When I woke up, the strongest cold wave of the year was covering the Japanese archipelago. Fortunately, it hadn't snowed yet in Hiroshima City. However, the forecast predicted heavy snow in the afternoon. I wanted to head home in the morning, but there was a sauna facility I wanted to visit, so I decided to stop by. My destination was Sauna & Capsule Japan. I took the Shinkansen from Hiroshima Station and got off at Fukuyama Station. From the station platform, I could see Fukuyama Castle beautifully. Throughout my life, I've passed through Fukuyama Station every time I took the Shinkansen, but I had never gotten off there, so it felt refreshing. Having a sauna I want to visit increases the number of towns I stop by. That's one of the joys of a sauna journey. Walking along the sidewalk in front of the station and turning left at the intersection, I found Sauna & Capsule Japan. It's located in a building, and the sauna is on the 5th floor. As I got off the elevator, I was greeted by an entrance with a Showa retro atmosphere, and the staff welcomed me. I handed over the shoe locker key and moved to the locker in the back. The lockers also had an old-school sauna feel, evoking nostalgia. Entering the large bath area, the retro feel deepened. There was one large bathtub, one cold plunge bath, and a mist sauna and dry sauna. I cleansed my body, warmed up in the bathtub, and headed to the dry sauna. The dry sauna at Sauna & Capsule Japan boasts a Showa strong style, with a traditional sauna where the room temperature approaches 120°C. They also hold aufguss events here, and although I didn't have the chance this time, I shivered at the thought of experiencing the heat waves in a 120°C space. As the thermometer indicated, the sauna's heat was powerful. The view from the window of the area around Fukuyama Station provided an open and liberating sauna experience. I warmed up while watching TV and headed straight to the cold plunge bath. The cold plunge bath was around 17°C and spacious enough. Walking through the freezing Hiroshima City, taking the Shinkansen, then walking through the freezing Fukuyama City, and entering the sauna and cold plunge bath felt like a roller coaster of temperature changes, putting my body in a state of panic. I sat in a rest chair after the cold plunge bath and rested my body for a while. Sauna & Capsule Japan has an outdoor air bath space on the rooftop, but I didn't have the courage to go in this cold. I would love to try it in the warmer seasons like spring. While in the second sauna session, the news came in that it would get even colder in the afternoon, with snow falling and possibly affecting transportation. It seemed wise not to stay too long, so I decided to finish with this session. Although it was only two sessions, I thoroughly enjoyed the old-established sauna in Hiroshima, adding a new page to my sauna history.

I traveled from Fukuyama Station to Okayama Station by Shinkansen and arrived at Utazu Station in Kagawa Prefecture from Okayama Station. At the moment I felt relieved to have safely returned to Shikoku, I was struck by intense hunger. Come to think of it, I hadn't had lunch. Since I was in Kagawa Prefecture, I decided to eat the famous bone-in chicken before heading back to my home in Tokushima. I moved to Takamatsu City and entered the renowned bone-in chicken restaurant Ikkaku. Sitting at the counter, I ordered the famous bone-in chicken and waited for the dish while reflecting on the journey. This time, I went on a sauna journey in Hiroshima, but no matter which of Japan's 47 prefectures you visit, there are wonderful hot springs and saunas. I believe this is a culture that Japan can proudly present to the world. Indeed, entering a hot spring or sauna alleviates stress, soothes the body's fatigue, and revitalizes the mind. It feels like life is reset, and a new life begins from the moment you leave the facility. That's why I want to continue visiting saunas, and I'm excited about what kind of sauna experiences I can have at the next destination. After savoring the exquisite bone-in chicken, I drove towards my home in Tokushima, planning my next sauna journey.