If I could have my way, I'd want to do at least three rounds of sauna → cold plunge bath → rest at every facility I visit. That's what I believe a proper sauna enthusiast should do. But sometimes, you can't even manage one set — or you find yourself forced to call it quits after just one. Well, to be precise, if you push yourself you could do three, but sometimes something happens that makes you want to stop after just one. It's extremely rare — maybe once in every fifty facilities you visit. This time, I happened to draw that unlucky ticket.
That day, I had been enjoying a sauna in Nara Prefecture since the morning, then spent the afternoon sobbing my eyes dry at a movie theater. Drained of energy, I was driving along thinking I'd stop somewhere for a sauna to clear my head before heading home. That's how I ended up choosing Naniwa no Yu Natural Hot Spring in Osaka City as my destination.
From what I'd researched in advance, it seemed like a wonderful facility — and after actually going, I can confirm the hot spring, sauna, and cold plunge bath were all excellent. So why did I end up retreating after just one set? Simple: it was way too crowded. No matter which bath I went to — indoor or outdoor — every single one was packed to capacity. Even when I tried to slip into the sauna as a last resort, there was a line at the entrance. There wasn't a single spot to rest my body anywhere. Countless other lost souls wandering around just like me had descended upon the bathing area.
Looking more closely, groups of customers seemed to be camping out indefinitely. Five or six people huddled together, deep in conversation, not moving an inch. And there were multiple groups like this. I have to say, the situation was brutal. For a solo visitor like me, groups of customers are nothing short of the enemy — but for them, it's a fun time with friends, and I have no right to begrudge them that. Frustrating as it was, I had no choice but to swallow my pride and accept it.
Still, when was I ever going to get into that sauna? While waiting and watching, I'd already washed my body three times. The dead skin had sloughed off — my skin was as smooth as if I'd had a proper scrub-down. I was essentially taking an endless shower.
Finally, the line outside the sauna disappeared, so I opened the door — only to find a queue had formed inside the corridor. The grubby back of a middle-aged man was right in my face. I nearly let out a sigh, but having come this far, waiting was the only option. In a situation like this, you can't choose where to sit; you just take whatever spot opens up. This kind of sauna experience is rough. I'd rather not repeat it. When my turn finally came around, I ended up on the lowest bench. Sitting on the upper bench is my routine, and the weaker heat down below just doesn't cut it. I kept an eye out to move up the moment a top spot opened, but there were several other people with the same shifty eyes — clearly fellow sauna lovers — already sitting higher than me. I accepted that I had no chance of beating them to it.
By the time my body started warming up, I was already thinking one set might be enough. That feeling turned into certainty the moment I stepped out of the sauna room. The line outside was even longer than when I'd gone in. Going back for a second set would mean even more suffering than before. I made up my mind to call it after one set.
The negative spiral continued in the locker room. It was incredibly cramped due to the crowds, and even digging my belongings out of my locker was a struggle. The staff were doing puzzling things too — personally handing locker keys to newly arriving guests. If they have time for that, they'd be better off implementing a capacity limit at the entrance. The result of letting in clearly more guests than the bathing area can handle was a string of people who couldn't even find a place to soak. I was once shocked to see a facility in Tokyo handing out numbered tickets at the entrance — but I've come around to thinking that's far better than getting inside and feeling stressed out. Issue tickets, make people wait outside, and let those inside enjoy a comfortable sauna experience. This is one area where I'd really like to see this facility improve its operations.
I thought about resting near the reception area, but it was packed with people and there was clearly no place to sit. I glanced over at the restaurant and noticed plenty of empty seats, so I decided to rest there instead. Might as well grab a meal before heading home.
This sauna trip ended on a frustrating note. Still, I know full well that not every facility will give me the experience I'm hoping for. Perhaps Naniwa no Yu Natural Hot Spring would be a completely different experience on another day. But a sauna trip is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. Everything is determined by the experience you have on the day you visit. That raw, honest experience is what I want to keep writing about.
I'm already looking forward to seeing what my next sauna trip has in store.
