Since I started my weekend sauna trips, my life has become incredibly fulfilling. Why? Because I'm experiencing what it truly means to be alive. People in modern society are starved for real experiences. Whenever something comes up, they turn to the internet, spending their time immersed in the digital world. Information is so easily accessible that they feel like they know something without ever having experienced it. I think that kind of life is bullshit. We should constantly seek human experiences and feel what it means to be alive. In that sense, saunas are wonderful. You raise your heart rate and pour out sweat, then plunge into ice-cold water that makes you feel like your life is in danger. Afterward, you're rewarded with an incredible sense of relaxation. When you're in a sauna, you can truly feel "Ah, I'm alive." This week's sauna destination is Kagawa Prefecture. I'd known about "Golden Time Takamatsu" for a while. Located in the heart of Takamatsu City (Shikoku's busiest downtown area), it boasts saunas exceeding 100°C, an 8°C cold bath, natural hot spring water flowing directly from underground sources, and a sauna where you can do self-löyly. You can also enjoy open-air bathing in full view of the surrounding buildings and hotels—they call it the "King's Open-Air Bath." It feels a bit perverted, but there's no doubt it's one of the top sauna experiences in Shikoku. 11 AM. I parked my car in a nearby lot and took the elevator to the reception floor. At the ticket machine, I purchased a 2-hour course ticket and aroma water. Why buy aroma water at reception? Golden Time Takamatsu sells several types of aroma water for self-löyly, and you can choose your favorite for 500 yen. While many facilities offer self-löyly, being able to choose your preferred aroma is quite rare. Moving to the locker room on the same floor as reception, I heard familiar background music. No mistake—it was the BGM from the TV drama "Sadou." I couldn't believe it. Following the sound, I found the drama playing on the locker room TV. I asked a nearby staff member, "Excuse me, does this play all the time?" They replied, "Yes, it plays endlessly during business hours." In all my sauna visits, this is the first facility I've encountered that has not only natural hot spring water flowing continuously but also "Sadou" playing on loop. I was getting excited even before entering the sauna. I put on the provided paper shorts in the locker room and took the elevator upstairs. After undressing in the changing room, I was finally ready to experience Shikoku's finest sauna. Entering the bathing area, I found the main aufguss sauna with a cold bath right next to it, followed by the natural hot spring and regular bath. The layout was perfect. Beyond that were the washing stations, and across from them, the self-löyly sauna and herbal sauna. First, I washed myself and entered the natural hot spring. Reading the description, it said "Natural Radon Hot Spring with Flowing Source Water"—a "therapeutic spring" where medical benefits are expected due to its temperature and quality/quantity of minerals, also known as a radium spring. While Japan has many natural hot springs, opportunities to bathe in officially designated "therapeutic springs" aren't that common. When I actually got in, it smelled similar to Arima Onsen's golden spring—kind of like sulfur or iron. The temperature was about 38°C and incredibly comfortable. I could feel all the tension leaving my body. After soaking for about 10 minutes, my body was thoroughly warmed, so I decided to try the main sauna. Golden Time Takamatsu's main sauna is extremely spacious, accommodating the popular aufguss events (Hell Löyly) held there. It could easily fit 30 people. Inside, two Metos iki stoves are installed, and the thermometer reads 105°C. I imagined how insanely hot the aufguss must be in this 105°C sauna as I worked up a sweat. After about 10 minutes of self-reflection, I reached my limit, rinsed off, and entered the 8°C cold bath. The water was soft and incredibly pleasant. Groundwater, perhaps? Reading the cold bath description, it said "Ultimate Cold Bath." Apparently, they filter the natural hot spring water to make it clear. Ah, that explains the smoothness different from tap water. Still, you can't stay long in an 8°C cold bath. Properly cooled down, I headed for the open-air bathing area.

Golden Time Takamatsu's main bath is located on the 7th floor of a mixed-use building. Reclining chairs are placed on the 7th-floor balcony for open-air bathing. A sign reading "King's Open-Air Bath" is posted at the entrance to the balcony passage. What kind of view awaited me? I was shocked the moment I stepped outside. Being on the 7th floor, the surrounding scenery was clearly visible and incredibly liberating—but conversely, I was completely exposed to the surrounding buildings and hotels. "Is this okay?" I thought for a moment, but after the intense heat of the sauna and cold bath, I had no mental capacity to worry about such things. Settling into a chair, the ultimate relaxation time began. The overwhelming sense of openness and comfort made me think, "I don't really care if people can see me." I suspect everyone who visits Golden Time Takamatsu feels the same way. There were several other guests, but none of them seemed bothered. For my second set, I moved to the self-löyly sauna. Unlike the main sauna, it's a small space that seats about six people, with a Metos stove sitting in the center. You can pour aroma water onto the piled stones. The lighting is dim and there's no TV. I love this kind of sauna—you can thoroughly focus inward. Fortunately, there were hardly any other users, so I had it to myself. After sweating for a while, I decided to do löyly. I mixed the green birch aroma I'd purchased at reception with water and poured it on the sauna stones. Instantly, massive amounts of steam and fragrance filled the room. It was so hot I couldn't think. I felt like my life was in danger, but this is what being alive feels like. Reaching my limit, I moved to the cold bath. The groundwater single-digit cold bath rapidly cooled my heated body. Once fully cooled, I headed back to the King's Open-Air Bath. Once again, I relaxed in the incredible openness of being "completely visible" to the surrounding buildings. It felt absolutely amazing. That day, I ended up enjoying a total of four sauna-cold bath-open air bath sets. To think such an amazing sauna exists just an hour from my home. Amazing, Golden Time Takamatsu! I regretted not coming sooner. Shikoku has so many wonderful saunas. Even in Kagawa Prefecture alone, I have several other places on my list. While trips to the Kansai region are great, exploring Shikoku seems equally exciting. With those thoughts, I drove toward my next destination.