What constitutes a wonderful sauna experience? I define it as a time when both body and mind become empty. Body and mind. It's necessary to heal both simultaneously, but in reality, healing the mind is very challenging. For the body, you can easily achieve a refreshing feeling by repeating the cycle of sauna, cold plunge bath, and rest. However, healing the mind is difficult to accomplish on your own. It is greatly influenced by the literacy of the fellow guests and the ambiance of the sauna room. At the "Hiki stargazing sauna" I visited this time, I was able to experience just that—a time when both body and mind became empty. "Hiki stargazing sauna" is a reservation-only private sauna located near the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. After making a reservation in advance, I arrived at the building where the sauna is located. It's a five-story building, and the sauna is on the 5th floor. As I passed through the café on the 1st floor and approached the elevator, there was a sign saying "Not in use." It seems I had to walk up to the 5th floor. I took it as a warm-up before the sauna and climbed the stairs. At the entrance on the 5th floor, there was a lock with a code system, and by entering the code provided in the reservation email, the lock would open. There was no reception or staff. The lack of a welcome felt a bit lonely. Inside, there was a small locker, and it seemed the sauna was in the space beyond. After changing, I proceeded to the back, which had a simple layout of a shower area, sauna, cold plunge bath, and outdoor air bath area. There were no bathtubs like in public baths, so after showering, the only place to go was the sauna. Upon entering the sauna, there were already two other guests. Until I entered, I could hear them talking, but they stopped when I joined. These two would become my companions in the ultimate sauna experience. The atmosphere in the sauna room was outstanding. Through the large window, you could view a garden that could be described as art, offering a world view you wouldn't experience in a typical public bath. The Harvia sauna stove was powerful, and it felt like it was nearly 100°C. While meditating for a while, one of the guests asked, "May I do a löyly?" I replied, "Please do!" and aromatic water was poured onto the sauna stones. The aroma and steam filled the sauna room, and sweat poured out all at once. At the point of reaching my limit, I left the sauna and headed straight to the cold plunge bath. The cold plunge bath was in a corner of the outdoor air bath area, and it felt extremely cold, around 12°C. I submerged my head and cooled my entire body. Then, I lay down on a wooden bench for rest. Looking up, the roof was open, allowing me to gaze at the sky. The weather was nice that day, so I could relax my body and mind while looking at the blue sky. The two guests also left the sauna at the same time, but they didn't talk in the rest area either. Although they came together, each was totonou in their own world. After resting for a while, I decided to enter the sauna for a second round. Soon after, the two guests also entered the sauna, but they didn't talk at all. Observing them, they sat on the bench with their eyes closed, seemingly focusing inward. I guessed they were quite experienced sauna enthusiasts. Being experienced, they were likely mindful of their manners. The proof was that until I entered, they were the only ones, and I could hear them talking, but after I arrived, they didn't utter a word. I felt fortunate to be in the same space with such well-mannered guests. At the beginning, I wrote that a wonderful sauna experience is "a time when the mind becomes empty," but if there are guests who talk in a sauna with a concept of quiet relaxation, it becomes impossible to heal the mind. The talking becomes bothersome and stressful. Therefore, healing the mind is an ultimate theme because it is something created together with other guests. In the second round, I was able to focus solely on my inner self. There was only the beautiful sauna, cold plunge bath, and outdoor air bath. In the quiet space, the only sounds were the löyly and breathing. Although I didn't converse with the two guests, I felt as if we were both enjoying the sauna in the same space. Strangely, the time spent in the sauna and resting was almost in sync with theirs, and in the end, I spent all four rounds in the same space with them. It wasn't intentional. During the sauna and rest times, I was completely in my own world. When I heard the inner voice saying, "Alright, let's go for the next round," I would get up. It just happened that our timing was the same. I love saunas, and it's clear they are also quite the sauna enthusiasts. I'm grateful for meeting them.

After the perfect sauna, it's time to eat. Fortunately, just a minute's walk from the sauna, there was a famous Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki restaurant called "Kanransha." I found a spot at the counter and watched as the chef prepared the okonomiyaki right in front of me. The moment I took a bite of the finished okonomiyaki, something burst in my brain due to its incredible taste. The exquisite time spent in the sauna likely made the taste of this renowned restaurant feel twice as delicious. After savoring the okonomiyaki, I went sightseeing in Hiroshima city. As I strolled through the Peace Memorial Park and the bustling streets, it suddenly became evening. At this time, I had to start thinking about the evening sauna. Tonight, I plan to visit "New Japan EX," a long-established sauna in Hiroshima, also known as a paradise. Eagerly anticipating what kind of sauna experience awaits, I headed towards my destination.