I had completely fallen ill. Last Saturday night, a sudden bout of abdominal pain and fever left me unable to move. In that state, I couldn't even visit my beloved sauna, and I was spending days that could only be described as those of a washed-up shell of a person.
From there, I gradually recovered, and by Friday I was back to full health. The first thing that came to mind was: let's go on a sauna trip. As for where to go, since I was just getting over an illness, somewhere reachable by car would be ideal. As I browsed Google Maps, I got the feeling that Nara Prefecture was calling out to me. There are also a few sauna facilities in Nara I'd been wanting to visit, so I decided to head there this week.
I set off Saturday morning. This trip would be one night, two days. Filled with joy at being able to go on another sauna trip, I let out a battle cry and headed for my destination. After about two hours of driving, I arrived at Nijinoyu Nishi-Yamato. The incredibly cool exterior gave off the atmosphere of a French restaurant, but this is a public bath. My heart was racing with excitement as I approached the entrance, wondering what kind of world awaited inside.
I passed through the clean and inviting lobby, stripped off my clothes at lightning speed at the men's locker room, and headed to the main bathing area. Right upon entering, a sign reading "Löyly Sauna" caught my eye, along with the sauna entrance. The layout was: shower area on the left, indoor baths on the right, and the outdoor bath straight ahead. The indoor bath had large windows that allowed you to take in the full view of the outdoor garden while soaking. I had visited the Nijinoyu in Osaka Sayama City before, and there you could watch a waterfall while bathing — the design was such that simply being in the bath made you feel something special. This design sensibility is Nijinoyu's true strength.
First, I cleaned myself up and eased into the natural hot spring of the indoor bath. The soft water enveloped my body and soothed the fatigue from the journey. Gazing out at the outdoor bath through the window, I felt myself relaxing deeper and deeper. Having fallen ill for the first time in years, I was reminded that when your body isn't well, you can't even enjoy an onsen. I felt keenly just how important it is to be healthy. I want to be grateful that I'm able to soak in an onsen again like this.
With my warm-up in the natural hot spring complete, I headed to the sauna. Inside the sauna room, the walls were covered not in wood, but in something else. What was it? Radon ceramic panels. Radon ceramic panels generate far-infrared rays, promote perspiration, and raise the body's core temperature. While most saunas use wood, having the majority of the walls covered in radon ceramic panels is quite unusual. Sitting on the bench and slowly soaking in the heat, my body seemed to warm up faster than usual. Could it be the effect of the radon panels?
After the sauna, it was time for the cold plunge bath. First of all, the flow is perfect. The cold plunge bath is located right as you step out of the sauna room. On top of that, the size and depth are perfect too. It's large enough to fit about ten people, and with a water depth of 90 cm, you can cool your entire body. The temperature is around 16°C, which is ideal for a cold plunge. Not only is the design of every corner of the facility exceptional, but the core sauna and cold plunge bath are outstanding as well — if I lived nearby, I'd make this my home sauna without a doubt. This has to be one of the top facilities in Nara Prefecture.
After the cold plunge, I moved to the outdoor area for some fresh air bathing. Here too, reclining chairs were lined up across a spacious area, setting the perfect stage for totonou. Everywhere I moved, exactly what I needed was right there. It's not just beautiful — the facility clearly understands users' sauna experience and flow, and is designed to be as convenient as possible. It makes you think: this is what true design really means.
From the very first set, I was able to complete a perfect sauna → cold plunge → outdoor rest session, and I found myself completely in love with Nijinoyu. For the second set, I went straight into the outdoor barrel sauna. It's a compact setup fitting about four people, and the distinctive woody aroma of a barrel sauna is wonderful. The air is slightly drier compared to the main sauna, but experiencing a different kind of heat makes it great in its own right.
At first I had it all to myself, but after a while an older gentleman came in. "Nice weather today, isn't it! Feels great!" he said, striking up a conversation. "It does!" I replied. "The onsen and sauna here are both incredible." He continued, "Is this your first time here? Great place, isn't it! I come every day, haha." "I'm so envious!" I answered. "If there was one near me, I'd definitely come every day too, haha." At that point I'd hit my limit, so I said "I'll head out first, excuse me!" and made my exit. When you're traveling for saunas, you're blessed with these kinds of fleeting, once-in-a-lifetime encounters. In all likelihood, our lives only intersected in that single moment. It's precisely because I traveled to that place that I was able to experience that moment.
The barrel sauna is in the outdoor area, but right as you step out of the sauna, two cold plunge baths are ready and waiting. The flow design is nothing short of impressive. I plunged into the Shigaraki-ware ceramic cold plunge bath and cooled my body down all at once. Afterward, I relaxed in the reclining chairs located right next to the cold plunge. I'll say it again: the flow is absolutely perfect. This is truly a great facility.
Afterward, I enjoyed two more sets of sauna → cold plunge → outdoor rest, and my morning sauna session came to an end.
While eating at the facility's restaurant, I realized I hadn't booked a hotel for the night. That said, I wasn't the least bit flustered. It happens all the time. The motto of my sauna trips is: no planning, impulsive action, and real-time decision-making. I prioritize going where I want to go right now, and figure out the details just in time.
As I searched for a place to stay, one hotel caught my eye. It had a sauna I had been thinking of visiting either tonight or tomorrow morning. If I stayed there, I could enjoy the sauna both in the evening and in the morning. Luckily, it appeared to be heavily discounted on the booking site, so I could stay for a great price. The trip was flowing beautifully. Feeling that, I booked the hotel on the spot.
My next destination: Nara Royal Hotel La Royal Spa.
