After visiting the Soka Health Center in Saitama Prefecture in the morning, I arrived at Ikebukuro Station at 3 PM. Can you guess where I'm headed? It's Sauna & Hotel Kalmare Ikebukuro. Sauna & Hotel Kalmare Ikebukuro is famous for its dedication to saunas and cold plunge baths. It's also known for being produced by Hiroshi Ota, who is called the Sauna King in Japan. After a 10-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station, I arrived at Sauna & Hotel Kalmare Ikebukuro. I will be staying here tonight. Taking the elevator to the reception floor, I was greeted by a display of autographs from famous sauna enthusiasts. I informed the reception that I was checking in for my stay and received my indoor wear. After placing my luggage in the room and taking a breather, I planned to go out for a tour of Tokyo. However, since I had already checked in, I concluded that the best course of action was to first enjoy the sauna. I stepped into the sacred large bath. To the right upon entering were the Rock Sauna and Kelo Sauna, and further in were the famous Thunder Tornado cold plunge bath at 7°C and a slightly milder 25°C cold plunge bath. After washing my body in the shower, I entered the Kelo Sauna. Naturally, I was drawn to a sauna using the precious kelo wood. Inside, there were benches around the sauna stove, accommodating about eight people. Perhaps only partially using kelo wood, the distinctive aroma was not very strong, which was a bit disappointing. Someone who entered at the same time performed a löyly, quickly filling the room with steam. Preparing to enter the 7°C cold plunge bath, I warmed my body longer than usual. Exiting the Kelo Sauna, I entered the Thunder Tornado cold plunge bath. Why is it called the Thunder Tornado? Inside the cold plunge bath, a clockwise powerful jet stream creates a whirlpool-like effect. Being drawn into it, combined with the extreme cold of 7°C, leaves us humans helpless. If you don't hold onto the handrail, you might feel a sense of danger to your life. My body was instantly chilled. Having come to Sauna & Hotel Kalmare Ikebukuro, experiencing the Thunder Tornado was a wish fulfilled. As the time for my Tokyo tour approached, I decided to end with just one set for now. The continuation would be either tonight or tomorrow morning.

Having visited Toshimaen Niwa no Yu during last night's Tokyo tour, I continued my sauna experience in the morning. I woke up at 6 AM and headed straight to the large bath. Despite the early hour, many people seemed to be enjoying the morning sauna. After cleansing myself, I entered the Rock Sauna. It has a four-tier structure, and I sat on the second tier. The aroma of mint wafted through the air. Perhaps the mint aroma was chosen to provide stimulation in the morning. In the morning sauna, it takes time for sweat to emerge. My body might still be asleep. Gradually, warmth spread through my body, and sweat began to appear. My heart rate started to rise, signaling it was time to leave the sauna. Since I couldn't immediately enter the 7°C cold plunge bath after the first set of the morning, I opted for the 25°C cold plunge bath. Temperature-wise, it felt somewhat lacking. At 25°C, it doesn't quite invigorate you. It lacks a refreshing sensation. I felt the need for another cold plunge bath around 14°C to 16°C. On the second floor, where the wood-burning sauna is located, there's a 14°C cold plunge bath called Acrylic Avant (for one person), but moving from the first floor would cool my body, making it an impractical move. Speaking of the wood-burning sauna, Sauna & Hotel Kalmare Ikebukuro has a rare wood-burning sauna in the city. I wanted to try it, but it wasn't available during the morning sauna. I was aware of its existence during my sauna visit yesterday evening, but due to its popularity, it required a lottery, and the entry time was fixed, so I gave up. While urban saunas have many attractive facilities, they can be crowded, making it difficult to enter the desired sauna, leading to long lines, lotteries, and fixed times. These are sights I've never experienced living in the countryside. Personally, I feel that visiting a sauna to relieve fatigue and stress, only to end up stressed due to overcrowding, is not rational. If I lived in the city, I would likely distance myself from famous facilities and seek out hidden gem saunas. After finishing the morning sauna, I had breakfast at the facility's restaurant and then checked out. It's finally the last day. I have a flight back to Tokushima at 3 PM today. The facility I'm about to visit will likely be the last one. From Ikebukuro Station, I took the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line Rapid to Yokohama Station. Sauna enthusiasts might imagine that facility when thinking of saunas in Yokohama. The name of the facility concluding my Kanto sauna journey is Sky Spa YOKOHAMA.