While it's nice to enjoy a public hot spring and sauna facility, there are times when you want to immerse yourself in a luxurious space. "Sauna Resort Oriental Kobe" is a facility that truly embodies luxury. The spa facility, attached to a high-end hotel, features a simple design with a sauna exceeding 100°C and a cold plunge bath at 8°C. If you're looking for a place in Kobe to experience a hot sauna and a cold plunge bath, this would be one of the top choices. After checking in, I relaxed in my hotel room for a while. As I was writing blog articles, night fell in no time. Now, it's time to head to the sauna. I undressed in the locker room and entered the large bath area. The compact space has a simple layout with a warm bath, sauna, and cold plunge bath. There are no natural hot springs or open-air baths like a super sento. All it has is a scorching sauna over 100°C and an 8°C cold plunge bath. I cleansed myself and entered the sauna room. Instantly, an intense heat overwhelmed my body. It's incredibly hot. It's one of the hottest experiences I've ever had in my life. I couldn't help but say out loud, "It's hot!" The thermometer showed 105°C. Moreover, the sauna stove is an iki sauna with an automatic löyly system. No wonder it's so hot. The perceived temperature in the sauna room is greatly influenced by humidity. As humidity increases, so does the perceived temperature. This sauna is set at an intense 105°C, and with the löyly adding humidity, it feels extraordinarily hot. In the first session, I couldn't stay in the sauna room for even 5 minutes. It might be a personal record for the shortest time. I left the sauna room, rinsed off my sweat, and headed to the cold plunge bath. This time, an intense coldness hit my body. It's 8°C. My blood vessels constricted rapidly, and I even felt pain. With the water temperature at 8°C, I couldn't stay long. I quickly got out of the cold plunge bath and collapsed onto a nearby chair. As I rested, a sense of pleasure gradually washed over me. It's said that the greater the temperature difference between the sauna and the cold plunge bath, the more intense the pleasure during rest. It's certainly an addictive sensation. In the second session, I managed to stay a bit longer than in the first. After cooling off in the 8°C cold plunge bath, it's only natural. However, after 5 minutes, I started sweating profusely and began to feel uncomfortable. Such a hot sauna is truly rare. Reaching my limit, I rushed to the cold plunge bath. In the end, I finished the night with two sessions. I initially planned for three, but my intuition told me to stop.

After the sauna, it's time for a delicious meal, but today I decided to indulge a little. "Sauna Resort Oriental Kobe" is located on Port Island in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, and offers a panoramic view of Kobe's nightscape from its top-floor restaurant. I decided to enjoy the elegant cuisine while gazing at the night view. Usually, I frequent long-established set meal shops or Chinese restaurants, but it's nice to have such a change once in a while. Upon entering the restaurant, a waiter greeted me with a refreshing smile. However, I didn't miss the dark emotion behind that smile, suggesting "this isn't the place for you." Since it was Sunday, and perhaps due to the few guests, I was shown to a couple's seat with a panoramic view of the nightscape. What was this waiter thinking? It would be awkward if a couple sat next to me. A solo guest like me would be better off at an inconspicuous table seat away from the couple's seats. Looking at the menu, the elegance stood out. There was no usual "ginger pork set meal" on the menu. Instead, it was filled with items like "salad of prosciutto and three kinds of cheese with seasonal fruits." Among them, I found a simple menu item, "Kobe beef hamburger," and ordered it. However, I realized my mistake after the first bite. For a body that has been through a sauna, juicy dishes or Japanese set meals are the most satisfying. Miso soup or vegetable soup is excellent, and ginger pork helps replenish the minerals lost in the sauna. The hamburger was certainly delicious, but it didn't have the penetrating satisfaction. On the contrary, the large bun gave a sense of "thirst." I thought it best not to do things I'm not used to, but indeed, dining while overlooking Kobe's nightscape felt elegant. If I ever have a partner, I'd love to dine together. Life is all about experiences. Having experiences can be useful later in life. With such thoughts, I settled the bill and returned to my hotel room. The next day, perhaps due to the tension of returning home in the morning, I woke up at 4 AM. I didn't feel like going back to sleep, so I got up, brushed my teeth, and decided to go to the morning sauna as a wake-up call. At this time, I had completely forgotten that the sauna was 105°C and the cold plunge bath was 8°C. Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I went to the large bath, cleansed myself, and entered the sauna room. The intense heat stimulated my just-awakened body. It was only then that I remembered the sauna and cold plunge bath settings, but it was too late. Having entered, I had no choice but to sweat it out as a professional sauna enthusiast and finish with the cold plunge bath. From 4 AM, I entered the 105°C sauna and cooled my body in the 8°C cold plunge bath. This will surely be an unforgettable experience in my life. It was indeed too intense, but I'm grateful to be alive. I drove on the early morning highway and safely returned home in the morning. If I had a wife and children, returning home in the morning would be a grave sin, but as a single person, there's no problem with returning home in the morning. By doing so, I was able to encounter another wonderful sauna facility. I hope to continue returning home in the morning and meet more saunas. This concludes my Osaka sauna journey.