The second day of my sauna journey in Hokuriku starts at "Bathhouse FUROBAKKA." I took a local train from Toyama Station and headed towards Kurobe Station. Gazing at the vast rural landscape and the Tateyama Mountain Range from the train window, I arrived at Kurobe Station in no time. There was nothing much around the station. Upon checking the route to "Bathhouse FUROBAKKA," I found it would take about 20 minutes on foot. I couldn't wait. I wanted to get into the sauna as soon as possible. There was a taxi parked at the station's roundabout, so I immediately got in and asked, "To Bathhouse FUROBAKKA, please." Standing in front of the entrance, I grinned as I took pictures of the facility. The reason for my excitement is that the sauna at "Bathhouse FUROBAKKA" closely resembles my ideal sauna. My ideal sauna is a quiet, dark hut where I can gaze at the flames of a wood stove, listen to the sound of burning wood, enjoy the smell of the wood, and be led into a meditative state. When I discovered "Bathhouse FUROBAKKA" while researching sauna facilities in Toyama Prefecture, I couldn't help but mutter, "I've been waiting for a sauna like this." The ideal sauna was right in front of me. There was no way I couldn't be excited. I was confident of success even before entering the facility. Fortunately, it was just after opening and the weather was rainy, so the parking lot was empty. It was certain that there would be few people. What luck. Let's quickly complete the check-in and indulge in the wood sauna. On the way to the large bath after checking in, my sense of smell was already captivated. The wonderful scent of wood permeated the entire facility. Both sides of the corridor were stocked with a large amount of wood for use in the sauna. This atmosphere was also superb. I moved to the changing room, quickly got naked, and entered the bath. There was no one there. It was like having a private bath. I hadn't expected to use the large bath privately. After cleansing myself, I decided to first enter the carbonated bath. After relaxing for about 10 minutes, my body gradually warmed up. I was ready to enter the sauna. I wiped off the water droplets from my body and headed to the outdoor area where the sauna was. The large bath at "Bathhouse FUROBAKKA" has two types of saunas. One is the "Anagura Sauna," which offers a cave-like atmosphere, and the other is the "Yamagoya Sauna," modeled after a hut. Both are wood saunas. I decided to go to the "Anagura Sauna" first. A cave-like building surrounded by concrete came into view. Opening the entrance door revealed a different world. The only light in the pitch-dark room was the flames of the wood stove and the faint light leaking from the entrance gap. The sauna walls were also bare concrete, truly resembling a cave. I slowly sat on the bench. The room temperature was 85°C. The heat was incredibly gentle. Moreover, the scent of wood, the sound of burning wood, and the flames provided exceptional healing. It felt like having a campfire in the pitch-black darkness. And there was no one else but me. There was no chance to monopolize such a space. I slowly closed my eyes and became one with nothing. Without thinking about anything, I just enjoyed the sound and smell of the wood. I must have been in there for about 10 minutes. I was in a complete meditative state. Although I was sitting in the same place, I felt as if I had gone to a faraway world. I've been going to saunas for years, but this was my first experience like this. I had sweated quite a bit, so it was time to head to the cold plunge bath. The cold plunge bath at "Bathhouse FUROBAKKA" luxuriously uses underground water, a blessing of the nature-rich Kurobe, pumped up at 560 liters per minute. I entered it as if being drawn in. The thermometer indicated 13°C. It was quite cold, but it had the unique smoothness of underground water. If it were tap water at 13°C, I wouldn't be able to relax and soak like this. Looking to the side, I saw water pouring in with tremendous force. I couldn't help but grin. It was time to drink the much-awaited water. I filled my hands with the famous Kurobe water and took a gulp. Ah, how delicious. It soaked into my body, healed by the wood sauna. I felt like my energy was being recharged. I lay down on the outdoor air bath chair, and the ultimate relaxation time arrived. For the second round, I went to the "Yamagoya Sauna." Unlike the "Anagura Sauna," it had large windows, making the interior bright. From the windows, I could see the adjacent large park. The lush green scenery provided healing. Above all, the scent was wonderful. Wood saunas are the best. In this "Yamagoya Sauna," you can enjoy self-löyly. A large number of stones were piled on the big wood stove, and you could pour water over them. Since I was the only one there, I did löyly multiple times. I entered a meditative state here as well. I focused all my senses on the sound, smell, and flames of the wood. As I began to sweat profusely, I headed for the second cold plunge bath. I cooled my body with Kurobe's famous water and drank the natural water in the same flow. How refreshing. After that, I enjoyed two rounds each of the "Anagura Sauna" and "Yamagoya Sauna" (a total of six rounds), concluding my sauna activities for the morning.

After leaving the sauna and getting dressed, I lay down in the relaxation room (second photo) and couldn't move for about 30 minutes. I was in a daze from the overwhelming pleasure and satisfaction. It was a dream sauna that encapsulated all my ideals. When I'm truly moved during a sauna journey, I often find myself in a daze. At such times, I make sure to enjoy being in a daze to my heart's content. It's an unfamiliar land, and I have no acquaintances. There's no need to worry about being seen. It's a solo trip anyway, and there's no set destination other than the sauna. I remain still until I feel like saying, "Alright, let's go." In daily life, I often have to suppress my desires, so during a sauna journey, I fully liberate myself. I move as I please. That's what being human is about. Regaining consciousness in the relaxation room, I started to feel like taking action. It's still morning. There's time until night. How should I spend this time? I haven't planned anything. I'll decide now. This freedom is the charm of travel. Now, where should I go? While researching Kurobe's attractions, I found a tourist spot called "Unazuki Onsen." There's a hot spring town in the Kurobe Gorge, and apparently, there's a trolley train that allows access to the depths of the gorge. You can enjoy the great outdoors while riding the train. Sounds perfect for killing time. I'll visit Unazuki Onsen and then head to today's accommodation. By the way, today's accommodation is also a sauna facility that I've been paying attention to for a while. There's a sauna produced by Mikie Sasano, the daughter of the sacred place of Japanese saunas, "Sauna Shikiji." It's located on the 9th floor of "Hotel Granmirage" in Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture. Tonight, too, an exquisite sauna awaits me. Despite being filled with such excitement, parting with "Bathhouse FUROBAKKA" was still sad, and I left the facility in tears.