Singaporeans love Japan so much that a record-breaking number of 691,100 Singaporeans visited the land of the rising sun in 2024, with almost one-fifth of them visiting last December alone.
While the Japan National Tourism Organisation has attributed this increase to a stronger Singapore dollar against the Japanese Yen, not many people can afford to fly out to see what the hype is all about.
As such, many Singaporeans have started their businesses offering authentic or Japanese-inspired experiences, including Stella Koh, who co-founded Joya Onsen Cafe at just 19 years old in 2021.
Amongst the omakases and Japanese F&B concepts, the concept of an onsen is foreign to many. This was the case for Stella’s mother, who co-founded the business back then. Stella shared that it took three months of constant discussion and persuasion to get her mother fully on board, and getting it off the ground came with multiple challenges.
Vulcan Post visited Joya Onsen Cafe and spoke to Stella, who is now 24, about her journey building the business from the ground up.
My experience at Joya Onsen Cafe
According to Stella, Joya Onsen Cafe is home to Singapore’s largest themed hot onsen bath, complete with a cold bath and dry sauna: elements that are found in many bathing experiences in Japan. Its public onsens are separated by gender, and require you to be in your birthday suit.
Yes—I had to go fully nude to use the onsen, but to my relief, I was thankful to have the entire female public onsen to myself for an hour that Monday afternoon. Nonetheless, I was told that you can ask for disposable underwear, and you can also use a modesty towel to cover your jewels out of the water.
I chose to start in the dry sauna, which is said to open up your pores and help you absorb the minerals before entering the onsen. Now, I don’t usually enjoy saunas as Singapore’s weather creates a natural sauna, but given that it was raining and chilly that day, I was more than happy to sweat it out for about 10 minutes.
In Japan, onsen baths typically have natural elements that offer health benefits, such as increasing blood circulation and muscle relaxation. Joya aims to recreate these restorative benefits by infusing tea into their baths.
They also offer baths that follow the seasons of Japan: Sakura tea bath for spring, a Red Wine bath for Autumn and a creamy Milk bath for Winter. This summer, Joya introduced a Mint Ramune bath—a carbonated bath that helps to cool down your body and contains antioxidants—which I had the chance to experience firsthand.
The cooling sensation was a nice contrast against the warm bath, and I felt myself slowly enjoying the rare moment away from my devices and the fast-paced environment. I also loved going back and forth between the hot spring and the cold pool, which is said to improve one’s blood pressure.
Before I knew it, the buzzer rang signalling that I had 10 minutes until the end of my session, and I quickly showered and towelled myself off. Then, I decided to don my yukata, which is a lighter, casual version of a kimono, with the help of one of the staff.
From there, I made my way to their Tatami Cafe for lunch, where I was offered a wide variety of choices, from crowd pleasers like salmon sashimi to Japanese curry rice to lesser-known desserts such as Oshiruko, which is a red bean soup with mochi or dango, and Kuzu Manju, which is a type of Japanese mochi.
After a delicious lunch, I left Joya feeling refreshed and relaxed physically and mentally, so much so that I was sinking into the car seat on my Grab ride back home.
But running an onsen is anything but zen
Although my visit was relaxing, building and running an onsen, just like any other business, is far from a zen or tranquil experience.
In the case of Joya, Stella was confronted with high upfront costs to support and maintain their facilities.
She shared that the initial capital outlay was about S$500,000, excluding the ongoing renovations done post-opening. To support the size and capacity of their main pool, she also had to invest in a high-powered industrial pump system that could maintain the water flow, temperature and filtration 24/7.
Stella also added that she felt underestimated and scrutinised due to her young age, and had moments where suppliers or older employees tried to take advantage of her lack of knowledge and lowball her.
It’s disheartening that when a young person breaks the norm and steps into entrepreneurship, their success is often attributed to luck or having strong backing, rather than the hard work they’ve put in. What people don’t see are the late nights, the trial and error, and the pressure to prove ourselves—not just once, but constantly.
And the truth is, it feels like we can’t win either way. If we fail, people say it’s because we’re too young. If we succeed, they say we got lucky.
Stella Koh, co-founder of Joya Onsen Cafe
Despite the odds, Stella pushed through, and the business broke even two years after operations. Over the years, Joya has continued to evolve and undergone multiple changes—including new leadership.
While her mother and sister were involved in the business’s early stages, they have since stepped away, and Stella has now partnered with two like-minded partners.
Having launched her own e-commerce business selling adjustable tables and projectors and starting F&B business Wanderhow BBQ, 27-year-old Dion Mok is no stranger to entrepreneurship. But even with these two ventures, she was still hungry for a new opportunity and became connected with Stella through a mutual connection.
They instantly clicked with their shared experience of being young entrepreneurs, leading Stella to invite Dion and her partner, Dave Ng, to run the business alongside her. The pair officially joined Joya as directors in 2024, with Dion spearheading the growth and development of the company and Dave managing the finances.
Joya Onsen Cafe will continue to bring more parts of Japan to Singapore
Since its inception in 2021, Joya has drawn the intrigue of Singaporeans and Japanese guests alike and has hosted various educational institutions and corporate teams, including the Ducati bikers for International Women’s Day this March.
Part of it can be attributed to the hype surrounding Japan in recent years. According to Stella and Dion, more customers were drawn to them as the Japanese culture became more loved, not just in terms of novelty, but also the calm and thoughtful ritual that comes from using an onsen.
“We’ve even had Japanese guests share how much they appreciate being able to patronise our onsen, telling us it brings back warm, familiar memories of home,” shared Dion.
Encouraged by the demand, she and Stella have expressed their ambition to introduce more seasonal bath concepts, expand the cafe’s F&B offerings and further enhance the onsen’s ambience and service. They are also focusing on building a stronger team internally by providing opportunities for all staff to develop their skills, such as encouraging them to sign up for hospitality courses.
“You don’t leave this place without learning anything new,” said Dion. “While this may be uncommon in the service industry, we strongly believe our people deserve to be celebrated—because behind every smooth operation and satisfied guest is a team that gives their all, every single day.”
Their plans do not stop there: both have expressed their ambition to expand Joya’s presence to become Singapore’s leading Japanese-inspired wellness destination eventually, and teased potential moves that the business might make down the road.
“Whether [it be] through a second outlet, pop-up experiences, or collaborations with like-minded brands in wellness, hospitality, or culture. We want Joya to be more than a place; we want it to be a movement rooted in calm, care, and connection,” added Dion.
- Learn more about Joya Onsen Cafe here.
- Read more stories we’ve written about Singaporean startups here.
Featured Image Credit: Joya Onsen Cafe
