Ten Thousand Waves

location | part of encyclopedia/culture
Pronounced: \ten thau-zuhnd wayvz\
IPA: /ˌtɛn ˈθaʊ.zənd weɪvz/

Definition of Ten Thousand Waves

Ten Thousand Waves is a renowned Japanese-inspired spa resort located in the Sangre de Cristo foothills just minutes from downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. Modeled after traditional Japanese mountain onsen, it offers private and communal hot tubs, therapeutic massages, skincare treatments, an acclaimed izakaya restaurant called Izanami, and lodging in ryokan-style houses.

The resort is celebrated for its distinctive “Japanese-adobe” architectural fusion, blending the clean lines, woodwork, and water features of traditional Japanese design with New Mexican architecture, including the incorporation and transformation of an 80-year-old historic adobe ranch house into lodging spaces with Japanese design aesthetic.

Usage of the term throughout history

Origin of Ten Thousand Waves

The tradition of Japanese-style bathhouses in America began in the early 20th century with Japanese immigrants establishing sentō—communal public baths—for cleansing, relaxation, and social connection. The Hashidate-yu, opened in 1910 in Seattle’s Japantown, was a meticulously crafted traditional sentō and remains the only fully intact pre-war example in the United States, preserved as a historic site after its closure during World War II internment. There have been a number of Japanese-style bathhouses since then, but none were in the style of a traditional mountain onsen.

In 1981, Ten Thousand Waves was founded by Duke Klauck outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, introducing the first mountain onsen-style resort in America. The architectural blend emerged organically, merging authentic Japanese craftsmanship with local adobe construction and historic elements, including the integration of a pre-existing 80-year-old adobe ranch house into the lodging offerings. Ten Thousand Waves began modestly as a small bathhouse with eight outdoor hot tubs and a single massage room. The goal was to transplant the healing benefits of Japanese onsen, soaking in hot water amid natural beauty, into the high-desert landscape of New Mexico.

Over four decades, the resort has thoughtfully expanded while preserving its core philosophy of serenity and mindful design. The name evokes the vastness of ocean waves and the boundless sense of calm sought in Japanese bathing traditions, adapted uniquely to the piñon and juniper scented mountains outside Santa Fe. Landscaping incorporates New Mexican plants from the Sangre de Cristo’s into Japanese gardening techniques.

First Known Use: 1981 (as the name of the Japanese-style spa resort in Santa Fe, New Mexico).