After my harrowing encounter with a tattooed group at Kofuku-yu that left me fleeing after just 15 minutes with an incomplete sauna session, I desperately sought refuge at Fukurou-no-Yu. While I felt guilty using such an excellent facility as an emergency escape, I had no choice—I absolutely needed to achieve that perfect state of relaxation. I parked in a nearby lot and walked to the facility. Fukurou-no-Yu is located on the basement level of a commercial building. Passing through what felt like a secret entrance, I arrived at the reception area. Instantly, I was enveloped by a sense of relief. The pristine lobby was filled with pleasant aromas, and refined, well-mannered guests relaxed with serene expressions. This was clearly Wakayama's premier super sento. With an on-site restaurant, I knew I could enjoy a delicious dinner here as well. After checking in, I headed to the changing room. The lockers were spacious and immaculate. I quickly undressed and entered the main bath area. Being on the basement level, there was no outdoor bathing space or open-air baths—just a simple layout featuring natural flowing hot springs, sauna, cold bath, and relaxation area. Examining the bathing pools closely, I noticed discoloration from the mineral content. This suggested exceptionally high-quality hot spring water. I cleansed myself and slipped into the natural flowing hot spring bath. According to the description, the water springs from 1,500 meters underground. The mineral concentration was remarkably dense, reminiscent of Arima Onsen. I slowly lowered my body into the bath. Ah, this was exactly what I'd been seeking. The tension melted from my muscles as I achieved profound relaxation. Here, there were no tattooed troublemakers—just courteous guests bathing peacefully. My experience at Kofuku-yu had taught me to appreciate fellow bathers who create a harmonious atmosphere. The hot spring water warmed my body so thoroughly that I decided to try the cold bath. While it used tap water, it was filtered through charcoal. The temperature felt around 18°C, cooling my body perfectly. The combination of sauna and cold bath is naturally sublime, but there's something equally magical about entering a cold bath after warming up in quality hot spring water. I dried the water droplets from my cooled body and headed to the sauna room. This facility featured a dry sauna with far-infrared heaters. While Finnish-style löyly saunas are currently popular, far-infrared saunas also provide excellent body warming. The room had a television installed, maintaining that classic, nostalgic atmosphere. Having already attempted one incomplete session at Kofuku-yu, I began sweating quickly. I'd forgotten—despite changing facilities, this was technically my second set. Probably no one else in this space had completed their first set at a different facility. I marveled at my own eccentricity, but as a professional sauna enthusiast, ending the day on a bad note would be unforgivable. The key is finishing each day thinking, "That felt amazing! Today was perfect!" This accumulation of positive experiences creates a fulfilling life. Lost in these thoughts, I began sweating profusely. Reaching my limit, I exited the sauna and immersed myself in the charcoal-filtered cold bath. A sense of security and pleasure enveloped me, followed by waves of pure bliss. I'd always taken for granted that saunas and cold baths would feel good, but I realized how wrong I'd been. I'd previously viewed those "No Tattooed Guests" signs at hot spring facilities as someone else's concern, but now I understood they were necessary for maintaining the clientele quality. I completed two additional sauna and cold bath cycles, concluding my sauna session for the day. Time to cap off the evening with a delicious meal before returning to my hotel.

When dining after a sauna session, if ginger pork set meal appears on the menu, I order it almost without fail. This evening was no exception—I ordered the ginger pork set meal at the facility's restaurant. At this point, I could probably create a ranking of ginger pork set meals from various hot spring facilities. When the dish arrived, I started with the miso soup. It permeated my exhausted body like medicine. I then devoured the main course—ginger pork and rice—within minutes. Another day complete. I'd managed to turn the day into a happy ending. Without Fukurou-no-Yu nearby after the Kofuku-yu incident, this would have definitely been a bad ending. I'm grateful for the chance at redemption. Back at the hotel, I contemplated tomorrow's plans. Tomorrow would be the final day of this journey. Since I needed to return from Wakayama to Tokushima, I'd inevitably pass through Nara and Osaka. One facility came to mind—the largest facility in the Kansai region that I'd reached the entrance of during my August Shiga-Nara sauna trip but couldn't enter due to overwhelming crowds. That facility is called "Nara Kenko Land." To be continued.