When I reach the final chapter of my life, I find myself thinking about how I'd like to spend whatever time and money I have left.
The ideal I picture goes something like this: every day, I walk into Ogaki Sauna the moment it opens at 11:00, do 3 sets of sauna and the sublime cold plunge, then head upstairs when hunger strikes, share a meal and some drinks with friends, and stretch out in a recliner for as long a nap as I please. When I wake up, I freshen myself up with one more round of sauna and cold plunge, then head home. I eat dinner, drift off to sleep thinking, "If I wake up tomorrow morning, I'll be lucky — I get to go back to Ogaki Sauna." I want to repeat that kind of day, over and over, right up until I die. That's the fantasy that comes over me every time I visit Ogaki Sauna. I want to spend the last stretch of my life in this magnificent place.
On this particular day, I made my way from Kakamigahara to Ogaki. Head straight west along the bypass from Kakamigahara and you'll eventually arrive in Ogaki — it's that simple. Since I'd been here once before, I found my way to the area around Ogaki Station without needing a nav. I had some time before Ogaki Sauna opened, so I parked in a multi-story lot near the station and decided to take a walk around town. Ogaki is dotted with natural spring water spots throughout the city. Known as the "City of Water," it has water that maintains a temperature of 14°C year-round — drinkable, and welling up in abundance. I let my mind wander to absurd places: even if I lost my job and ended up homeless, I could survive in Ogaki as long as there's water. Chuckling at my own ridiculous daydream, I kept walking. After a while, I arrived at Ogaki Hachimangu Shrine. I offered my thanks for being able to return to Ogaki once more. Near the shrine entrance, I found a spring — I scooped up the water with both hands and drank it. It was genuinely delicious. Raw water nurtured by rich earth. I felt something inside me being purified. If I ever lived in Ogaki, I'd make a morning ritual of strolling between spring water spots and drinking beautifully clean water every day — what a life that would be.
By the time I'd finished walking around town, Ogaki Sauna was just opening. I got in the car and headed for my destination. Last time I came by train and taxi, but today I was driving — it felt fresh. I parked, got out, and looked up at the building. In an instant, a rush of joy welled up inside me and I couldn't help grinning. I'd made it back to this sacred place. Let me enjoy the sauna, the cold plunge, and the delicious food here to my heart's content.
As I stepped inside, a staff member welcomed me with a warm smile. I handed over my shoes at the counter and received my locker key. This being my second visit, I knew exactly where to go and moved toward the bath area more smoothly than last time. As I stepped in, a familiar scene greeted me: the simple layout of a sauna room, a cold plunge bath, and a vibrating bath — nothing more. No outdoor relaxation area, no recliner chairs. And yet, it's precisely this place that delivers the greatest totonou experience of my life. That's what makes Ogaki Sauna so extraordinary.
I rinsed off and warmed up in the vibrating bath. Before getting into the sauna, I decided to do a quick pre-set in the cold plunge. The moment I stepped in, my body was enveloped in a sensation like melting. It felt like being held in a gentle embrace. At 14°C, I felt no cold whatsoever — only pleasure. Strangely, I could have stayed in indefinitely. I hadn't even done my first sauna set yet, and this feeling of exhilaration was already off the charts. I sat down on a chair to towel off, and somehow I was already in a state of totonou. Here, there's no need to fight yourself. It felt so good I couldn't move for a while.
Finally coming back to my senses, I entered the sauna for the first set. It was the same old Showa-era hard-hitting sauna as ever. The thermometer read 110°C. But the humidity was high, so there was no pain or breathlessness — just focused, deep sweating. As I endured the heat, I read Ogaki Sauna's famous manifesto, We Are Sauna People, again and again.
Sauna is loved by those who love nature.
Sauna feels like it carries something of the wild.
Sometimes sauna makes you feel like a traveler.
For some reason, it's favored by capable people.
Sauna suits those who think about tomorrow.
Sauna exists for those who enjoy life.
And yet, not one person who enters a sauna
ever acts like they're better than anyone else.
As I kept rereading it, I sensed I was approaching my limit. Time for the cold plunge. I left the sauna room, rinsed off my sweat, and surrendered my entire body to the free-flowing groundwater bath. Once again, the groundwater gently caressed my body, delivering an exquisite rush of clarity. I moved toward the spot where the flowing water poured in and drank from it. The sacred groundwater cooled me from the inside out. I spent a while with my mind completely blank, submerged in the water, then drank once more before settling onto a chair. As I wrote in my account of the last visit, it hit me like plunging into mint water — a wave of pure refreshment. This water really is something else.
For about five minutes, I was completely gone. What an indescribable feeling of bliss. At this point in time, Ogaki Sauna is, without question, number one in Japan for me. There is no other place that makes me feel this good and this at ease. Here, I can relax 100%. The people around me might have been feeling the same — because every single face wore a look of pure contentment. I'm not sure if I happened to arrive at a good time, but despite a fair number of people being there, there was not a single conversation. No voices in the sauna, no voices in the cold plunge. Everyone seemed to be savoring this exceptional sauna and cold plunge with every fiber of their being. I was overjoyed just to be there among them. Whenever I come to Ogaki Sauna, a feeling of genuine gratitude naturally rises within me — though I can't quite explain why.
In the end, I did 4 sets of sauna and cold plunge. After finishing the last set, I wrapped myself in the facility's loungewear and stepped outside the building, settling into a squat. Had the autumn breeze always felt this good? The gentle wind swept over a body purified by groundwater. A short distance away, someone else was squatting in the same position, in a daze, cigarette in hand. I, too, was rendered motionless for a while by the sheer bliss of it all. After about ten minutes of blissful, zoned-out squatting, I decided to head upstairs. Time to treat myself to that exquisite ginger pork set meal.
The second-floor restaurant was quite lively. A group of older regulars were gathered around a table, animated and cheerful — local people, no doubt. This is their cherished place. I thought to myself how wonderful it would be if, when I reach the final stretch of my life, I could spend my time this way. And how wonderful it would be to have a place like Ogaki Sauna to call home.
I took a seat at the open counter and ordered the ginger pork set meal and simmered sea bream head. A short wait, and the food arrived. I started with the red miso soup — its flavor resonated deep in my organs. Then I took on two thick slices of ginger-glazed pork loin in one bold mouthful. God, it was incredible. I couldn't stop eating the rice. I couldn't put down the chopsticks. I finished it all in what felt like an instant — though I savored every bite. I refreshed my palate with the red miso soup, then moved on to the simmered sea bream. It was absolutely wonderful. It might have been the best simmered sea bream I've had in my entire life. To the chef who made it — truly, thank you.
After the meal, I settled straight into a recliner. The finest sauna and cold plunge. Exceptional food. A comfortable, reassuring space. I sat in the very spot where Taizo Harada and Hiroki Miyake sat in the drama Sado, and was wrapped in an overwhelming sense of happiness. Ah — I'm alive. I feel the joy of being human. This sauna trip was the best yet. Japan is full of wonderful places I simply haven't discovered yet. Where should I go next? ...I was still mid-thought when I apparently fell asleep.
I slept for about an hour and it was nearly 3 in the afternoon. I was currently in Gifu — I had to make it all the way back to Tokushima. The nap had restored my energy. As a wake-up call to myself, I decided to take one last dip in the sublime cold plunge before heading home. I heated my body in the sauna, then plunged into the free-flowing groundwater bath. Instantly sharp and awake. I finished by drinking the flowing water, and the inside of my body felt refreshed too.
I don't know when I'll be able to come back, but as long as Ogaki Sauna remains the number one sauna in Japan for me, that day won't be far off. I paid at the front desk, said "I'll be back," and got in the car.
And with that, this week's sauna journey came to an end.
