Wellness sauna "YAMBARU RITUALE" will be available from October 1st.

2026.10.16

"YAMBARU RITUALE," a wellness sauna that allows you to experience the nature of Yambaru with all five senses, will begin operations on October 1st. & RITUALE launches in Okinawa: A 120-minute wellness experience inspired by purpose in life and human connection.

Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa ( Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture ) will begin offering "YAMBARU RITUALE," a wellness sauna that allows guests to experience the nature of Yambaru with all five senses, starting October 1st, 2026 (Thursday). This 120-minute self-guided program blends the plants and herbs of Yambaru, the steam, the pool water, and the Okinawa breeze into a single flow. Incorporating 4-7-8 breathing exercises and 20 communication cards, guests will slowly focus on their own sensations and their relationships with those they visit with. This project is the first in the "& RITUALE" experience brand planned by NomadResort Co., Ltd., and will launch in Okinawa . It will be available to both hotel guests and day visitors.

What is YAMBARU RITUARE?

YAMBARU RITUALE is a ritual designed to allow you to experience Yambaru in northern Okinawa Prefecture through a sauna. You will regulate your breathing amidst the lush greenery and scents reminiscent of a forest, and surrender yourself to the heat and steam. You will choose one question from 20 cards, listen to the words and silence of your companions, and finally touch the water of the Garden Pool and the Okinawa night breeze. Through this series of events, you will reflect on your own body and your connection with loved ones. The experience is not confined to the sauna, but is designed to be a single experience encompassing wind, scent, plants, water, breathing, and dialogue. It is an experience where you can fully connect with the depth of the Yambaru forest and the atmosphere of the island while staying at the hotel.

A 120-minute journey through the five senses

Following your self-guided tour, you'll progress through detox water, breathing exercises, a sauna, conversation, and a night pool. Rather than rushing through a set sequence, you can prioritize your physical condition and sensations on that day and enjoy the experience at your own pace.

flow	The triggers of the five senses	Experience details
1 PREPAR	taste	Rehydrate with detox water and review your self-guided routine.
2 BREATHE	feel	Perform a breathing technique that involves inhaling for 4 seconds, holding your breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds, within a comfortable range.
3 STEAM	smell, touch	In a space reminiscent of the plants of Yambaru , you can feel the heat, steam, and the scent of herbs.
4 CONNECT	listen	Choose one question from the 20 cards and listen to what the other person says or how they remain silent.
5 RETURN	See, Touch	Enjoy the water and the Okinawa night breeze at the illuminated Garden Pool .

4-7-8 breathing exercises and 20 dialogue cards

The experience begins with the "4-7-8 breathing" method, where you inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. The goal isn't to achieve a specific number of breaths or duration, but rather to take time to place your hand on your chest and become aware of your body's current state before entering the sauna. This should be done at a comfortable pace, according to your physical condition. The communication cards used inside the sauna were created in collaboration with sauna producer Shino. The 20 cards are divided into four categories: "FEEL," "SENSE," "CONNECT," and "RETURN," each containing short questions about your body, nature, the other person, and how you take what you learn back into your daily life. The rule is, "You can talk, pass, or remain silent." The design encourages you to spend time in the moment, without rushing to answer, and to allow for the natural flow of the experience.

"LOVE OKINAWA DISCOVER YAMBARU"- A Sauna Experience

Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa, based on the concept of "LOVE OKINAWA DISCOVER YAMBARU," proposes a journey that goes beyond simply observing nature, allowing guests to slowly touch and relax their mind and body. At YAMBARU RITUALE, this philosophy is extended both inside and outside the sauna. Inside the white tent, the greenery, inspired by the plants of Yambaru, and the steam infused with the scent of herbs create a time to "connect with the forest." After leaving the tent, guests spend time "playing with the island," feeling the sky change from dusk to night, the rippling surface of the water, and the Okinawa breeze on their skin. It is an experience that allows you to physically trace the hotel's concept.

&RITUARE, an experience brand based in Okinawa.

Behind YAMBARU RITUALE is the experience brand "& RITUALE". It aims to allow you to receive the nature and culture rooted in the land with all five senses, experience it as a small "ritual = RITUALE" during your travels, and bring that feeling back to your daily life. The "&" in the name represents the connections that are born between the land and the people, between travel and daily life, and between yourself and your loved ones. At the core of the brand is the idea of ​​"connecting with the land and returning to yourself". Okinawa was chosen as the first step in this endeavor. YAMBARU RITUALE does not claim to have the effect of promoting longevity. It draws inspiration from the values ​​found in Okinawa life, such as spending time with nature, sharing time with people, and paying attention to one's own senses and how one spends their days. With & RITUALE, wellness is not viewed as a temporary rest, but rather as an experience that includes nature, relationships with people, and the reason for living each day. With YAMBARU RITUALE as our first step, we plan to create rituals that incorporate nature, culture, food, and human connections in various locations throughout Japan and around the world.

・Comment from Planning Producer Matsumoto Matsumoto of Nomad Resort Co., Ltd.: Okinawa, as one of the "Blue Zones" of longevity regions, has introduced to the world a lifestyle that values ​​purpose in life and connections with others. We are starting the first step of & RITUALE in Okinawa because we want to consider wellness not only in terms of the body, but also in terms of relationships with nature and people, and the reason for living each day. At YAMBARU RITUALE, we have transformed the hotel's cherished concept of "LOVE OKINAWA DISCOVER YAMBARU" into a flow of wind, scent, steam, water, and dialogue. We hope to connect this Okinawa experience to various parts of Japan and the world.

・Comment from sauna experience producer and thermal resonance expert, Shino: When you enter the tent and are enveloped in heat and steam, you can hear your own breathing and the voices of others more clearly than usual. At YAMBARU RITUALE, we have incorporated 4-7-8 breathing exercises and 20 dialogue cards into the experience so that you can naturally enter into that feeling. The scent reminiscent of the plants of Yambaru, the water in the pool, and even the Okinawa breeze passing over your skin are all designed to be part of the sauna experience. You can talk, pass, or remain silent. Rather than trying to find an answer, we want you to enjoy the time you spend noticing what you are feeling in the moment.

YAMBARU RITUARE Overview

Sauna: AMBER tent sauna, electric sauna stove / Private use only, 120 minutes per session. Other: 4-7-8 breathing exercise / Communication card / Water provided. Period: October 1, 2026 (Thu) - April 30, 2027 (Fri)
Operating hours: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM (Last entry 7:00 PM) *Subject to the operating hours of the Garden Pool*1. Price: [For hotel guests] Sauna usage fee: 5,000 yen (tax included) / 1 tent (capacity 4 people)*2
[Outpatient Use] Sauna usage fee: 5,000 yen (tax included) / 1 tent * 2 + Garden Pool facility usage fee * 3: 5,000 yen (tax included) / 1 person
*1 You can use the Garden Pool as an alternative to a cold plunge pool (Please note that the Garden Pool will be under maintenance from January 4th to February 28th, and a separate cold plunge pool will be provided during this period).
*2 If the number of users exceeds the capacity (4 people/1 tent), an additional tent must be ordered (5,000 yen (tax included) per additional tent).
*3 For outpatients, a separate Garden Pool facility usage fee (5,000 yen per person) is required (excluding the maintenance period (January 4th to February 28th)).
Target age: 13 years and older

Click here for details

For inquiries: Recreation 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM TEL 0980-51-1000 (Main number)

■ Matsumoto Matsumoto, NomadResort Co., Ltd.
Matsumoto Matsumoto is the co-representative and Paradise Producer of NomadResort Co., Ltd. Based in Nago , Okinawa , he is involved in accommodation and community businesses that utilize the nature, culture, and human connections rooted in the local area. In this project, he was in charge of the brand concept for & RITUALE and the overall planning and design of YAMBARU RITUALE.
https://nomadresort.jp/

■Sauna Experience Producer, Thermal Resonance Master Shino
Sauna experience producer and thermal resonance master Shino. She serves as Creative Director at the private sauna "SAUNA Kirichu" in Tokyo, Tokyo, and is involved in planning sauna spaces and experiences. For this project, she supervised the design of the experience from breathing and dialogue to the sauna and pool, as well as the production of 20 communication cards.