For many first-time visitors, the biggest surprise isn't the heat. It's the television.

Televisions are a familiar feature of many traditional sentō and super sentō. Historically, Japanese bathhouses have been destinations for leisure and entertainment, not just places to wash, and people often spend several hours bathing and relaxing during a visit. Watching the news, a baseball game or even a sumo tournament while sitting in the sauna is part of the experience.

In Finnish and Russian saunas, conversation is often part of the experience. In Japan, the bathhouse is primarily a place ot relax rather than socialise. The television gives people something to watch while everyone sits quietly together, and distracts the mind from the intensity of the heat.

As Japan's sauna boom continues, some newer facilities are taking inspiration from Finland, favouring quieter rooms, löyly and a stronger focus on achieving totonou. Others have kept the traditional television, giving visitors a choice of different sauna styles.