The third day of my sauna journey in Hokuriku has begun. Today, I plan to spend the day centered around saunas, but I don't feel tired at all. In fact, I feel better than when I started the trip. This is the charm of a sauna journey. Repeating the sauna and cold plunge bath improves circulation and helps wash away waste products. It also leads to better sleep. The more I travel, the better I feel. With a light step, I moved from my hotel to the station and boarded the train. I planned to enjoy the view of the Tateyama Mountain Range from the train window, but unfortunately, the rain obscured the scenery. Well, if everything were perfect, it wouldn't be as interesting, so I accepted it. I'm not traveling to enjoy the scenery; I'm traveling to enjoy saunas. "Sauna Talo Toyama" is a 20-minute walk from the nearest station. I could have taken a taxi, but I decided to walk for some exercise. I relied on Google Maps to guide my way. I kept walking deeper into a residential area. All I could see around me were houses. Is there really a sauna in such a place? The more I walked, the more skeptical I became. However, according to Google Maps, I was definitely getting closer to my destination. After walking for about 20 minutes, I finally saw the building of "Sauna Talo Toyama." Although it was still morning, many cars were parked there. It seems sauna enthusiasts living nearby had come. I entered, completed the reception process, and took a quick tour of the facility. It's an ordinary super sento. Inside, there's a restaurant, and on the second floor, there's a lounge space for relaxation. I thought it would be small since it's in a residential area, but I was surprised by how spacious it was inside. Entering the large bath, an open space welcomed me. First, I cleansed myself and warmed up in the bath. It was finally time to enjoy the sauna. "Sauna Talo Toyama" has two types of saunas: the "Rocky Sauna" and the "Pinie Sauna." The "Rocky Sauna" is a typical dry sauna where events like aufguss can be held. The "Pinie Sauna" is a distinctive hut sauna inspired by Finnish cabins. I first entered the Rocky Sauna and sat on the upper tier. I took my time sweating for a few minutes. Then, I headed to the cold plunge bath. The cold plunge bath at "Sauna Talo Toyama" is also excellent. It's a "natural underground water flow" bath that I love, with a substantial amount of water continuously flowing in. The water constantly overflows from the tub, keeping the water quality clean. I rinsed off the sweat and immersed myself in the deep and spacious cold plunge bath. The soft water enveloped my body. It felt incredibly pleasant. The water temperature was around 15-16°C, effectively cooling my body. After the cold plunge bath, I moved to the outdoor area to enjoy a supreme outdoor air bath. For the second round, I decided to enter the "Pinie Sauna." Opening the door revealed a different world. It was completely in the cabin's world view, with a three-tier seating arrangement. A Misa sauna stove sat in the center of the cabin, with the seating above it. This means you can directly feel the rising steam when you perform a self-löyly. The sauna room temperature is set at a lower 80°C, allowing you to enjoy löyly while meditating slowly. In this secluded space, I performed self-löyly multiple times. The moment I stepped out of the sauna room, I was pulled back into the real world. Inside the cabin sauna, it was a completely different world, and I seemed to have fallen into a deep meditative state. I entered the underground water cold plunge bath again, rested with an outdoor air bath, and completed the second round. I smoothly proceeded to the third round (the last round). I entered the "Pinie Sauna" again to maintain myself. Every time steam was generated from the self-löyly, I inhaled it deeply, warming the inside of my body as well. This caused a lot of sweat to gush out. I couldn't think of anything unnecessary. I just heated my body and sweated. This simple act separates me from the distraction-filled everyday life. By putting my body in a critical state, I can feel "alive." I enjoyed the best sauna bath in the third round as well. If such a sauna facility were near my home, I would go every day. I left "Sauna Talo Toyama" feeling envious of those who live nearby.

I took a taxi to Toyama Station. Today, I plan to travel to Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture. I had some time before the Shinkansen departure, so I decided to have lunch. Toyama is famous for seafood, but it seems that black ramen, a black-colored ramen, is also a specialty. I decided to try it as an adventure. I entered a shop called "Nishicho Taiki" inside the station and devoured black ramen at the counter. The soy sauce-based soup with black pepper spice was slightly unsatisfying for me, who likes rich pork bone soup, but it filled my stomach. With this, there's nothing left undone in Toyama. I visited all the facilities I wanted to. I must be grateful for being able to travel healthily without any troubles. However, the journey is not over yet. There is an essential place to visit to fully enjoy the saunas of Hokuriku. That place is Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture. Ishikawa boasts the Hakusan Mountain Range, which rivals the natural richness of Toyama's Tateyama Mountain Range. This means there is an abundance of high-quality underground water. The investigation is already complete, and at the facility "Terume Kanazawa," where I am heading, they use the underground water of the Hakusan Mountain Range for the cold plunge bath, and it can be drunk as is. The saunas and cold plunge baths in Toyama were amazing, but the saunas in Ishikawa also seem incredible. Hokuriku saunas are truly formidable. I desperately suppressed my rising excitement and boarded the Shinkansen to Kanazawa with a cool face.