Moji-ko, Kyushu — Japan
海水温熱
The heat of the sea, laid against the skin. A small salon in a Japanese port town.
Women onlyWhat it is
Seawater is brought to a boil. Towels are steamed in it. They are then laid on the body, one at a time, working slowly upward.
Nothing is kneaded. A steady pressure is applied through the towel, so the heat reaches deep.
手当て
Teate
Japanese for "placing a hand" — an old word for healing by hand.
The heat
A towel lifted straight from the pot is close to 80°C. We would rather say that plainly.
If you feel heat somewhere, say so. Usually the towel comes off there and then — though sometimes we keep sending heat to that spot a little longer, on purpose. A towel is laid on the skin first, so there are no burns.
The colder a place is, the hotter it feels.
For a body that is already warm, that same heat feels good.
The heat has not changed. The body has.
What follows
A sauna sets you right through contrast — heat, then cold water.
Kaisui Onnetsu has no cold phase. Heat is carried in order, from the soles of the feet to the head. That is what sets things moving, and what lets them settle.
The warmth stays in the body. The shoulders drop. Breathing slows on its own.
整う
Totonou
A word that resists translation. A return, not a change — back to the order the body already had. It is what most people come back for.
The session
Arrive
Change into a treatment robe, made from yukata cloth.
Soles to head
Steamed towels, working slowly upward. The face is included.
Leave warm
No cooling down. The heat stays with you. Water to finish.
One guest at a time, one to one with the practitioner.
Where it began
About thirty years ago, in Okinawa, Tomio Kakazu began this work.
He was boiling seawater to make nigari for someone with itching skin. Looking into the pot, he found whirls turning in the water. He stopped using fresh water and changed to seawater — that was the beginning.
His students, and their students, now practise across Japan. Rinko Morinaga is one of them. She keeps a small salon, alone, in the port town of Moji-ko in Kyushu.
Before you come
Heat is sent to the face as well, so coming without make-up makes the session more comfortable.
Contact lenses: please be ready to take them out. Heat is sent directly to both eyes.
Any eye surgery within the past six months — laser correction, lens implants, or anything else — please let us know beforehand. In that case the eyes are left out of the treatment.
This is exactly the time when warming the body is worth doing. Sessions are possible — please come without hesitation.
Things can get stained, so please bring a spare pair of underwear.
These need to be settled before the day rather than on arrival, so please let us know when you get in touch.
Practical
Booking
Bookings and questions are handled through Instagram. Send a direct message with the dates you have in mind, and anything from the section above that applies to you.
Message on Instagram@aogasuki555