24 Kaikan Hotel and Sauna Shinjuku

My first-ever 🏳️‍🌈sauna experience is dedicated to you. It left a pretty good impression. The front desk staff carefully explained the fees and entry rules. 2026 has truly been an eye-opener for me. I’m really happy and also proud of my own courage. The only sad part was being rejected by four people. Next time I come to Shinjuku, Japan, I’ll definitely visit again. I dedicate my first-ever gay sauna experience to you. Overall, it left a very good impression. The front desk staff carefully explained the fees and entry rules. 2026 has greatly broadened my horizons in life. I’m really happy and proud of my courage. The only sad part was being rejected by four people. Next time I come to Shinjuku, Japan, I’ll definitely visit again.

I personally had a fine time but was shocked with total disregard of consent. All night long, creepy guys walk in and out of the sleeping room and try to grab a feel. I told “no” a few times in Japanese. One guy ignored me so I kicked him to get him away. I got no sleep at all. If you want a good rest, book a private room or stay somewhere else. I recommend to come for fun but do not stay.

After reading the reviews, many said the price-performance ratio was so-so. I went to a gay sauna in Japan for the first time with some trepidation, but I thought it was pretty good. While changing, I saw a really muscular guy, but unfortunately he was leaving. Even if he hadn't left, I probably wouldn't have been his type, so I just skipped him. There were quite a few people coming and going, but I can only say there weren't many truly attractive women. The physiques and ages varied, but I did meet someone I clicked with, which was a pretty good experience, haha. There were muscular guys, but not many.

I want to note upfront that this review goes beyond what is probably typical in Japan. I’m writing as a visitor, and I’m aware that my perspective—and the way I express concern—may feel more direct or expansive than what’s culturally expected. That said, I offer this with respect, not judgment. I can’t fully erase who I am or what I care about, and in this case, restraint would feel like a disservice to an issue that affects everyone. On a basic level, the facility is clean. Mattresses are regularly stripped, black lights are used to identify which need cleaning, and I had no issues with staff or other patrons. The atmosphere was quieter than comparable places in Osaka, but I don’t attribute that to Tokyo itself—a city I’ve consistently found warmer and more welcoming than its reputation suggests. It seemed more a function of who arrived together than any “cold Tokyo” stereotype. Any language barriers were mine, not theirs. The reason for the lowest possible rating is something more serious: a missed responsibility toward the community this place serves. By contrast, Daikichi in Osaka at least provided condoms. 24 Kaikan provided no condoms, no lubricant, and no visible, proactive expectations around safer sex. There may be health literature posted somewhere, but in an environment like this, passive messaging is not enough. When a space is built around intimacy, prevention cannot be invisible. Gay bathhouses are often reduced to caricature, but historically they have been refuges—affordable, anonymous places where men can sleep safely, exist without scrutiny, or simply not feel alone. For young, closeted, or struggling men, that matters. This is part of what people mean when they speak about “community,” not as an abstract ideal but as lived support. Japan is currently moving in the wrong direction on HIV and other STIs with cases climbing in the past few years, while cities like San Francisco and Sydney have dramatically reduced new infections through condoms, testing, and PrEP. Japan’s rollout of PrEP has been late, limited, and expensive, and newer long-acting injectable options still aren’t approved. That reality makes proactive care by establishments more important, not less. It’s easy to frame condomless sex as an individual failing. It’s harder—but necessary—to acknowledge how stigma, limited education, and gaps in access shape behavior. Bathhouses don’t create these problems, but they operate within them, and they can either help reduce harm or quietly accept it. Doing nothing is still a choice. I want places like this to survive. I believe they are important, and I’m not trying to offend or lecture. But concern for each other’s well-being has to be visible in practice, not assumed. Until 24 Kaikan shows that it recognizes this shared responsibility, I can’t recommend it, and I won’t return.

best place to go if you want to have fun ! open 24 hours. the price is a little higth , it went up like crazy since a couple of years... but I guess that is the norm now. But very nice, it's clean enougth. Staff is friendly. The degree of fun depends on the crowd on that moment, but usually it's busy.

As a European, it was a truly wonderful experience, both for the facility, which is fully equipped, and for the clientele. A little pricey, but worth it for everything it offers.

Quite a few negative reviews but I guess most come from people with European saunas expectations. Extremely clean as you’d expect in Japan, mixed crowed, all types of bodies, ages, nationalities. And yes, things do happen if that’s what you’re in for

I originally didn’t plan to visit 24 Kaikan because of all the bad reviews, but my travel buddy kinda complained about my snoring🤭 So I let him get some rest in our hotel room and decided to check it out on my own. The entrance is on the 2nd floor. You’ll need a 10 yen coin to store your shoes and take the key to the counter. The staff was quick and efficient—definitely not rude like some of the reviews mentioned. I paid 3,900 yen, which I think a bit overpriced. This is the Saturday night after 9pm price (3,100 yen before 9). The sauna is on the 3rd floor, where most of the action happens. The crowd was about 80% locals and 20% visitors, mostly in their 20s and 30s. Some of them are really cute, and people are willing to play having fun. It did feel kinda crowded as the space is relatively small—the dark alley and cruising areas are limited. As for the other floors, don’t expect much actions —most people seem just going there to sleep 😴 Overall, 24 Kaikan feels more like a hotel that rents out one floor as a sauna. But it’s not as bad as some of the negative reviews made it sound. I met a few great guys, some locals and visitors from Paris and Madrid. I had a great time and I’d rate it 3.5 out of 5. And for anyone with tattoos, no worries. I have one on my left arm, no issues at all.

Friday around 3 AM Japanese men and tourists. Mostly between 20 and 40 years old (some older). The atmosphere on the sauna floor was very lively. Perhaps a bit too bright in the pool area and also in the changing rooms. Definitely worth spending some time here.