Connect With The Mountain Landscape At This Japanese Sauna

Innovative public baths and saunas have had a strong foothold in Tokyo culture for centuries. Yamanashi, approximately 2 hours west of the city, is following suit with Cycl, a three-story, 1,300-square-foot sauna facility by Fukuoka-based architect Yu Momoeda. What it capitalizes on is its spectacular surroundings. “In this space that resonates with the natural scenery,” Momoeda says, “the mind is liberated.” He’s referring to Lake Yamanaka, Mount Fuji, and the kasagumo (Japanese for hat or cap clouds) that often form above them, all of which Cycl has front-row views and his design references. This is evident in the building’s floating roof (although it was also, in part, dictated by the country’s Ministry of the Environment under the Natural Parks Act) and the Finnish-style sauna, meant to evoke the sun and molten lava through dramatic lighting. Below is the flowing cold-plunge pool, fed by underground springs. But perhaps the strongest connection with the landscape is the pillar-free, second-floor lounge. Encased in glass on all sides, the airy, open space invites relaxation on tatami mats with complimentary drinks and sweets surrounded by uninterrupted views of the lake and mountain.