or without the sauna

For sauna access, choose Stay with the Barrel Sauna (room only). You can use it as often as you like from check-in until 22:00, and from 7:00 to 9:00 the next morning. Stay without the Barrel Sauna does not include sauna access. Prices depend on your dates and group size; check availability to compare both plans.

The whole house for your group

The maximum occupancy is 6, counting adults and children who have started primary school. Children who have not yet started primary school stay free only when sharing existing bedding and do not count toward the 6-guest limit. The single-story house is entirely yours. There are two semi-double beds; for three or more guests, you lay out the futon mattresses yourselves. A kitchen, fridge, microwave and indoor bathroom with a tub are also provided. Before or after the sauna, relax in the living room or by the sea-facing window.

What to bring for your stay

Towels and toiletries are provided. Meals, pajamas and yukata are not included, so bring your own food and sleepwear. You can prepare meals in the kitchen or covered BBQ area. Quiet hours are 22:00–7:00.

Before you use the sauna

A few things we ask, for your safety. Please also check the guide posted at the sauna.

Before you go in

Rinse off in the shower first.
Wear swimwear, or shorts and a T-shirt. Using the sauna with nothing on is not allowed.
Drinking water is not provided, so please bring your own. Drink water outside the sauna cabin before, between and after sauna sessions.
Please do not use the sauna after drinking alcohol.

Inside the cabin

For löyly, pour slowly, one or two ladles at a time. More than that does not evaporate and can damage the stove.
Never pour water straight onto the stove — always onto the sauna stones.
The steam rises fast, so take care not to scald yourself.
Take off jewellery and metal accessories; they can burn you.
Please do not lie down or stay in one position for a long time.
Food and drinks, including drinking water and alcohol, cannot be brought into the sauna cabin. Please drink water outside the cabin.

Afterwards

Before the cold plunge, pour water over yourself starting from the points furthest from your heart.
Cool down on the deck at your own pace — there is no need to push yourself.
Rinse off the sweat, and drink water to replace what you lost.
Please wipe up after yourself with a towel, for the next person.
Sauna hats and ponchos are not provided. Bring your own if you use them.

Your health, and emergencies

Please do not use the sauna if you have high blood pressure or a heart condition, are pregnant, have a skin condition or an infection, feel unwell or have a fever, or have been advised against sauna by a doctor.
Staff are not permanently on site. A staff member meets you at check-in. If anything feels wrong, stop straight away.
In an emergency, you or someone with you should call 119 (ambulance), and let us know as well.

Sauna questions

Can I use the sauna without staying the night?

No. The sauna is for staying guests and is included in the Stay with the Barrel Sauna (room only) plan. The plan without the sauna does not include the sauna cabin, though the outdoor cold plunge and shower are still available.

Where are the cold plunge and the shower?

Both are outdoors. The sauna sits on a viewing deck 2.5 metres above the ground, and you can cool down on the same deck. Guests on the plan without the sauna can use the cold plunge and the outdoor shower too.

Can children use the sauna?

For safety, children aged 12 or younger, as well as primary-school pupils, cannot enter the sauna area or use the sauna. They are welcome to stay at the house; the adults in your party take turns in the sauna.

How many people fit in the sauna?

Up to 4 at a time. That is fewer than the 6 guests the house sleeps, so a party of 6 takes turns.

What should I wear?

Swimwear is fine, and so are shorts and a T-shirt. Everyday clothes such as long sleeves, long trousers or jeans are not suitable, and using the sauna with nothing on is not allowed. Please bring something to change into.

Do I need to bring towels?

Bath towels and face towels are provided. Guests on the Stay with the Barrel Sauna plan also receive an original tenugui towel.

Getting to Otomari, Nanao

The house is in Otomari-machi, Nanao, Ishikawa, about one minute by car from Nanao-Otomari IC on the Noetsu Expressway. Free parking is available for three cars. Check-in is 15:00–18:00 and check-out is 10:00. Please book at least 10 days before your stay.

Check traffic and bus timetables →

Check availability & rates

Once you have checked the facilities, choose your dates and group size to see availability and rates.