Kyoto is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Japan, yet Rumor Plaza was not crowded. Gion was bustling with people, each heading somewhere—perhaps to a temple, the traditional streets, or a cultural experience unique to Kyoto. I too was walking amidst the crowd. However, my fundamental reason for coming to Kyoto was vastly different from theirs. I came for the sauna. Rumor Plaza is located right in the heart of Gion. It's on the main street lined with shops, and if you’re not paying attention, you might easily walk past it. But I didn’t miss it. I spotted its distinctive exterior and went inside. At the reception, I said, "I'd like to use the sauna," and completed the check-in process. I changed in the locker room and headed to the large bath. Since it was my first time at this facility, I first checked the layout. Upon entering the large bath, the main sauna is on the right, and there's a huge cold plunge bath right outside the sauna. Besides that, there are areas for enjoying typical warm baths like jet baths and plain hot water. Near the entrance, there's a staircase leading to an outdoor area, where you can enjoy an open-air bath with a view of Gion, a Finnish-style sauna where you can perform self-löyly, and two types of cold plunge baths. There’s also a staircase leading to the upper floor, and when I climbed it, the rooftop greeted me with a view of Gion’s peak. There was nothing to obstruct the 360° panoramic view of Kyoto. Without any window glass, if someone from another building intentionally looked over (with a telescope), they would see everything. While enjoying this liberating space, a chill hit me. I remembered I hadn’t washed my body or entered the sauna yet. I went down the floor, cleansed myself, and entered the main sauna room. The spacious room had two sauna stoves installed. My eyes caught something—a space at the edge of the sauna room where one person could lie down. Since it was vacant, I immediately moved there and enjoyed the sauna while lying down. The only downside was that the wooden pillow was too hot. I almost got burned because I hadn’t covered it with a towel. After warming up in the main sauna, I entered the huge cold plunge bath right in front of me. It seemed okay to dive in after rinsing off the sweat. This place truly lives up to its reputation as Kyoto's No.1 facility. For sauna enthusiasts, being able to dive into a cold plunge bath is pure bliss. I was able to cool down sharply from my toes to my head. The cold plunge bath was also spacious, wide and deep enough to swim in. This aspect was also fantastic. For the second round, I headed to the Finnish sauna in the outdoor area. Towels were available for unlimited use in front of the sauna room, which was a thoughtful touch. Upon entering the sauna room, it had a different, darker atmosphere than the main sauna. The wood used for the interior was a dark color, matching the ambiance. Since it was a sauna where you could perform self-löyly, the humidity was quite high. Sweat started pouring out as soon as I entered the sauna. Indeed, the way the body warms up is completely different when the humidity is high. It must have been intentionally designed to maintain high humidity. Impressive. The path to the cold plunge bath was perfect. A cold plunge bath was available right after exiting the Finnish sauna, with two temperature options: 15°C and 20°C. Without hesitation, I entered the 15°C cold plunge bath to cool down. Afterwards, I enjoyed an open-air bath while gazing at the beautiful blue sky and the streets of Gion. A large crowd gathered at the entrance of the nearby Yasaka Shrine. I wondered if anyone would notice if I shouted "Ah!" loudly from here. But most people are unaware that there’s an exquisite sauna here, so they wouldn’t know the source of the voice. While pondering such thoughts, I spent a pleasant time in the open-air bath. For the third round, I heated my body again in the Finnish sauna, entered the cold plunge bath in the same manner, and concluded my morning sauna activities while overlooking the streets of Gion.

After dining at the facility's restaurant, I was overwhelmed by a strong drowsiness. I decided to move to the reclining room for a nap. The facility offers more than just the large bath, which is greatly appreciated. While sleeping comfortably, I was awakened by a loud cough. Someone had settled next to me, and they seemed to be the source of the noise. Although it was an unpleasant awakening, I had a good nap and felt rejuvenated. Now, I have no more business in Kyoto. Having fully enjoyed Rumor Plaza, I decided to return to Osaka. Tonight, I plan to stay at a hotel near Tsuruhashi Station in Osaka. Tsuruhashi is known as a Korean town, bustling with many eateries, including Korean BBQ restaurants. Why am I staying in Tsuruhashi? My interest is directed towards a certain facility. There’s a facility in Tsuruhashi that many sauna enthusiasts visit, known as one of Osaka’s top super sento. That facility is Natural Hot Spring Nobe no Yu Tsuruhashi.