The world's most ambitious exhibition "EXPO 2025 Osaka" is a platform where visitors can get to know both Latvia's creativity and technological potential, as well as culture and customs. Participation in the EXPO has allowed us to take a significant step towards bringing the sauna tradition further into the world, bringing to Latvia the first students who have mastered the art of the Latvian sauna, in order to then continue to popularize it in Japan.
At the EXPO in Japan, both sauna owner Ieva Kolosova, founder of the "Forest pirts" brand, and later one of the founders of the Latvian Sauna and SPA Association, sauna owner Dace Purvinska, went to introduce the exhibition visitors to the traditions of the Latvian sauna. They admit that although the initial goal was to tell as many people as possible and give them the opportunity to experience the Latvian sauna, it also brought business opportunities, as several Japanese people have shown interest in coming to Latvia and learning this skill from the masters themselves.
“Over two days of presentations on the sauna process, we conveyed our message to several hundred EXPO visitors. One of them later participated in a sauna procedure master class led by us and expressed a desire to visit Latvia to learn more about the use of plants in the sauna – this is exactly the aspect that distinguishes the Latvian sauna from the sauna traditions of other nations. The visitors to the Baltic pavilion were very responsive, enthusiastically learning dry whipping, and I must say that in the hot Japanese climate it was just in time – refreshing. The visitors were surprised to smell various herbal scrubs, yarrow scrubs, the aroma of which resembles Amaretto, and were amazed at how aromatic birch, maple and oak brooms are. I believe that the sensations they experienced during our presentations have become ingrained in the body’s memory,” says Dace Purvinska.
Japanese Riina experiences healing in a Latvian bathhouse
Participation in the trade mission to Japan organized by LIAA has already brought the first results and brought Latvian bathhouse users together not only with other interested parties, but also with Japanese Riina. She admits that she was first inspired by Ieva Kolosova's book, which revealed the basics and traditions of the bathhouse to the Japanese audience - it naturally sparked interest in the richness of Latvian culture. However, the real turning point was a meeting with a bathhouse owner in person at EXPO: "While I was telling her about Japanese medicinal herbs, she said - You know so much about herbs, you should become a Japanese bathhouse master!" These words encouraged Riina, and after this meeting a decision was made - she had to see and experience a Latvian bathhouse in its authentic environment. So the Japanese woman came to Latvia to learn the art of the bathhouse in person for more than a month and then take her knowledge back to Japan.
Describing her first sauna ritual, Riina admits that it was like a fairy tale. “After the first ten minutes, tears started to fall. I was surrounded by the scent and touch of forest plants, and the feelings I experienced under Ieva’s guidance allowed me to experience healing that cannot be described in words. At that moment, I realized that this is an experience that no one in Japan has been able to give me so far,” emphasizes Riina.
Sauna owner Dace Purvinska points out that the sauna ritual is really more than just washing, and in the sauna everyone will experience what they are ready for and how open they are to what the sauna can offer. “It’s hard for me to imagine any other bathing practice that would leave you with such a deep sense of bodily purity as a sauna. But that’s just the first level. Lying on the lava, when your racing mind has calmed down, you can gain revelations and understand what’s needed. In everyday life, we tend to hide behind masks and social roles, but when you’re naked on the lava with yourself, in a state of altered consciousness due to the temperature, that’s when the true answers come,” reveals Dace Purvinska.
From the different to the common – how to bring the art of sauna to life in Japan
Japanese Riina says that even before arriving in Latvia, she had researched the history of the Latvian sauna in depth and discovered that singing is also an important part of this ritual: “In Japan, singing in the sauna would be unthinkable, but here it is an important part of the experience and fits so naturally into the overall process.” She adds that the Japanese onsen tradition has other nuances – it focuses more on soaking in hot springs, the water of which is rich in minerals. Riina found it surprising that in Latvia, both men and women often go together to bathe naked in a sauna and then cool off in a nearby pond or lake. In Japan, although relaxation in hot springs is intended without clothing, the gender division is strictly observed. Overall, Riina finds the Latvian sauna experience unique and much deeper, as it includes both physical, emotional and spiritual purification. And she sees potential for its spread in Japan as well, as bathing using various plants has gained recognition there in recent years. Also, what unites both cultures is a love of nature and rituals in general.
“Honestly, during my stay in Latvia, I tried to take everything I could with me. However, if I had to name the most important thing that I will take with me to Japan, it would be a view of the way in which a person comes into harmony with themselves through the ritual of the sauna and phytotherapy, or the use of natural plants. People are free and open, and the sauna here is not just a cleansing of the body – it is an experience that makes you open your heart. Here I felt peace and closeness to nature – like I had returned to my roots. My friends, watching my activities on social networks, even say that I was born in the wrong country. However, when I return to Japan, I am determined to continue what I started and carry forward everything I learned in Latvia,” Riina admits.
Bathhouse owner Dace Purvinska points out that participation in “Expo 2025 Osaka” can serve as a bridge between people and cultures: “For us, it is not just a business project – we went to EXPO with the aim of sharing what is sacred to us – the Latvian bathhouse. If even one person finds their way to Latvia after this experience to learn more, our work has paid off.”
Publicity photo (photographer Mārtiņš Garais): https://failiem.lv/u/djgv58s8nr
About “EXPO 2025 Osaka”:
“EXPO 2025 Osaka” is the world’s most important exhibition for building a country’s image and promoting export capacity, which addresses not only economic but also social issues of global importance. The exhibition is attended by 159 countries, 7 international organizations and is expected to be visited by more than 28 million visitors from all over the world. The exhibition is a place to view exhibitions presenting countries and regions, as well as to create new technologies and innovations to solve global problems by combining global knowledge and ideas. The main theme of the exhibition is "Designing Future Society for Our Lives", while the subtheme of the Baltic pavilion is "Saving Lives", which focuses on improving the quality of life with the help of the latest technologies, while adhering to high environmental standards. In order to achieve the goals of both promoting the country's image and promoting export capacity, in addition to Latvia's participation in "Expo 2025 Osaka", an extensive business program is being organized, offering Latvian companies the opportunity to participate in industry exhibitions, events and trade missions in Japan.
