Finding a new place you want to visit is exciting enough, but there's an even greater joy in actually getting there on your own two feet. Those experiences become part of your life story — you never quite know where they'll come in handy, but they're undeniably yours to keep. That's what travel is all about. After an extraordinary experience at Sukkama Genji no Yu, I made my way to Uji City in Kyoto Prefecture and checked into my hotel for the night. It was still early evening, and I had time to spare before heading out for a night sauna session. I sprawled out on the bed and watched a baseball broadcast, but the exhaustion of the long trip caught up with me — I dozed off multiple times. I finally dragged myself up at 6 p.m. My next destination: Uji Natural Hot Spring Genji no Yu. It's run by the same company as Sukkama Genji no Yu, which I'd visited that morning, and given how wonderful that place was, I had high expectations for this one too. I hopped in the car and drove over, buzzing with anticipation about what the experience would bring. When I arrived, I was welcomed by a serene, Japanese-style atmosphere. After checking in at the front desk, I walked down a long corridor full of character. A restaurant sat at the far end, with the large communal bath area to the left. I glanced at the restaurant menu on my way past, spending a pleasant moment mulling over what to eat after my bath. That little ritual of imagining the post-sauna meal is an essential spice of any sauna trip. Stepping into the bathing area, I noticed it was quite crowded — fitting for a holiday. Groups of younger people were especially prominent. But the crowd didn't bother me. What matters isn't how many people are around; it's staying focused on yourself and having a good experience. Sauna, at its core, is the ultimate dialogue with yourself. I started by washing up, then eased into the high-concentration carbonated spring indoors (1,200 ppm) to warm my body at a leisurely pace. The water temperature of 38°C was perfectly comfortable, and I could feel my circulation improving. Then I moved to the outdoor bath. There was a massive rock bath outside filled with brownish hot spring water — a natural chloride spring. The water had a smooth, gentle feel against the skin and was wonderfully soothing. Chloride springs are sometimes called warming baths because the salt clings to the skin, preventing sweat from evaporating and keeping your body warm for longer. I soaked in the outdoor bath for a while, gazing at the beautiful garden as the hot spring's warmth seeped all the way to my core. Finally, it was time for the sauna. When I opened the door, I found an impressively spacious room. A stadium-style sauna easily seating 30 people, with an iki stove by METOS standing proudly at the center. The wide benches were another highlight — being able to freely change positions, whether sitting cross-legged or hugging your knees, is a design that sauna enthusiasts will deeply appreciate. Regular löyly sessions seemed to be part of the routine; the air was already filled with a pleasant aromatic scent that was deeply soothing. After thoroughly heating myself up and reaching my limit, I stepped out of the sauna to find the cold plunge bath right in front of me. Zero steps between. Perfect. I rinsed off the sweat and slowly lowered myself in. It was spacious enough, a full meter deep, allowing full-body immersion. The temperature was around 18°C — not too cold, just the kind of pleasant chill you could stay in indefinitely. Emerging from the cold plunge, I spotted chairs arranged all around the outdoor bath area. With nearly 20 of them available, even with this many people around, there was no risk of being left without a place to cool down. I settled into an open chair and let the night breeze wash over me. As I'd felt at Sukkama Genji no Yu, the seamless flow from sauna to cold plunge to outdoor rest — and the quality of each — was truly exceptional. For my second set, I decided to take part in the staff-led löyly service starting at 7 p.m. When the time came, a staff member entered and doused the sauna stones with a generous amount of acerola-scented aroma water. In an instant, a gentle wave of steam and sweet-tart fragrance filled the entire room. Each guest was then fanned one by one with a large paddle in broad, powerful strokes. When the second round of löyly began, the heat in the room peaked, and the perceived temperature shot up all at once. Sweat poured from every single pore. Imagining how incredible the cold plunge and outdoor rest would be afterward, I pushed through to the very end of the intense heat wave. I thanked the staff and stepped out, plunging into the cold water to rapidly cool my overheated body. As always, I find that after an intense löyly service, the totonou that follows in the cold plunge and outdoor rest runs especially deep. I sank my full weight into an outdoor chair and drifted into a blank, blissful daze. My mind emptied completely, and all I felt was the pleasant breeze. Rediscovering that happiness that only a trip — especially one taken after a long break — can bring, a wave of pure joy welled up inside me. I'd come to Kyoto on a whim, not expecting things to go this well. But here I was, having the best time. Hot spring and sauna travel really is the greatest thing. As long as time and energy allow, I want to keep taking these wonderful trips. By the time I finished my second set, my body had reached a state of complete totonou, and I called it a day on sauna for the evening.

Finding a new place you want to visit is exciting enough, but there's an even greater joy in actually getting there on your own two feet. Those experiences become part of your life story — you never quite know where they'll come in handy, but they're undeniably yours to keep. That's what travel is all about. After an extraordinary experience at Sukkama Genji no Yu, I made my way to Uji City in Kyoto Prefecture and checked into my hotel for the night. It was still early evening, and I had time to spare before heading out for a night sauna session. I sprawled out on the bed and watched a baseball broadcast, but the exhaustion of the long trip caught up with me — I dozed off multiple times. I finally dragged myself up at 6 p.m. My next destination: Uji Natural Hot Spring Genji no Yu. It's run by the same company as Sukkama Genji no Yu, which I'd visited that morning, and given how wonderful that place was, I had high expectations for this one too. I hopped in the car and drove over, buzzing with anticipation about what the experience would bring. When I arrived, I was welcomed by a serene, Japanese-style atmosphere. After checking in at the front desk, I walked down a long corridor full of character. A restaurant sat at the far end, with the large communal bath area to the left. I glanced at the restaurant menu on my way past, spending a pleasant moment mulling over what to eat after my bath. That little ritual of imagining the post-sauna meal is an essential spice of any sauna trip. Stepping into the bathing area, I noticed it was quite crowded — fitting for a holiday. Groups of younger people were especially prominent. But the crowd didn't bother me. What matters isn't how many people are around; it's staying focused on yourself and having a good experience. Sauna, at its core, is the ultimate dialogue with yourself. I started by washing up, then eased into the high-concentration carbonated spring indoors (1,200 ppm) to warm my body at a leisurely pace. The water temperature of 38°C was perfectly comfortable, and I could feel my circulation improving. Then I moved to the outdoor bath. There was a massive rock bath outside filled with brownish hot spring water — a natural chloride spring. The water had a smooth, gentle feel against the skin and was wonderfully soothing. Chloride springs are sometimes called warming baths because the salt clings to the skin, preventing sweat from evaporating and keeping your body warm for longer. I soaked in the outdoor bath for a while, gazing at the beautiful garden as the hot spring's warmth seeped all the way to my core. Finally, it was time for the sauna. When I opened the door, I found an impressively spacious room. A stadium-style sauna easily seating 30 people, with an iki stove by METOS standing proudly at the center. The wide benches were another highlight — being able to freely change positions, whether sitting cross-legged or hugging your knees, is a design that sauna enthusiasts will deeply appreciate. Regular löyly sessions seemed to be part of the routine; the air was already filled with a pleasant aromatic scent that was deeply soothing. After thoroughly heating myself up and reaching my limit, I stepped out of the sauna to find the cold plunge bath right in front of me. Zero steps between. Perfect. I rinsed off the sweat and slowly lowered myself in. It was spacious enough, a full meter deep, allowing full-body immersion. The temperature was around 18°C — not too cold, just the kind of pleasant chill you could stay in indefinitely. Emerging from the cold plunge, I spotted chairs arranged all around the outdoor bath area. With nearly 20 of them available, even with this many people around, there was no risk of being left without a place to cool down. I settled into an open chair and let the night breeze wash over me. As I'd felt at Sukkama Genji no Yu, the seamless flow from sauna to cold plunge to outdoor rest — and the quality of each — was truly exceptional. For my second set, I decided to take part in the staff-led löyly service starting at 7 p.m. When the time came, a staff member entered and doused the sauna stones with a generous amount of acerola-scented aroma water. In an instant, a gentle wave of steam and sweet-tart fragrance filled the entire room. Each guest was then fanned one by one with a large paddle in broad, powerful strokes. When the second round of löyly began, the heat in the room peaked, and the perceived temperature shot up all at once. Sweat poured from every single pore. Imagining how incredible the cold plunge and outdoor rest would be afterward, I pushed through to the very end of the intense heat wave. I thanked the staff and stepped out, plunging into the cold water to rapidly cool my overheated body. As always, I find that after an intense löyly service, the totonou that follows in the cold plunge and outdoor rest runs especially deep. I sank my full weight into an outdoor chair and drifted into a blank, blissful daze. My mind emptied completely, and all I felt was the pleasant breeze. Rediscovering that happiness that only a trip — especially one taken after a long break — can bring, a wave of pure joy welled up inside me. I'd come to Kyoto on a whim, not expecting things to go this well. But here I was, having the best time. Hot spring and sauna travel really is the greatest thing. As long as time and energy allow, I want to keep taking these wonderful trips. By the time I finished my second set, my body had reached a state of complete totonou, and I called it a day on sauna for the evening.