Whenever I have free time, all I can think about is going to a sauna.
This particular morning was free too. So the destination was obvious: Shimanami Onsen Kisuke-no-Yu in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture. I woke up at 5:30 a.m., went for a morning walk, and had breakfast. Even when I go back to my parents' house, this routine never changes. By 7 o'clock I was free to do as I pleased. I got ready and headed out. Imabari is well known as a tourist destination. The cycling route along the Shimanami Kaido in particular draws visitors from all over Japan and the world. Riding a bicycle over the Seto Inland Sea — that must be exhilarating. Some people might think you should at least stop to enjoy the scenery. Maybe so. But I made a beeline straight for the sauna.
About an hour of driving later, I arrived. I bought a ticket at the vending machine and checked in at the front desk. Since it was early, I got in at the morning-bath rate — a nice little bonus. Once inside the bathing area, I rinsed off and did my usual layout check. My impression was that it felt a bit more compact than the ones in Matsuyama. Even so, everything you could want was there in that open, airy space: a carbonated bath, natural hot spring, jacuzzi, cold plunge bath, and two types of saunas. I warmed up in the carbonated bath and then headed for the main sauna. Walking in, I was surprised once again — it was far more spacious than the exterior suggested. And dark. A space perfectly suited for meditation. I sat cross-legged, slowly closed my eyes, and let the heat wash over me. I was sweating quite a bit. Just when I thought I'd push through a little longer, the auto-löyly kicked in. A massive cloud of steam billowed up from the sauna stones. Then the blower device sent a wave of hot air rushing through the room, and the perceived temperature shot up in an instant. I was genuinely impressed — I hadn't expected this level of quality from an auto-löyly system.
After the sauna, it was time for the cold plunge. The water was set at 16°C. I took my time cooling down. Since it was morning, the place was nearly empty and I had the cold bath all to myself. When it's crowded, you can't linger in the cold plunge too long — you have to keep it short so the next person can finish their session. But today, no such worries. There were only three of us in the entire bathing area, including me. I had the outdoor relaxation space to myself as well. I sat down in a chair, closed my eyes. My body was singing. I could feel every cell rejoicing.
For my second set, I tried the other sauna — called the hut sauna, a cozy little room that fits about six people. No TV. In this sauna, you can do your own löyly. Since no one else was there, it was essentially a private sauna. I poured water over the sauna stones and green tea fragrance spread through the room. It was unlike anything I'd smelled before — deeply relaxing. The tea is also produced right here in Ehime Prefecture. Being able to enjoy the local bounty in a sauna made me genuinely happy.
Before I knew it, three sets were done. A morning sauna gives you a different kind of totonou than an evening one. At night, the sauna is about healing your body after a long day — thanking it, maintaining it. In the morning, it's more like giving your body a nudge and saying, "Let's do this today." Every sleeping cell wakes up one by one. Energy rises. You feel like you could go anywhere, do anything.
I headed home in the best possible mood. No detours. I drove an hour to Imabari, savored nothing but the sauna and hot spring, then drove an hour back. That kind of sauna trip is perfectly fine by me.
