In life, there is no need to play it safe. This is something I, having traveled many times, have come to be certain of through various experiences. Go to the best place first on a trip. Eat what you want first. Visit the person you most want to see right away. Prioritize your own desires, act on impulse, and do away with needless calculations. Somehow, doing so has made both travel and everyday life much more interesting. I chose Sauna Shikiji as the starting point for this trip for exactly that reason. I had decided to begin the first step into the unknown territories of Yamanashi and Nagano from the pilgrimage site of saunas. That day I woke up at 5 a.m. You might think I looked sleepy, but strangely my body went full power from that very moment. The thought of Sauna Shikiji's natural spring water blew away any desire to sleep. I got ready and boarded the early morning highway bus around 6. On long trips I have a rule not to drive. If driving takes your attention, you cannot enjoy the scenery or the thrill of moving. I watched the passing landscape through the bus window and thought only of my destination. I traveled to Nishi-Akashi Station and transferred to the Shinkansen from there. I arrived at Shizuoka Station just before 11 and immediately got into a taxi. The moment I said, "To Sauna Shikiji, please," the driver grinned. He was probably used to ferrying sauna enthusiasts almost every day. The long journey had indeed left my body tired. Still, the craving was far greater than the fatigue. I wanted to immerse my whole body in that famous spring water. I wanted to drink that delicious water. Standing in front of the facility, that desire had reached its peak. My last visit had been in September 2025, and the joy of being able to return to this place welled up inside me. As I stepped into the facility, the scent of medicinal herbs wafted through the air. That fragrance drew me back into the world of Sauna Shikiji. It was a weekday morning, so the main bath was sparsely populated. Maybe about ten people. That was fortunate. My previous visit had been on a weekend and I could not avoid the crowds, but today I could leisurely enjoy the sauna and the cold plunge bath. The cold plunge bath was being continually filled with natural spring water. Just seeing that made me feel I had made the right choice. For the first set I chose the Finnish sauna. The thermometer read 115°C. Even sitting on the lower bench was extremely hot. You do not often encounter that temperature in a dry sauna. Before I knew it, I noticed a familiar face next to me. It was an extremely famous athlete in a certain sport. I will refrain from naming him, but everyone in that world knows who he is. Yet inside the sauna, he the famous athlete and I an ordinary person were in exactly the same position. Everyone sweats, everyone endures the heat, everyone aims for the cold plunge bath. In the sauna everyone is equal. Isn't that one of the great things about saunas? He too seemed unconcerned with who he was and simply focused on the sauna. After heating my body thoroughly, I headed for the cold plunge bath. Natural spring water pumped up from underground was being poured in generously. The instant I submerged myself I felt enveloped. It was completely different from tap water, a softness and freshness washing over me at the same time. A gradually spreading coolness ran through my whole body. Then came the moment I had been waiting for. I reached into the flowing water and gulped it down. It tasted so good I could even sense a sweetness. Receiving the blessing of the spring water from both outside and inside my body felt indescribably pleasant. When I moved to a resting chair, I nearly blacked out from just the first set. I was dazed for a while, but recovered and started the second set. Like the first set I entered the Finnish sauna and this time moved up to the upper bench. Just one step up made the perceived temperature a different dimension. The 115°C heat singed my head directly. I could not think of anything unnecessary. It felt as if my thoughts were evaporating. That is another charm of the sauna. I plunged again into the exquisite cold plunge bath. For the third set I decided to challenge the facility's famous herbal steam sauna. The instant I entered I was engulfed by such fierce steam that it felt like my head might burn, and I lost the will to continue. I tried to sit on a bench but promptly reached my limit and retreated. Deeply reflecting on my inability to withstand the intense heat, I moved back to the Finnish sauna to steady myself. Then I dived into the cold plunge bath once more. I reached for the flowing spring water and drank heartily. It was delicious. Truly delicious. The water, tasting almost sweet, flowed all the way down my throat. I felt as if my entire body was being filled with this water. When I collapsed into a resting chair, I realized I had lost consciousness. The fourth set, the final set, was also in the Finnish sauna. I felt the impulse to repeat sauna and cold plunge forever, but my approach is to stop at the most satisfying point. Somewhere between three and five sets, an inner signal tells me that it's enough. I follow that voice and bring my sauna session at that facility to a close. I heat my body to the limit, then glide into the cold plunge bath as if being drawn in. The supreme natural spring water slowly cools my whole body. Looking back, in those four sets today I absorbed this famous water from both outside and inside. I needed nothing more.

After leaving the sauna I headed to the second-floor dining hall. I ordered the house specialties, the ginger pork set meal and fried horse mackerel. When the set meal arrived a short while later and I took my first bite, I nodded deeply. Rice cooked with the spring water, miso soup that seeped into my body warmed by the sauna, and ginger pork with concentrated savory meat flavor. Savoring the joy of being alive, I finished every last bite. After the meal I took a short nap in the reclining room. Soaked in the afterglow, I returned to Shizuoka Station and this time headed for Yamanashi Prefecture. I was about to step into the unknown areas of Yamanashi and Nagano. The next destination of the trip was a facility that sauna enthusiasts across Japan list as a must-visit at least once in their lifetime. It is Hotel Mount Fuji, which stands at the foot of Mount Fuji. Go to the best place first, and then head to another best place. There is no time for playing it safe in my travels.