Visiting Saga Prefecture was a first for me. While researching hot springs and sauna facilities across Japan, I noticed that Saga is home to several outstanding places that attract sauna enthusiasts from all over the country. From there I planned the trip and finally managed to visit. I took the limited express bound for Takeo Onsen from Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture, and after about 45 minutes arrived at Saga Station. Crossing from Fukuoka into Saga filled me with a childlike excitement. Stepping into a place I had never been before always makes me feel as if I have entered an unknown world. The view from the train window revealed tranquil rural scenery and made me forget I had been in the big city of Hakata only a short while earlier. After checking in at a hotel in front of the station and strolling around the Saga Station area, it was time for the hot spring. Tonight's destination was Saga Hot Spring KOMOREBI. The facility opened on April 26, 2022, and is one of the largest hot spring facilities in Saga Prefecture. The interior is unified by a calm design centered on the warmth of wood, and true to the name KOMOREBI, the concept is a space bathed in the soft light filtering through the trees. After changing, I entered the large public bath and found a world truly deserving of being called a relaxed space for adults. The layout is open, integrating indoor and outdoor baths, and the outdoor area features a beautiful bamboo grove. The bamboo leaves rustled in the night breeze, and a peaceful time flowed, completely detached from the hustle and bustle of the city. It felt less like a bathing facility and more like getting lost in the garden of a refined ryokan. After cleansing myself, I slowly sank into the source-flowing hot spring that wells up from 1,126 meters underground. The spring's emergence temperature is 45°C and it is flowed directly, so it felt hot at first, but the water was soft and had a texture that settled gently on the skin. As I soaked in the hot spring and gazed at the bamboo grove, I could feel the fatigue from travel quietly unwind. Once my body was thoroughly warmed, I headed to the sauna. The sauna called ISO Sauna has a room temperature of about 90°C and boasts an overwhelmingly large capacity that could probably hold 70 people. It is such a huge space that I half-expected a manzai comedy act could be performed there. Saunas this large are rare nationwide. By the way, ISO means 'big' in Finnish. True to its name, the sauna room features stadium-style tiered seating and two large screens showing television programs. Even with many people inside, there is no sense of crowding, and you can warm your body thoroughly in the spacious surroundings. After heating my body thoroughly, I headed for the cold plunge bath. This cold plunge bath was excellent. The water temperature was an ideal 16°C, and it was astonishingly spacious as well. It is designed to accommodate up to 20 people. In a typical Japanese facility, a bath that fits 10 people is considered large, but here it is twice that size. Being able to stretch out and cool my entire body created an overwhelming sense of openness. There was no need to worry about crowding, so I could cool down at ease. Once I had cooled my body thoroughly, I did an outdoor air rest in the open-air space. More than 25 reclining chairs were lined up in the quiet area facing the bamboo grove, allowing me to relax while looking up at the night sky. That night was a full moon. Feeling the gentle night breeze and bathing in moonlight during the outdoor rest was pure bliss. When I do outdoor rest I sometimes silently pray that my life and the lives of those around me will move in a better direction. That night I looked up at the moon and wished in my heart, 'May I continue to be healthy and keep enjoying the best journeys.' Sauna, cold plunge bath, outdoor air rest. Repeating that cycle many times, my body became completely tot onou. Before I realized it, I had already completed three sets. The embracing capacity of the massive sauna, the liberating feeling of the cold plunge bath, and the tranquil outdoor rest surrounded by bamboo groves all combined, and I even lost track of the time. It was hunger that told me it was time to stop. I was very hungry. It was time to wrap up and enjoy a delicious meal.

Since I had come all the way to Saga Prefecture, I wanted to savor Saga beef. The onsite restaurant happened to be offering a special Saga beef loin steak, so I ordered it without hesitation. After a while the Saga beef steak was brought to my table. I could feel my body, primed by the sauna, being refueled with energy. It was extremely delicious. I was happy. I wanted nothing more. Once again, I felt what a wonderful facility this was. The overall concept, cleanliness, hot springs, sauna, cold plunge bath, and rest areas were all top-notch, and coming here, there was no doubt you could leave feeling healed. On my very first visit to Saga Prefecture, I already loved the place. However, at that time I could not yet predict that even more incredible experiences awaited me in the days to come. I was about to fall even more in love with Saga Prefecture. Tomorrow I would move to Takeo City in the morning to visit a certain sauna facility. The name of that facility is OND SAUNA.