I love open spaces. The higher the ceiling, the better, and the more depth, the more I enjoy it. This applies to hot spring facilities as well, where an open space significantly enhances the feeling of comfort. "Kuutani Onsen OSAKA BAY TOWER" is a hot spring facility that epitomizes openness. Located within the Osaka Bay Tower in Minato Ward, Osaka City, it features a hot spring and garden, with a design that allows you to overlook the courtyard from the spacious main bath with high ceilings. Although you might worry that the main bath could be visible from outside because guests in yukata stroll through the courtyard, this is well taken care of. Moreover, the quality of the hot springs and sauna is high, with a natural hot spring flowing directly from 1,000 meters underground, carbonated baths, and a sauna equipped with an automatic löyly and cold plunge bath. I decided to enjoy this wonderful facility from the morning. First, I entered the natural hot spring. As a "kakenagashi fetishist," this was the perfect environment for me, with the spring water constantly flowing into the bath from underground. Since it's not circulated, you can directly feel the blessings of the earth. After relaxing in the natural hot spring for a while, I moved to the indoor bath with a view of the courtyard. "Kuutani Onsen OSAKA BAY TOWER" has a vertically long main bath structure, and at the far end, there's a bath with a view of the courtyard. Soaking in the natural hot spring while gazing at the beautiful garden, the comfort of the hot spring combined with the visual healing made the experience even more enjoyable. After enjoying the hot spring, I headed to the sauna for the first set. The space accommodates about 20 people, with wide seating. It's a rocky sauna with sauna stones piled up, and löyly is performed regularly. Fortunately, the löyly started just as I entered. Water was sprayed onto the sauna stove. I thought it would end quickly, but it continued for a long time. As a result, steam filled the sauna room, and the humidity rose rapidly. I started sweating profusely. When the spraying stopped, I thought it was over, but then the löyly resumed. The second set began. I was surprised. In general, automatic löyly in public bathhouses often involves a small amount of water being poured only once. Therefore, while you can feel a momentary heat wave, it often feels insufficient. However, at "Kuutani Onsen OSAKA BAY TOWER," the long automatic löyly is performed in two sets per session. With this much steam, I was more than satisfied. I was already sweating all over, nearing my limit. After being thoroughly steamed, I entered the cold plunge bath. The cold plunge bath, set at an ideal temperature of 16°C, cooled my body, and I moved to the outdoor air bath space. Although there were slightly fewer chairs, which might be a problem if more guests arrived, it was still morning, so there were few guests. I was able to sit on a chair without any issues. I rested my body for a while, soaked in the hot spring while gazing at the garden, went to the sauna, and finished with the cold plunge bath. I repeated this loop three times. My body was perfectly refreshed.

After leaving the main bath, I took a break and thought about my plans for the rest of the day. Today is the last day of my trip. Normally, I would take another sauna session in the evening and then return to Tokushima, but at this moment, I was filled with great satisfaction. Perhaps it was because I was able to enjoy a bath in my favorite open space. I felt like I could just go home now. There's a psychological principle called the "peak-end rule," which suggests that our overall impression of an experience is determined by the peak moment of heightened emotion and the way it ends. To have a good trip, you should be mindful of how it ends. In light of this, I concluded that making the "now (peak)" the "end" would be the best course of action. This is something you can do when traveling alone, but it's also important to be flexible and change your travel plans based on your mood and experiences at the time. I enjoyed a delicious oyakodon at a nearby restaurant and drove back to my home in Tokushima Prefecture. This concludes my Osaka sauna trip. Next week, I have a Nagoya sauna trip planned. I intend to visit famous facilities over a 2-night, 3-day trip.