On the final day of my Hokuriku sauna trip, I woke up at 5:30 in the morning.
I had gone to bed around 9 PM the night before, so I woke up feeling incredibly refreshed.
The last day of a trip is always when I feel my best. That's just how sauna trips go.
I got dressed immediately and headed to Kinjo Onsen Motoyu. You might wonder if somewhere would even be open that early in the morning. Kinjo Onsen Motoyu opens at 6 AM. It's a 20-minute walk from my accommodation, Terme Kanazawa. I arrived just after 6.
When I entered the main bath, I was surprised to find quite a few people already there. Most were elderly, but there were also several men with full-body tattoos. I felt a slight twinge of unease, but seeing the looks of pure bliss on their faces as they soaked in the hot spring put me at ease.
I rinsed off and sank into the free-flowing natural hot spring. The water was a similar brown color to Terme Kanazawa's, but noticeably darker here at Kinjo Onsen Motoyu. The temperature was set at 38°C — the ultimate relaxation temperature. As I lowered myself into the overflowing bath at the center of the main hall, the hot spring seeped into my morning-fresh body. Every ounce of tension drained from me, and I nearly fell asleep on the spot. I glanced to my side and saw a heavily tattooed man dead asleep. He must have had one hell of a night at work.
After warming up in the hot spring, I moved on to the sauna. It's a deeply retro, old-school Showa-era sauna, but you can tell real care has gone into it. For starters, the sauna stove is enormous — I found myself wondering just how many kilos of stone it would take to build something like that. On top of the sauna stones sits a container filled with herbs, so the steam from the löyly passes through the herbs before spreading through the room. The air inside is filled with a pleasant herbal scent. I was genuinely impressed. I glanced at the TV and caught Mezamashi TV playing — the popular morning show. Watching it while doing a morning sauna felt surprisingly fresh.
Leaving the sauna, I headed to the cold plunge bath. Here at Kinjo Onsen Motoyu, the cold plunge water is drinkable. Fed by exceptionally high-quality groundwater in a continuous flow, the tub overflows constantly. The sheer volume of water is remarkable — just watching it spill over the edge feels good. I rinsed off the sauna sweat and stepped in. The softness of the water was something else. It had this melting, velvety quality. It reminded me of the cold plunge baths at Ogaki Sauna and Spa Alps. And the temperature was a perfect 16°C. I was submerged in cold water, yet my body felt completely relaxed. Every cell in my body was cheering. This was the best morning bath of my life, without a doubt. Following my usual ritual, I walked to the faucet near the edge of the tub and drank directly from the overflowing water. Delicious. The mineral-rich water seeped into my first-thing-in-the-morning body. Then my organs joined in the cheering.
I climbed out of the cold plunge and collapsed onto a nearby bench. I was so blissed out I nearly lost consciousness, but I just barely held on — it was only the first set, after all. After resting for about 10 minutes, I went back in for round two.
In the end, I did four sets in total. I had planned on three, but it felt so incredible that I couldn't stop myself from going for a fourth. It ranks among the best I've ever felt in my entire life. Even though I was staying at Terme Kanazawa, which is itself an onsen facility, making the trip here was absolutely worth it.
After leaving the main bath, I bought a strap to commemorate the best morning bath of my life. Whenever I'm truly moved by a facility, I make a point of buying something to remember it by. Every time I see that item, I can bring back the memory. Ishikawa Prefecture is far away. I may never be able to come back to this place again. I travel the sauna circuit with a one-chance-in-a-lifetime mindset. I gripped the strap I had just bought and walked back to my accommodation at Terme Kanazawa.
By the time I got back to the hotel, it was just before 8 AM, so I helped myself to the buffet breakfast. Energy refueled, body refreshed after the morning sauna. In all the bliss at Kinjo Onsen Motoyu, I had almost forgotten — the weather looked beautiful today. Maybe I'd stop by Kenroku-en on the way home, since I hadn't made it there yesterday. A plan for the final day started taking shape.
Since I needed to leave Kanazawa before noon, Kinjo Onsen Motoyu became the last facility of my Hokuriku sauna trip. It was a fitting finale — an exquisite natural hot spring, sauna, and cold plunge bath that could not have been better.
Over the course of this three-night, four-day trip, I visited seven facilities in Hokuriku. Every single one had a groundwater cold plunge, and five of the seven had drinkable water. The sauna and cold plunge scene in Hokuriku is no joke. There's no doubt that this was a rare and precious experience in my life. I'm grateful to have added such a treasure to my collection. And to all the sauna facilities that gave me these incredible experiences — thank you.
And with that, the Hokuriku sauna trip comes to an end. I wonder what kind of sauna adventure awaits me next.
