I took Friday and Monday off from work. By now, you probably know what that means. The sauna trip has begun. On Friday, June 5, I left Kobe Airport at 7:30 a.m. and landed at New Chitose Airport by 9:15. From there, I headed to the rental car office, completed the paperwork, and set off for my first destination, Marukoma Onsen Ryokan. It had been about three years since I last set foot in Hokkaido, but this was my first trip with hot springs and saunas as the main purpose. For that reason, I gripped the wheel with extraordinary determination. As I drove, beautiful scenery that you would never encounter in everyday life kept coming into view one after another. The exhilaration of travel was pounding in my chest. After driving for about an hour, Lake Shikotsu appeared before my eyes. This lake, which has repeatedly ranked first in Japan for water quality, is so blue and clear that it is called the "Blue of Shikotsu," and the majestic mountains centered around Mount Eniwa quietly surround it. At Marukoma Onsen Ryokan, where I was headed next, I would be able to enjoy hot springs and saunas while gazing out at this spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu. When I first found this facility, I was so thrilled that I almost shouted at the thought of being able to enter a sauna in such a perfect setting. I arrived at Marukoma Onsen Ryokan. Since it was a weekday morning, there were only a few guests around. I bought a day-use bathing ticket from the ticket machine, received a towel at the front desk, and headed to the large bath area. Up until the moment I undressed in the changing room, it was no different from an ordinary public bath. But from here on, the truly rare experience began. The moment I stepped into the large bath area, the spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu rushed into my field of vision. I stood there frozen for a few seconds at its beauty, then quickly pulled myself together and checked the layout. Inside, there were several tubs with different temperatures and a sauna. In the outdoor area, there was a hot spring bath overlooking the vast natural scenery of Lake Shikotsu, a cold plunge bath, and an open-air resting space. There was also a place where you could drink the spring water. After washing up, I first soaked slowly in the outdoor hot spring. Marukoma Onsen Ryokan is a long-established hidden hot spring resort with more than 100 years of history, having first been discovered in Taisho 4 (1915) by its founder, Hatotaro Sasaki. It has a rare natural open-air bath with spring water bubbling up from beneath the ground, one of the few of its kind in Japan, and because it is connected to Lake Shikotsu between the rocks, the depth of the tub changes according to the lake’s water level. It is truly a hot spring in perfect harmony with nature. I think the color, scent, and texture of the hot spring are very similar to Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture. The golden water is so mineral-rich that it even changes the color of the tub itself. While gazing at the spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu, I slowly soaked in this historic famous hot spring. When my body warmed up, I took a short break and then returned to the bath again. Throughout it all, the spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu was always right beside me. What an incredible feeling. After thoroughly enjoying the hot spring, I began the sauna -> cold plunge bath -> open-air rest set. The sauna room in the indoor bath is compact, with room for about 4 people, and the temperature is around 90°C. The stove is made by Finland’s MISA, and self-löyly is available. MISA stoves are exactly my kind of thing, because they let you work up a deep sweat from the core of your body. I warmed myself up slowly and carefully over time. In the quiet space, I settled both mind and body. After a while, a fellow guest said, "I'm going to do löyly." Since it was a space for only 4 people, the moment water was poured onto the sauna stones, hot steam spread instantly and accelerated the sweating process. Just as I was nearing my limit, I moved to the cold plunge bath in the outdoor area. At Marukoma Onsen Ryokan, the cold plunge bath is fed directly and continuously with lake water from Lake Shikotsu, Japan’s top-ranked lake for water quality for 11 consecutive years. Even in June, the water temperature is about 10°C, offering a very refreshing sensation. Fully benefiting from the blessings of natural water, I felt my blood vessels tighten all at once as I moved to the open-air rest space right next to it. The spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu stretched out before me, and there is nothing quite like enjoying outdoor air bathing while gazing at that scenery. I have visited facilities with ocean views and lake views several times before, but this was the closest I had ever been to a lake. The outdoor bath and the lake are almost zero distance apart, and if you jumped from the rest area, it would feel close enough to dive straight into the water. Because of that, you can directly feel the flow, sound, and breeze of Lake Shikotsu’s water. Perhaps this was the best open-air rest of my life. Before heading into my second sauna set, I stopped by the spring-water drinking area. Here, you can drink the naturally flowing hot spring water. I usually drink water, but today I was going to drink hot spring water and recharge with minerals. It was a rustic style of pouring the water into a ladle and gulping it down. When I put it in my mouth, it had a strong iron-like taste. I would never call it delicious, but I could feel the power of the earth charging into my body. A foreign guest standing nearby looked very interested, so I handed him the ladle and urged him to try it. "Try it." After taking a sip, he said "unrich" and walked away. Unrich, huh? How cute. This act of drinking spring water is a rich experience that can only be enjoyed in limited places. For the second set as well, I warmed my body in the sauna, cooled down by immersing myself in the lake water, which is rated number one in Japan for water quality, and then enjoyed open-air rest while once again gazing at the spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu. The weather was cool as well, making it the kind of place where you could do open-air rest forever. I simply relaxed and admired the scenery until the switch flipped in my head and I thought, "All right, time to move." Famous hot spring, sauna, cold plunge bath with lake water, and spectacular open-air rest. Everything was top-notch, and I was deeply impressed. After that, I repeated the cycle of hot spring and sauna many times. When I finished and looked at the clock, two hours had passed in no time. This must be what it means to have so much fun that you forget the time. It felt like I had time-slipped.

I took Friday and Monday off from work. By now, you probably know what that means. The sauna trip has begun. On Friday, June 5, I left Kobe Airport at 7:30 a.m. and landed at New Chitose Airport by 9:15. From there, I headed to the rental car office, completed the paperwork, and set off for my first destination, Marukoma Onsen Ryokan. It had been about three years since I last set foot in Hokkaido, but this was my first trip with hot springs and saunas as the main purpose. For that reason, I gripped the wheel with extraordinary determination. As I drove, beautiful scenery that you would never encounter in everyday life kept coming into view one after another. The exhilaration of travel was pounding in my chest. After driving for about an hour, Lake Shikotsu appeared before my eyes. This lake, which has repeatedly ranked first in Japan for water quality, is so blue and clear that it is called the "Blue of Shikotsu," and the majestic mountains centered around Mount Eniwa quietly surround it. At Marukoma Onsen Ryokan, where I was headed next, I would be able to enjoy hot springs and saunas while gazing out at this spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu. When I first found this facility, I was so thrilled that I almost shouted at the thought of being able to enter a sauna in such a perfect setting. I arrived at Marukoma Onsen Ryokan. Since it was a weekday morning, there were only a few guests around. I bought a day-use bathing ticket from the ticket machine, received a towel at the front desk, and headed to the large bath area. Up until the moment I undressed in the changing room, it was no different from an ordinary public bath. But from here on, the truly rare experience began. The moment I stepped into the large bath area, the spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu rushed into my field of vision. I stood there frozen for a few seconds at its beauty, then quickly pulled myself together and checked the layout. Inside, there were several tubs with different temperatures and a sauna. In the outdoor area, there was a hot spring bath overlooking the vast natural scenery of Lake Shikotsu, a cold plunge bath, and an open-air resting space. There was also a place where you could drink the spring water. After washing up, I first soaked slowly in the outdoor hot spring. Marukoma Onsen Ryokan is a long-established hidden hot spring resort with more than 100 years of history, having first been discovered in Taisho 4 (1915) by its founder, Hatotaro Sasaki. It has a rare natural open-air bath with spring water bubbling up from beneath the ground, one of the few of its kind in Japan, and because it is connected to Lake Shikotsu between the rocks, the depth of the tub changes according to the lake’s water level. It is truly a hot spring in perfect harmony with nature. I think the color, scent, and texture of the hot spring are very similar to Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture. The golden water is so mineral-rich that it even changes the color of the tub itself. While gazing at the spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu, I slowly soaked in this historic famous hot spring. When my body warmed up, I took a short break and then returned to the bath again. Throughout it all, the spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu was always right beside me. What an incredible feeling. After thoroughly enjoying the hot spring, I began the sauna -> cold plunge bath -> open-air rest set. The sauna room in the indoor bath is compact, with room for about 4 people, and the temperature is around 90°C. The stove is made by Finland’s MISA, and self-löyly is available. MISA stoves are exactly my kind of thing, because they let you work up a deep sweat from the core of your body. I warmed myself up slowly and carefully over time. In the quiet space, I settled both mind and body. After a while, a fellow guest said, "I'm going to do löyly." Since it was a space for only 4 people, the moment water was poured onto the sauna stones, hot steam spread instantly and accelerated the sweating process. Just as I was nearing my limit, I moved to the cold plunge bath in the outdoor area. At Marukoma Onsen Ryokan, the cold plunge bath is fed directly and continuously with lake water from Lake Shikotsu, Japan’s top-ranked lake for water quality for 11 consecutive years. Even in June, the water temperature is about 10°C, offering a very refreshing sensation. Fully benefiting from the blessings of natural water, I felt my blood vessels tighten all at once as I moved to the open-air rest space right next to it. The spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu stretched out before me, and there is nothing quite like enjoying outdoor air bathing while gazing at that scenery. I have visited facilities with ocean views and lake views several times before, but this was the closest I had ever been to a lake. The outdoor bath and the lake are almost zero distance apart, and if you jumped from the rest area, it would feel close enough to dive straight into the water. Because of that, you can directly feel the flow, sound, and breeze of Lake Shikotsu’s water. Perhaps this was the best open-air rest of my life. Before heading into my second sauna set, I stopped by the spring-water drinking area. Here, you can drink the naturally flowing hot spring water. I usually drink water, but today I was going to drink hot spring water and recharge with minerals. It was a rustic style of pouring the water into a ladle and gulping it down. When I put it in my mouth, it had a strong iron-like taste. I would never call it delicious, but I could feel the power of the earth charging into my body. A foreign guest standing nearby looked very interested, so I handed him the ladle and urged him to try it. "Try it." After taking a sip, he said "unrich" and walked away. Unrich, huh? How cute. This act of drinking spring water is a rich experience that can only be enjoyed in limited places. For the second set as well, I warmed my body in the sauna, cooled down by immersing myself in the lake water, which is rated number one in Japan for water quality, and then enjoyed open-air rest while once again gazing at the spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu. The weather was cool as well, making it the kind of place where you could do open-air rest forever. I simply relaxed and admired the scenery until the switch flipped in my head and I thought, "All right, time to move." Famous hot spring, sauna, cold plunge bath with lake water, and spectacular open-air rest. Everything was top-notch, and I was deeply impressed. After that, I repeated the cycle of hot spring and sauna many times. When I finished and looked at the clock, two hours had passed in no time. This must be what it means to have so much fun that you forget the time. It felt like I had time-slipped.