There is no need to hold back in life.
This is something I have come to believe deeply through years of travel and countless experiences. Go to the best places first. Eat what you want to eat first. Go see the people you want to see right away. Prioritize your own desires, act on impulse, and never waste time calculating. I have a feeling that ever since I started doing just that, both my travels and my everyday life have become far more interesting. That is exactly why I chose Sauna Shikiji as the starting point for this trip. I had decided that the very first step of my journey into the unknown territories of Yamanashi and Nagano would begin at the sacred home of sauna.
That morning, I woke up at five. You might think I was still half asleep, but strangely enough, my body was running at full power from the very moment I opened my eyes. The moment the natural spring water of Sauna Shikiji floated into my mind, any desire for more sleep vanished completely. I got ready and boarded an express bus just after six. It is my personal policy not to drive when traveling any significant distance. If I am focused on driving, I cannot enjoy the scenery along the way or the thrill of being in transit. I gazed out the bus window as the landscape rolled past, thinking of nothing but my destination. I made my way to Nishi-Akashi Station and transferred to the Shinkansen.
I arrived at Shizuoka Station just before eleven and jumped straight into a taxi. The moment I said "To Sauna Shikiji, please," the driver flashed a grin. He probably carries sauna enthusiasts like me every single day. My body had certainly accumulated some fatigue from the long journey. But the craving far outweighed the tiredness. I wanted to submerge myself entirely in that famous water. I wanted to drink that delicious water. I stood before the entrance with that desire at its absolute peak.
My previous visit had been in September 2025, and yet the joy of being back here welled up inside me all the same. The moment I stepped into the facility, the scent of medicinal herbs drifted through the air. That scent, once again, pulled me deep into the world of Sauna Shikiji.
Being a weekday morning, there were few people in the large communal bath — perhaps around ten. What a stroke of luck. My previous visit had been on a weekend, and the crowds had been unavoidable, but today I could enjoy the sauna and cold plunge bath entirely at my own pace. Natural spring water flowed in a steady stream into the cold plunge bath. Just seeing that sight was enough to confirm that coming here had been the right call.
For the first set, I chose the Finnish sauna. The thermometer read 115°C. Even sitting on the lower bench, the heat was intense. You rarely encounter this kind of temperature in a dry sauna. Then, glancing to my side, I noticed a familiar face. A world-famous athlete from a particular sport. I will refrain from naming him, but he is someone anyone in that world would instantly recognize. In the sauna, however, the famous athlete and an ordinary person like me are on exactly equal footing. Everyone sweats, everyone endures the heat, everyone is aiming for the cold plunge bath. In the sauna, everyone is equal. Is that not one of the great beauties of sauna culture? He, too, sat there as if it did not matter in the least who he was — simply absorbed in the sauna.
After heating my body thoroughly, I headed to the cold plunge bath. Natural water drawn from deep underground flowed in without restraint. The moment I submerged myself, I felt a sensation of being gently enveloped. A softness and coolness completely unlike tap water washed over me simultaneously. A tingling, refreshing sensation spread slowly through every part of my body. And then came the moment I had been waiting for. I reached toward the flowing water and took a long gulp. It tasted almost sweet, it was that good. Receiving the gift of natural spring water from both outside and inside my body at the same time was an indescribable pleasure. When I moved to the reclining chair, I nearly lost consciousness after just one set.
After drifting in a daze for a while, I recovered and started the second set. I entered the Finnish sauna again, this time moving up to the upper bench. Moving just one level higher put the heat in an entirely different dimension. The 115°C air scorched my head directly. I could not think about anything extraneous. It felt as though my thoughts were evaporating. That, too, is one of sauna's great charms. I plunged back into the exquisite cold plunge bath once more.
For the third set, I decided to take on the signature medicinal herb steam sauna. The instant I stepped in, I was engulfed by such a ferocious blast of steam that it nearly singed my head, and my fighting spirit instantly crumbled. I tried to sit down on the bench but hit my limit almost immediately and retreated. Deeply regretting my failure to endure the intense heat, I moved to the Finnish sauna to recover, then plunged into the cold plunge bath again. I reached out to the flowing spring water and drank deeply. Delicious. Truly delicious. Water with an almost sweet taste rushed all the way down my throat. I felt as though every part of my body was being filled by this water. When I collapsed into the reclining chair, I found that my consciousness had slipped away before I even realized it.
The fourth and final set also ended in the Finnish sauna. An impulse to repeat the sauna and cold plunge bath forever gripped me, but finishing at the moment of peak comfort is my way. Somewhere between the third and fifth set, a signal comes from within — a quiet "alright, that's enough." I follow that voice and bring the sauna session at that particular facility to a close. I pushed my body to the limit with heat, then slid into the cold plunge bath as if drawn in by gravity. The exquisite natural spring water slowly cooled my entire body. Looking back, across those four sets today, I had absorbed this remarkable water abundantly from both outside and inside. I needed nothing more.
After finishing in the sauna, I headed up to the second-floor restaurant. I ordered the signature ginger pork set meal and horse mackerel fry. When the set meal arrived and I took the first bite, I found myself nodding deeply. Rice cooked with natural spring water, miso soup that soaked through a body restored by the sauna, and ginger pork bursting with the deep flavor of the meat. Savoring the simple joy of being alive, I finished every last grain of rice.
After the meal, I took a short nap in the reclining room.
Carrying the lingering afterglow with me, I made my way back to Shizuoka Station and set my sights on Yamanashi Prefecture. From here, I would step into the unknown territories of Yamanashi and Nagano. My next destination was a facility that sauna lovers all across Japan name as one they want to visit at least once before they die — Hotel Mount Fuji, standing at the foot of Fuji. Go to the best place first. And then head to the next best place after that. There is no time for hesitation in my travels.
