Day three of my Osaka sauna trip began with the best morning I could have asked for.
The day before had been a packed schedule — Osaka Sauna DESSE at noon and Naniwa Kenkou Land in the evening — so the moment I lay down on the hotel bed, I was out cold. By the time I came to, it was morning. Eight hours of sleep, and I felt completely recharged.
I had a little time before breakfast, so I went for my usual morning walk. It was drizzling a bit, but that didn't matter. For me, a morning walk is as automatic as brushing my teeth. Once it's a habit, you don't need willpower. As I strolled through the old neighborhood streets of Higashi-Osaka, I started thinking about the day ahead. I had a plan for the morning, but nothing after that. I could just head home, or... Part of me wanted to stay another night. It was Sunday, so hotels would be cheaper, and if I left in the morning, I'd still make it to work. I decided I'd figure it out after the morning sauna.
I headed back to the hotel for breakfast, but the restaurant was packed. No Japanese to be heard — only Mandarin. Apparently, a Chinese tour group was staying there. I assume they were out seeing Japan's famous sights, but I couldn't help wondering: were they trying the hot springs and saunas? You've come all the way to Japan — it'd be a shame to miss out on the onsens and saunas this country is so proud of. A bit presumptuous of me, perhaps. Still, I thought it while enjoying a delicious breakfast side by side with my Chinese fellow guests.
I arrived at Hanazono Onsen sauna kukka at 10 a.m. — right when it opened — and there were already quite a few people there. Like me, they'd clearly come to enjoy some of Osaka's finest natural hot springs and saunas.
This day was an adventure for me, because I was about to step into a mixed-gender sauna for the very first time in my life. And yes, alone. If I'd had a partner or a friend, it would have been a lot easier — but with neither to speak of, I had no choice but to walk in solo.
The reason I was determined to try the mixed-gender sauna on this visit was simple: there's a sauna in the mixed area that I absolutely had to experience. It's called Sauna Kukka — the signature sauna of the facility, and one of the largest in Japan. It fits over 80 people and features a massive sauna stove used for aufguss events. It had been featured on the YouTube channels of comedians Savanna Takahashi and Mag Manpei, and it had been on my radar ever since.
Before heading to the mixed area, I first enjoyed the main bath hall with its hot springs and sauna. Hanazono Onsen sauna kukka uses its own natural spring water drawn from 1,000 meters underground, and every bath in the main hall — including the cold plunge — uses this spring water.
When I eased into the indoor hot spring, the silky, velvety water wrapped around my body. In an instant, every bit of tension drained out of me and I slipped into a state of pure, blissful relaxation. This is the power of onsen. To the Chinese tourists I mentioned earlier: temple-hopping in Kyoto is wonderful, but onsen-hopping might be even better — just a thought. Maybe that's overstepping, but I mean it sincerely.
After warming up in the hot spring, I headed to the sauna for my first set. The main sauna, Sauna Hanazono, is a large room that fits around 40 people. A massive iki stove sits at the center of the room, with automatic löyly and a ventilation system built in. The display read 85°C, but it felt much hotter — the automatic löyly raises the humidity, which drives up the perceived temperature.
After working up a good sweat watching the TV show playing on screen, I got into the cold plunge. It was extraordinary. For starters, it's wide and deep — I'd say 20 people could fit in easily. The water is set at a cool 15°C, but because it's 100% natural spring water, the texture is remarkably smooth and soft. That silky cold water chilled my body while somehow soothing it at the same time.
After the cold plunge comes the outdoor rest, and the outdoor area at Hanazono Onsen sauna kukka was fantastic. More than 20 chairs are arranged across a spacious open-air terrace, giving everyone an equal chance to relax. A dream setup for any sauna lover.
For my second set, I moved on to the other sauna: the self-löyly sauna. Unlike the main sauna, there's no TV — just dim lighting and a no-talking rule. It's designed for people who want to sit quietly and be alone with their thoughts. I settled onto the top tier and slowly closed my eyes.
After a while, an older gentleman poured water over the sauna stones for me. I was grateful. I'm a bit timid, and I never quite work up the nerve to do löyly myself when other people are in the room. When someone else does it, I get all the steam without the awkwardness — a small win. The hot steam hit me fast and I broke into a full sweat, then tightened up in the natural spring cold plunge. Second set: done.
For the third set, it was finally time to enter the mixed-gender area and try Sauna Kukka. Since it's mixed, I had to put on swimwear and a poncho before heading in. After the fully nude style of regular public baths, it felt a bit strange, but there was nothing to be done about it.
As it turned out, I was the only person in the mixed area going solo. Which, honestly, makes complete sense. A mixed-gender sauna is designed for friends, couples — romantic or otherwise — and married pairs to enjoy together. I was clearly out of place, but there was no backing down now. I walked into Sauna Kukka, proudly displaying the physique I'd built through months of hard training. Same story inside: me, surrounded by couples. But forget the social dynamics — I was genuinely stunned by the size of the room. It could fit 80 people — 100, even? You could probably hold a stand-up comedy show in there.
I took a seat on the top tier with my best nonchalant expression, but it wasn't hot at all. Maybe 65°C? For someone used to intense saunas, it felt more like a heated stone spa. Which, thinking about it rationally, makes sense. When friends or couples are relaxing and chatting, the temperature matters — set it too high and you can't really have a conversation. Once I understood the concept, I realized I'd already been in for over ten minutes and my body hadn't warmed up at all. As frustrating as it was, I made the call to leave early and head back to the main bath. Part of me just wanted out of there. Actually, that feeling was stronger than anything else.
Back in the main bath, I stripped down. Yeah, this is more my style. I went back to the self-löyly sauna and pushed hard to the finish. Capped it off with the natural spring cold plunge, and that was the end of my morning sauna session.
While eating a good meal in the facility's cafeteria, I thought over my plans for the rest of the day. It was 1 p.m. I could head home, but the pull to keep traveling was stronger. Even if I went back, I wasn't going to do anything especially noteworthy before work started the next day. So why not stay one more night and head home in the morning? Decision made: I was doing an early-morning departure.
Next question: where to go? I thought about staying in Kobe — easy access from home — and Kobe happens to have a famous hotel known for its over-100°C sauna and 8°C cold plunge. Rates were cheaper on Sunday too. I'd stay there for the night, enjoy a sauna session that evening and again the next morning, then head home. A perfect plan had come together.
The destination: Sauna Resort Oriental Kobe.
