This is exactly what makes sauna travel so much fun. The night before, while looking at a map over dinner at Yudokoro Minori's restaurant, I noticed how easy it would be to get to Mie Prefecture. In Kuwana City, Mie — conveniently accessible from Nagoya — there's a place I'd had my eye on for a while. My original plan was to wrap up the trip in Gifu and Nagoya, but I spontaneously decided to extend it to Mie. I save every facility I've researched on Google Maps, so when I'm already on the road, I constantly find myself thinking, "Wait — can I actually make it there?" As a result, trips almost never end the way I originally planned. That's partly just my personality — I hate rigid itineraries and prefer to go wherever the impulse takes me. I left the hotel at 7:30, took a taxi to Ginan Station, then made my way to Nagoya Station and boarded the Kintetsu Line toward Kuwana Station. From there, I transferred to the Yoro Railway and headed for Tado Station. The train I caught was bound for Ogaki. The moment I saw the word "Ogaki," the shadow of Ogaki Sauna flickered in my mind. But I've already been there twice, so I wasn't about to visit again on this trip. I shook off the temptation and turned my gaze to the mountain scenery rolling past the window. After getting off at Tado Station and walking about ten minutes, a large sign for Shinme no Yu came into view. Drawing closer, I caught a glimpse of the outdoor bath. Apparently, this place has an open-air panoramic bath where you can soak in natural hot spring water while taking in a sweeping view of the Nobi Plain. I was practically fidgeting with excitement. Stepping inside, I was struck by how spotless everything was — it felt like walking into a high-end ryokan or hotel. The spacious interior houses a restaurant, a sauna stone bed area, a relaxation lounge, private rooms, and more; you could easily spend an entire day here without running out of things to do. It was my first visit of the morning, but this is undeniably one of Mie's most popular facilities — it was already buzzing. Entering the main bathing area, I was greeted by a wonderfully open space. The indoor and outdoor sections flow seamlessly into each other; the large windows at the far end were thrown wide open, offering a tantalizing peek at the outdoor bath and the Nobi Plain beyond. What a world. The indoor area features a large dry sauna, two types of cold plunge baths, and functional tubs including a carbonated spring. The sauna itself is enormous. The outdoor bath is simply superb — beautiful in both its layout and ambiance, a natural hot spring with a panoramic view of the Nobi Plain, and about twenty infinity chairs lined up in perfect readiness for totonou time. Truly magnificent. First, I slipped into the natural hot spring — the outdoor bath. The water had a silky, velvety feel against the skin. The Nobi Plain stretched out before me in all its glory. With clear skies today, the view was at its absolute best; I could even make out the high-rise cluster around Nagoya Station in the distance. As I soaked, a gentle warmth spread through my body. When you have a view that beautiful in front of you, the will to move simply evaporates — you just want to keep staring at it forever. I suppose this is what real rest actually feels like. Round one. There's only one sauna here, so no deliberating. I like that simplicity. The sauna room has six-tier benches and is quite spacious. The walls are lined with brick — possibly a far-infrared material — and I felt warmth penetrating deep to my core. The thermometer read 90°C at the top bench, but it felt closer to 100°C. The high humidity probably had something to do with it. I sweated it out thoroughly, then headed for the cold plunge. I'd planned to use the 18°C bath, but it was full. The single-digit bath next to it — 8°C — was open. So, with no alternative, I plunged straight into the single bath. Intensely cold. But nothing beats that rush of the single plunge. In an instant, my entire body snapped to attention and I felt my circulation surge. Even on the first round I was fully in totonou, and I drifted in and out of consciousness on one of the outdoor infinity chairs for a while. At this time of year, the spring air amplifies the bliss of the open-air cool-down to another level. Left to my own devices, I could have stayed out there indefinitely. Eventually the urge to get moving returned, and I hauled myself up for round two. For every subsequent round, I followed the same sequence: sauna, single cold plunge, totonou in the open air, then a soak in the panoramic natural hot spring. With each cycle, my body felt better, my mood lifted, and a deep sense of happiness settled in. Shinme no Yu was never in my original itinerary, but I'm so glad I changed course to come here. Three solid rounds first thing in the morning — thoroughly totonou'd.

This is exactly what makes sauna travel so much fun. The night before, while looking at a map over dinner at Yudokoro Minori's restaurant, I noticed how easy it would be to get to Mie Prefecture. In Kuwana City, Mie — conveniently accessible from Nagoya — there's a place I'd had my eye on for a while. My original plan was to wrap up the trip in Gifu and Nagoya, but I spontaneously decided to extend it to Mie. I save every facility I've researched on Google Maps, so when I'm already on the road, I constantly find myself thinking, "Wait — can I actually make it there?" As a result, trips almost never end the way I originally planned. That's partly just my personality — I hate rigid itineraries and prefer to go wherever the impulse takes me. I left the hotel at 7:30, took a taxi to Ginan Station, then made my way to Nagoya Station and boarded the Kintetsu Line toward Kuwana Station. From there, I transferred to the Yoro Railway and headed for Tado Station. The train I caught was bound for Ogaki. The moment I saw the word "Ogaki," the shadow of Ogaki Sauna flickered in my mind. But I've already been there twice, so I wasn't about to visit again on this trip. I shook off the temptation and turned my gaze to the mountain scenery rolling past the window. After getting off at Tado Station and walking about ten minutes, a large sign for Shinme no Yu came into view. Drawing closer, I caught a glimpse of the outdoor bath. Apparently, this place has an open-air panoramic bath where you can soak in natural hot spring water while taking in a sweeping view of the Nobi Plain. I was practically fidgeting with excitement. Stepping inside, I was struck by how spotless everything was — it felt like walking into a high-end ryokan or hotel. The spacious interior houses a restaurant, a sauna stone bed area, a relaxation lounge, private rooms, and more; you could easily spend an entire day here without running out of things to do. It was my first visit of the morning, but this is undeniably one of Mie's most popular facilities — it was already buzzing. Entering the main bathing area, I was greeted by a wonderfully open space. The indoor and outdoor sections flow seamlessly into each other; the large windows at the far end were thrown wide open, offering a tantalizing peek at the outdoor bath and the Nobi Plain beyond. What a world. The indoor area features a large dry sauna, two types of cold plunge baths, and functional tubs including a carbonated spring. The sauna itself is enormous. The outdoor bath is simply superb — beautiful in both its layout and ambiance, a natural hot spring with a panoramic view of the Nobi Plain, and about twenty infinity chairs lined up in perfect readiness for totonou time. Truly magnificent. First, I slipped into the natural hot spring — the outdoor bath. The water had a silky, velvety feel against the skin. The Nobi Plain stretched out before me in all its glory. With clear skies today, the view was at its absolute best; I could even make out the high-rise cluster around Nagoya Station in the distance. As I soaked, a gentle warmth spread through my body. When you have a view that beautiful in front of you, the will to move simply evaporates — you just want to keep staring at it forever. I suppose this is what real rest actually feels like. Round one. There's only one sauna here, so no deliberating. I like that simplicity. The sauna room has six-tier benches and is quite spacious. The walls are lined with brick — possibly a far-infrared material — and I felt warmth penetrating deep to my core. The thermometer read 90°C at the top bench, but it felt closer to 100°C. The high humidity probably had something to do with it. I sweated it out thoroughly, then headed for the cold plunge. I'd planned to use the 18°C bath, but it was full. The single-digit bath next to it — 8°C — was open. So, with no alternative, I plunged straight into the single bath. Intensely cold. But nothing beats that rush of the single plunge. In an instant, my entire body snapped to attention and I felt my circulation surge. Even on the first round I was fully in totonou, and I drifted in and out of consciousness on one of the outdoor infinity chairs for a while. At this time of year, the spring air amplifies the bliss of the open-air cool-down to another level. Left to my own devices, I could have stayed out there indefinitely. Eventually the urge to get moving returned, and I hauled myself up for round two. For every subsequent round, I followed the same sequence: sauna, single cold plunge, totonou in the open air, then a soak in the panoramic natural hot spring. With each cycle, my body felt better, my mood lifted, and a deep sense of happiness settled in. Shinme no Yu was never in my original itinerary, but I'm so glad I changed course to come here. Three solid rounds first thing in the morning — thoroughly totonou'd.