For a sauna addict like me, Friday is both the most joyous and the most agonizing day of the week. The reason is simple: I can barely contain my excitement to get out on a sauna trip. And let me warn you upfront — this account is a bit long. That's because the experience was just that moving.
Work had settled down, so I was searching for this week's sauna destination. That's when one piece of information caught my eye. Apparently, a remarkable sauna produced by none other than the Sauna King himself, Hiroshi Ota, had opened at a hotel called Seaside Hotel Maiko Villa Kobe. And it had just opened in August, no less. What a coincidence. This hotel happened to be the very place I'd stayed during a scouting trip before moving to Naruto — a hotel filled with memories. The location is superb; from the guest rooms, you can take in a sweeping view of the Akashi Strait. It's also just a little over an hour from my home by car. If I stayed the night, I could start the next morning with a tour of Kobe's saunas. A full plan came together in an instant. I booked the hotel right away. When a sauna trip is going to be a success, coincidences have a way of lining up.
The moment work was done, I was in my car in seconds, flying down the expressway, and arrived at the hotel at 7:30 p.m. I checked in and made a beeline for the sauna. The Sauna King, Hiroshi Ota, is the man behind legendary facilities like Yurakkusu in Kumamoto and Karumaru Ikebukuro in Tokyo. There's no way a sauna produced by him could be anything less than extraordinary. My excitement was through the roof. The moment I stepped inside through the entrance tucked away at the back of the lounge — exuding a sense of secrecy — a wonderful fragrance hit my nostrils. The lockers radiated luxury, making me feel like an executive. The amenities were top-of-the-line. Towels were provided without limit, and lemon water was available too. I hadn't even entered the sauna yet, and I was already enveloped in satisfaction.
Stepping into the bathing area, two cold plunge baths sat prominently in the center. The impression it gave me was exactly the same as when I visited Kobe Kur Haus — the star of the bathing area is the cold plunge bath. There are two cold plunge baths at 17°C and 9°C, both with jet streams circulating the water, so they feel colder than the displayed temperatures. On top of that, the 9°C bath has a five-directional cross-current system. Jet streams from each corner converge toward the center, and pressing a suspicious-looking red button sends a waterfall cascading down from overhead. It wasn't hard to imagine being completely overwhelmed by attacks from five directions with no way to defend yourself. I was awestruck by the sheer impact of the cold plunge baths, but I snapped back to reality and did a quick layout check. In addition to the cold plunge baths, there are shower booths, two sauna rooms, and two relaxation spaces.
[A brief guide to the saunas]
- Sauna Room 1, Miru Miru: A sauna with a loft and a vibrating bath. While conventional saunas are enjoyed sitting on benches, this one lets you lie down. It's also set up on two levels, so you can adjust the temperature depending on where you rest. On top of that, a 30°C bath is built into the sauna room itself, allowing for the rare experience of cooling your body while still in the sauna.
- Sauna Room 2, Moku Moku: A sauna built around silent meditation. Perfect for those who want to meditate while bathing in the heat — the interior is dim, and self-service löyly is available.
I rinsed off in the shower and made my way into Sauna Room 1, Miru Miru. A pleasant woody fragrance drifted through the air. Soothed by the scent, I started by sitting on the upper bench. As my body warmed up and my circulation improved, I moved up to the loft. I lay down and let the sauna's heat wash over me in a reclined position. This allows the whole body to heat evenly, and I found myself in a state that was hot but somehow deeply pleasant — and it just kept going.
After leaving the sauna, I headed for the 17°C cold plunge bath. It's remarkably deep, clearly designed with full submersion in mind. With the jets running, it felt colder than the posted 17°C. I let my body float in the water as if drifting at sea. Cold, yet a feeling of bliss that kept on going. I naturally found myself staying in longer and longer. Eventually, a deep chill set in from my core. Cold enough to shiver.
I got out of the cold plunge bath and moved to the dedicated relaxation space. More amazement awaited. I reclined the chair as far back as it would go and looked up at the ceiling, where a projector was playing footage of fireworks. Background music filled the space too, creating the sensation of watching fireworks while lying down. Add to that the totonou state brought on by the sauna and the outstanding cold plunge bath, and I found myself thinking — is this heaven? Close my eyes, and my consciousness was on the verge of slipping away. And this was only the first set.
For the second set, I entered Sauna Room 2, Moku Moku. An entirely different world unfolded before me. The interior was dim, the atmosphere distinctly Japanese. Inside a giant Buddha statue? Well, not quite. But there was no doubt it was the perfect place to sit in Zen meditation. I had the whole room to myself, so I moved to the top bench. As a side note, the top bench has a surrounding enclosure designed to trap the heat from löyly. I sat in meditation for a while, working up a sweat. A unique soundtrack played throughout. Once I'd built up a good sweat, I performed löyly — pouring water over the sauna stones and releasing a massive cloud of steam. Then I returned to the prime seat at the top. An incomparable wave of heat came rolling in compared to moments before. What is this heat? The warmth reached all the way to my core.
For the cold plunge after that, I chose the 9°C bath. With the jets running here too, the perceived temperature felt closer to around 7°C. The moment I got in, I felt a brief sting of pain — likely from my blood vessels suddenly contracting. That alone is quite an experience. About 20 seconds in, a button caught my eye. It appeared to be designed to drop water from overhead when pressed. My body was already near its limit, but pressing it wasn't really optional. With trembling hands, I pressed the button. A torrent of water came crashing down from above. And it was 9°C water, no less. I let out a full-on roar that went well past a gasp. That's how intense the sensation was.
After getting out of the cold plunge bath, I could barely stand. I didn't have the composure to make it to the dedicated relaxation space, so I sat in a nearby resting chair. With every breath, a sound escaped me. My body was chilled to the core. I was trembling. And yet it felt incredible. Is this what it's like after cannabis? That thought was drifting through my mind when my consciousness nearly slipped away. Losing consciousness here would mean forfeiting my right to call myself a sauna enthusiast. I still had one more set to go — the golden route of sauna → cold plunge → cold plunge in alternating heat and cold therapy.
For the third set, I returned to Sauna Room 2, Moku Moku. Of course, I claimed the top bench, performed löyly twice, and worked up a sweat from deep within. Just moments ago I'd been on the verge of freezing to death, yet now I was burning up. The human body is a strange thing. Is it really okay to subject it to this kind of roller coaster? I had the thought, but since it felt so good, I figured it must be fine. When I hit my limit with the heat, I headed for the cold plunge baths. First, 30 seconds in the 9°C bath. Then immediately over to the 17°C bath. There, within the cold, I felt something like warmth, and the strength drained from my entire body. I floated in the cold plunge bath. What a sense of release. So this is the power of the sauna → cold plunge → cold plunge sequence.
After finishing all three sets, I couldn't move for a while. Not because it was painful — but because it felt too good. And so I was completely undone by the facility created by the man they call the Sauna King.
