「Kominka Sento - Koyaguchino Yu」 Experience Story

A life of predictable outcomes is boring. Travel is the same. Having no plan is exactly what makes it interesting. You can go wherever you want on a whim. Unexpected things happen. You meet people you never would have otherwise. Those moments can become experiences that stay with you for life. My encounter with Kominka Sento Koya-guchi no Yu was also brought about by pure chance. Having reached a state of perfect relaxation at Gose Takarayo in Gose City, Nara Prefecture, I honestly followed my desire to keep the journey going. I booked a hotel in Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture, and checked in right at 3 p.m. I took a thirty-minute nap to recover from the morning's fatigue. I woke up feeling remarkably refreshed, and at the same moment, my motivation for sauna surged. I had done some research on Kominka Sento Koya-guchi no Yu beforehand. The detail that appealed to me most was that the cold plunge bath uses natural groundwater. It's maintained at 15°C — the ideal temperature in my book. As for the sauna, a Harvia iki stove provides automatic löyly every thirty minutes, and staff-led löyly sessions are also held regularly. On top of that, there's a dedicated outdoor relaxation space. It's rare to find a neighborhood sento this well-equipped. With high expectations, I drove to my destination. I parked in the dedicated lot near Koya-guchi Station and walked through the side streets toward the sento. After about three minutes, Kominka Sento Koya-guchi no Yu came into view. The exterior has the feel of a long-established bathhouse. Stepping inside, the old-fashioned charm is preserved, yet everything is clean and a pleasant scent drifts through the air. Shoe lockers are arranged where the original entryway used to be, and beyond them sit a ticket machine and the front desk. I bought a bathing ticket and headed to the changing room. It too was spotlessly clean and well-maintained. The retro lockers are part of the sento's charm. I stripped off my clothes in record time and stepped into the bathing area. The layout consists of three zones: an indoor bath, an outdoor bath, and an outdoor relaxation space. The sauna sits at the far end of the indoor bathing area, while the cold plunge bath and jacuzzi are in the outdoor zone. After getting a feel for the floor plan, I went through my usual ritual of washing up and warmed my body in the indoor bath. To my surprise, this facility also has a carbonated spring. Since they use groundwater for more than just the cold plunge, the silky water quality combined with the pleasant tingle of the carbonation had me spacing out contentedly for a while. Once my body was warmed through, I entered the sauna. It's a small room for about five people, but a magnificent iki stove stands proudly inside. Perhaps it's the aroma water, but a lovely cherry blossom-like scent fills the air. The temperature is 95°C — seriously hot. Hot, yet with high humidity comes a pleasant quality too. I thought, this is a great sauna. Sweat poured out of me all at once. Before long, the automatic löyly kicked in, and the room was enveloped in even more intense heat. Even on the first set, I was able to warm my body right to its core. Waiting for me next was the natural groundwater cold plunge bath. I rinsed off the sweat from the sauna and headed to the cold plunge in the outdoor area. It fits about three people but has a depth of roughly 120 cm. The natural water drawn up from underground gently welcomes my body in. The silky texture is something you simply cannot experience with tap water. The proof is that even at 15°C, I could stay in for minutes on end. With tap water, there's a sharp, stinging sensation on the skin that would drive you out long before that. What's more, my skin had become noticeably smooth. Soaking in mineral-rich water — that's the skin rejoicing. The sense of refreshment is in a completely different league. After the cold plunge, I moved to the outdoor relaxation space. About six dedicated chairs are lined up, and mosquito coils are burning nearby. What thoughtfulness. The pleasant scent of the incense guides me into an even deeper state of relaxation. As my body, cooled by the cold plunge, gradually reclaims its warmth, that supreme sense of totonou arrives. I felt grateful to be enjoying sauna in such a wonderful place, thinking to myself, this really is a great sento. I enjoyed the outdoor relaxation while idly wondering what I'd eat afterward. I then did two more sets of sauna and cold plunge. It was among the most complete states of totonou I have ever reached in my life. On my way out, since there were no other customers around, I had the good fortune of chatting with the staff member at the front desk. I started by saying, "The sauna and cold plunge were absolutely incredible. I was genuinely moved." The staff member seemed genuinely pleased and replied, "Thank you so much. Because we pipe in natural groundwater here, the texture is completely different from tap water. And since we didn't have space to make the cold plunge wider, we made it deeper instead. Depth really matters in a cold plunge, doesn't it? I think it's quite rare to find a facility with natural groundwater and this much depth." Absolutely true. At that point, I decided to ask something that had been on my mind for a while: "I imagine the cold plunge is a crucial consideration when building a sauna — how did you investigate whether quality groundwater was lying beneath the ground?" And with an "Well, actually..." the staff member launched into the story, and we enjoyed a good fifteen minutes of sauna conversation. I had completely fallen for this sento. If I could, I'd come back tomorrow. Actually, I will come back. It's a free, no-plan trip — I can come anytime. I told the staff, "I'll be back tomorrow." They replied, "Thank you. By the way, mornings tend to be less crowded and are highly recommended. You can also reach a different kind of totonou in the morning than at night." Exactly right. A morning sauna gives you a completely different sensation than an evening one. I thought this staff member must be a serious sauna enthusiast. Grateful for encountering such a wonderful facility, I returned to my hotel. I started thinking about the next day's plan. Kominka Sento Koya-guchi no Yu opens at 10 a.m. — a little late for me, an early riser. In that case, I'd do some sightseeing early in the morning and then head straight to morning sauna. Where to go? When it comes to Wakayama, there's only one answer: the UNESCO World Heritage site of Koyasan. Kongobu-ji and Okunoin were both places I had long wanted to visit. I'd purify my spirit at Koyasan and cleanse my body in the sauna. Tomorrow was shaping up to be another extraordinary day. Thinking all of this, I drifted off into a deep sleep before I even realized it. To be continued.