Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Spa and Wellness: The Best Spas in Sweden
Yasuragi’s authentic Japanese design helps to relax and soothe both body and mind.
An oasis of mindful tranquillity Situated amidst the natural beauty of the Stockholm archipelago, Yasuragi, the Japanese bath and hotel, has undergone a complete refurbishment. Taking direct inspiration from traditional Japanese bathhouses, Yasuragi offers an authentic experience, with every detail carefully chosen to soothe, relax and re-energise the senses. By Liz Longden | Photos: Markus Crépin
Housed in a building originally designed by Japanese architect Yoji Kasajima, the hotel and Japanese bath has been helping guests to relax the Japanese way since 1997. In January 2018, however, Yasuragi opened to a complete redesign – the result of a two-week trip to Japan, during which CEO Sunniva Fallan Röd and a team of architects visited traditional bathhouses across the country. Gone is the large, standard pool and in its place are several smaller bathing areas and places to calm body and mind, including hot and cold springs, a Japanese footbath and a carbonated spring. There are also a 28 | Issue 116 | September 2018
number of saunas, including a salt steam sauna and ‘sleep sauna’, where guests lie on heated slabs, as relaxing aromas carefully chosen to calm the nervous system drift across the warm air. “The really interesting thing is that even if you only sleep for a short time, it is an incredibly efficient sleep. It really is fantastically relaxing,” Fallan Röd explains.
phy of well-being through simplicity and calm. Guests are encouraged to slow down and step away from the frequently frantic pace of modern life. On arrival, each is given simple bathing clothes, a traditional cotton ‘yukata’ robe and slippers, which they are asked to wear instead of their own clothes.
A life philosophy
“Some guests do find it very strange at first, but it’s fascinating how well and how quickly they all take to it,” Fallan Röd notes. “So much of our daily energy and effort is focused on how we appear to others, and what others might think of us, but if everyone is wearing the same clothes then you can just let go of all that and focus instead on relaxing. And that is actually really nice.”
While the décor and facilities offer a luxurious aesthetic, this is no mere Japanese-themed spa. Instead, Yasuragi promotes a genuine, holistic philoso-
Even the fact that guests must wear slippers is a way of encouraging a more meditative and relaxed mentality. “At Yasuragi,