Vihta and whisking saunas in Japan — 14 facilities
Bundles of leafy branches — vihta, usually white birch — are hung in the sauna room, or used to whisk the body. 14 facilities across 10 prefectures in this guide run it, each verified on the facility's official site or an equally citable source.
11 can be used as a private or reserved room, 3 are shared only. The prefectures with the most are Osaka (3), Ibaraki (2), Chiba (2), Tokyo (1) and Toyama (1).
1 of them publish the use of yomogi (Japanese mugwort). Note that yomogi-mushi — sitting on a stool with an opening while mugwort steam rises from below — is a different, single-person apparatus, and is not what this page lists.
Look up the herbs themselves in the RootHerb Index, and the styles and terms in the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
What is a vihta / whisking?
Bundles of leafy branches — vihta, usually white birch — are hung in the sauna room, or used to whisk the body.
How many vihta / whisking facilities are there in Japan?
This guide lists 14 across 10 prefectures, verified in August 2026. The prefectures with the most are Osaka (3), Ibaraki (2), Chiba (2), Tokyo (1) and Toyama (1). The guide covers only facilities whose permanent use of herbs could be confirmed, so the real number of venues that have ever run this style will be higher.
How are facilities selected for this guide?
Only facilities whose permanent use of herbs in the sauna could be confirmed in primary sources such as their official site are listed. Herb use at one-off events, herbal baths alone, and löyly with aroma water alone are out of scope. No facility has requested or paid for inclusion. Facilities wishing to be listed or corrected are welcome to use the contact form.
Only facilities whose permanent use of herbs in the sauna could be confirmed on their official site or an equally citable source are listed. The date of confirmation appears on each facility page; prices, hours and the herbs used are subject to change.