Onsen, a Japanese-Inspired Sauna and Recovery Lounge, Is Coming to Henley Beach Road

When James Rosback and Joshua O’Grady travelled to Japan a couple of years ago, they fell in love with the onsen experience as so many travellers do. But unlike most tourists, once back home, they started making plans to open a space inspired by these cultural institutions in their native Adelaide.

Now, after almost 12 months of planning and hard labour – much of which Rosback, a carpenter by trade, tackled himself – Onsen is just weeks from opening, and the boys can’t wait for locals to experience it.

“We’re not trying to replicate a traditional Japanese onsen,” Rosback says. “What we are trying to do is bring that same sense of community and create a space for somebody to leave their phone and enjoy some peace and quiet, or maybe chat to other people in the communal barrel sauna.”

In the slick Japanese Scandi style wellness sanctuary – with exposed concrete floors and walls, brushed copper finishes and textured beige tiling – there’ll be a six-person traditional barrel sauna: two full-spectrum infrared saunas for private use; four contrast baths (two hot, two cold); and compression therapy boots “which are really good for lactic acid and recovery,” O’Grady says.

All that may sound hardcore, but the pair assure you it’s not. “Our mission right from the start was to create a space for everyday health-conscious people, not just athletes,” Rosback says. “We’ve moved away from the more typical sports recovery centre concept to what we’re describing as a sauna and recovery lounge because, with these services, there’s so much research showing the benefits.”

Visitors will be offered a cup of tea when they arrive, which they’re welcome to take into the Onsen space.

The two mates aren’t concerned about “all this being a hot trend of the moment,” O’Grady says. “We see saunas and plunge baths specifically as a cultural change,” he says. “As the results of more studies get out there, indicating how good these services are for your mental and physical wellbeing, the more demand there’ll be for them – and getting that message out there is part of our mission.”

Onsen will offer casual visits (from $27 a pop), multi-entry packs, and three different membership levels depending on how many times per week members plan to use the space.

Onsen will open at 1/217 Henley Beach Road, Torrensville on November 17, 2025.

@onsen.au
www.onsensauna.com.au