There are places where, more than anything, you just want to sink into the hot spring rather than the sauna. These places tend to share certain qualities. First, the water itself — silky, almost melting in texture, welling up from the earth. And second, an outdoor bath designed around a garden or forest, where you feel at one with nature. When both of these conditions are met, I will always choose the hot spring over the sauna. Tennen Wakiyu Ginto Toji Shurakу, which I visited that day, is the definitive example of a facility where the hot spring is the star.
Ginto Toji Shurakу is located about 500 meters from Kobe Sanda Premium Outlets in Kita Ward, Kobe. I used to visit the Outlets often during my student days, but I had no idea there was such a wonderful hot spring facility this close. Back then, my awareness of saunas and hot springs was basically zero — I was coming purely to shop. Shopping is exhausting. Even going alone wears you out, but accompanying a friend or partner on their shopping trip is even more draining. You plaster on a smile and say things like "That really suits you," while secretly just wanting to go home, hit the sauna, and sleep. If someone asked me to go shopping there now, I'd counter with: "You know there's an incredible hot spring facility 500 meters from here, right? How about we go there instead — and grab some good food on the way back?"
I've rambled on enough — I arrived at Ginto Toji Shurakу. The gate at the entrance is already impressive, and once you pass through it, you walk along a path through a garden to reach the front door. The corridor leading to the main bath after check-in is wonderfully retro. The facility's passageways wrap around the garden, so no matter where you walk, you're treated to a view of it. Even before the baths, you can tell there's real attention to detail and a clear sense of theme. My excitement for the hot spring kept building.
I stripped off my clothes at top speed and stepped into the main bath. The instant I did, I was enveloped in so much steam I almost wondered if it was a steam sauna. There was a faint, pleasant scent of the hot spring in the air. Clouds of steam were rising steadily from the natural hot spring bath in the indoor section. With the dim lighting working in its favor, there was something almost mystical about the atmosphere. I looked at the faces of the people soaking in the bath — every single one of them looked like they'd lost consciousness. And they looked utterly blissful about it. Is this spring really that good? I held back my eagerness and washed up first.
I stepped into the indoor natural hot spring bath. The moment my foot touched the water, a slippery, velvety sensation wrapped around me — like stepping into a tub of lotion, maybe even softer than that. I lowered myself in, legs first, then torso. Once submerged, I ran my hand along my skin and it glided, smooth as silk. If there's such a thing as a "melting" hot spring, this is exactly what that means. I stretched out my arms and legs in the wide bath, and a moment of pure luxury arrived. The steam rising through the dimly lit room only deepened the atmosphere. I felt like I could stay in forever — but this is a real natural hot spring, after all. My body was getting warmer and warmer by the minute. I made straight for the cold plunge bath.
The cold plunge was deep enough for around five people, with a gentle water temperature of about 18°C. I hadn't even been in the sauna, yet I was hit with an incredible sense of refreshment. My usual routine is sauna → cold plunge → outdoor rest, but the flow of natural hot spring → cold plunge → outdoor rest works beautifully too. I got out of the cold plunge and moved to the outdoor rest area by the open-air bath. The outdoor bath has a garden theme — stone arrangements, planted trees, a design that lets you feel at one with nature. The season was turning from autumn to winter. Resting outdoors while gazing at the autumn leaves gave me a deeper sense of relaxation and happiness than usual.
As always, somewhere during the outdoor rest, a smile crept across my face without my trying. I'm not doing it on purpose. It just happens — after the hot spring, after the cold plunge, the moment you sink into the chair. Strange, really. I've been fortunate enough to live a genuinely happy life over the long run, and I'm quite sure the biggest reason for that is discovering hot springs and saunas. Of that I have no doubt. Under the influence of my sauna-loving father, I got into the habit of going every day — resetting whatever the day brought and waking up fresh the next morning. Being able to build that routine into my life was a stroke of luck I'm truly grateful for.
In the end, I did four sets of hot spring and cold plunge that day. I didn't go in the sauna at all, but I came away feeling absolutely incredible. With that, it was time to get out and have dinner.
Before visiting, I'd done a little research on the restaurant inside the facility. Apparently the Yu-Rinji Teishoku (deep-fried chicken set meal) is popular. I looked up photos online and it looked seriously good. When I walked in, a staff member asked for my order. I cut in almost before they finished the sentence: "The Yu-Rinji Teishoku, please." A little while later, the food arrived. I warmed up with the soup, then sank my teeth into the crispy fried chicken. Incredible. Easily among the best Yu-Rinji I've ever had. Sure, soaking in a hot spring sharpens the senses and amplifies the feeling of happiness, making everything taste better — but even accounting for that, this was genuinely delicious. A great soak, a great meal: the perfect route was complete once again.
Looking back at my travel journals, they all follow the same pattern: sauna or hot spring → delicious food. But every time, the actual experience is different, so I never get tired of it. And I don't take any of this for granted. I savor the happiness with every trip. I'm grateful to be able to get in a sauna, to be able to sit down to a good meal. And I try to work hard so that I can keep having wonderful trips like this. When things become routine, the experiences in front of you can start to blur — you lose focus. That's why I think it matters to travel with gratitude every single time.
Day one of a two-day trip was done. In the morning I enjoyed the natural hot spring and sauna at Sanda Tennen Onsen Kotobuki-no-yu, and in the evening I was utterly undone by the hot springs at Ginto Toji Shurakу. What a day. Back to the hotel, and a long, quiet sleep. Tomorrow I'll be visiting a large-scale facility I've had my eye on for some time — quite possibly the biggest sauna in Hyogo Prefecture. Located in Kawanishi City, Hyogo, it goes by the name SPA Kisera Kawanishi.
