Finding a facility you want to visit is exciting, but arriving there with your own two feet is even more rewarding. That becomes part of your life experience, and although you never know where it will prove useful, it unquestionably becomes one of your assets in life. That is what travel is. After having an extraordinary experience at "Sukkama Genji no Yu," I moved to Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, and checked in at my hotel. It was still evening, and there was still time before my nighttime sauna session. As I lay on the bed watching a baseball broadcast, I kept dozing off repeatedly, perhaps because of the fatigue from the long journey. It was not until 18:00 that I finally managed to drag myself up. Now, my next destination was "Uji Natural Hot Spring Genji no Yu." It was operated by the same company as "Sukkama Genji no Yu," which I had visited that morning, and since that one had been so wonderful, this one had to be good as well. I drove there full of anticipation, wondering what kind of experience awaited me. When I arrived, a calm, refined atmosphere with a Japanese-inspired theme welcomed me. After checking in and entering the building, I found a long corridor with a distinctive ambiance. A restaurant lay at the far end, and the large bathing area was on the left. First, I glanced through the restaurant menu and wondered a little what I would want to eat after bathing. This time spent imagining the meal after sauna is also an important spice in any sauna trip. When I stepped into the large bathing area, it felt quite crowded, probably because it was a holiday. Groups of young people were especially noticeable. But the number of people did not matter. Rather than being distracted by other people, it is important to focus on yourself and have a worthwhile experience. Sauna is the ultimate dialogue with oneself. First, I cleansed myself and slowly warmed up in the high-concentration carbonated spring in the indoor bath (1200ppm). The exquisite temperature setting of 38°C felt pleasant, and I could feel my blood circulation improving. After that, I moved to the open-air bath. There was a huge rock bath out there, filled with brownish tea-colored hot spring water. It was a chlorinated spring natural hot spring. The smooth texture felt extremely comfortable on the skin. Because chlorinated springs help salt adhere to the skin and prevent sweat from evaporating, the warmth lasts longer, which is why they are also called "warming waters." While gazing at the beautiful garden in the open air for a while, I let the blessings of the hot spring warm me all the way to my core. At last, it was time to head to the sauna room. When I opened the door, an exceptionally spacious room spread out before me. In the stadium-style sauna room, which could easily seat 30 people, a METOS iki stove stood proudly at the center. The wide benches were also excellent. Being able to change posture freely, whether sitting in a relaxed cross-legged position or curling up with my knees up, is a very welcome design for sauna enthusiasts. löyly seemed to be held regularly, and a pleasant aromatic fragrance drifted through the room, deeply soothing me. After heating my body thoroughly and reaching my limit, I left the sauna room and found the cold plunge bath right in front of me. The pathway was zero distance. Perfect. I rinsed off my sweat with a bucket of water and slowly lowered my body into it. It was spacious enough, with a depth of 1m, so I could cool my entire body thoroughly. The temperature was around 18°C, pleasantly cool without being too cold, making it comfortable enough to stay in forever. When I got out of the cold plunge bath, I noticed chairs lined up in every part of the open-air bath area. With nearly 20 chairs available, it seemed unlikely that anyone would end up as a "relaxation refugee," even with so many people around. I took a seat in an open chair and let the night breeze wash over me. As I had felt at "Sukkama Genji no Yu," the entire flow from sauna to cold plunge bath and then to outdoor air bathing, along with its quality, was truly outstanding. For my second set, I decided to experience the staff-led löyly service at 19:00. When the time came, a staff member entered the room and poured a large amount of acerola aroma water onto the sauna stones. In an instant, gentle steam and the sweet-tart scent of the aroma filled the entire sauna room. One by one, the staff member forcefully waved a large fan to fan the heat toward us. As the second round of löyly began, the heat in the sauna room reached its peak, and the perceived temperature rose all at once. Sweat poured out from every pore. While imagining, "The cold plunge bath and outdoor air bathing after this will definitely be amazing," I endured the intense wave of heat to the very end. After thanking the staff and leaving the room, I quickly cooled my overheated body in the cold plunge bath. As expected, I feel that after receiving a powerful löyly service, the subsequent refreshment in the cold plunge bath and outdoor air bathing runs even deeper. I surrendered my entire body weight to a chair in the open air and remained in a dazed state during outdoor air bathing. My mind went completely blank, and I simply felt the pleasant breeze. Reconfirming the happiness that can only be gained from a trip after a long time away, I felt joy welling up inside me. I had come to Kyoto on a whim, but I never expected to have such a wonderful experience. Once again, hot spring and sauna trips are incredibly fun. From here on, as long as time and stamina allow, I want to keep making this best of all journeys. After two sets, my body was completely totonou, so I ended my sauna session for the day there.

After bathing, I headed straight to the restaurant I had had my eye on since entering the facility. Just like at "Sukkama Genji no Yu," the meal here was also extremely delicious. I devoured the braised pork and ginger pork set meal in one go and perfectly replenished the energy I had lost. I would like to express my deep gratitude for having encountered such wonderful facilities as "Sukkama Genji no Yu" and "Uji Natural Hot Spring Genji no Yu." Back at my hotel, I collapsed onto the bed and immediately drifted into the world of dreams. Tomorrow, I plan to visit "Takekiri Onsen Akari no Yu" in Yawata City, Kyoto Prefecture. The journey continues.