The last time I visited Skyspa YOKOHAMA was on August 7, 2021. It was indeed my first visit in four years. I remember the date so precisely because it was the day of the baseball finals at the Tokyo Olympics. I fondly recall watching the baseball game while having a meal at the restaurant after the sauna. At that time, I was in the phase of preparing for independence and resigning from my job, both physically and mentally exhausted. Seeking healing, I made my way to Skyspa YOKOHAMA and was astonished by its excellence. After changing in the locker room, I entered the large bathhouse for the first time in four years. The familiar scenery unfolded before my eyes. The location, where you can overlook the Yokohama skyline and harbor from the large bathhouse and sauna, is truly breathtaking. I cleansed myself and warmed my body in the artificial hot spring. It is now an artificial hot spring, but four years ago, it was a carbonated spring. Facilities change over time. It wasn't just the baths that had changed; there was also an additional sauna. Four years ago, there was only the main sauna, but a löyly sauna where you can perform self-löyly had been newly established. First, I entered the main sauna. From the quiet room without a TV, you can see the city of Yokohama. Naturally, my eyes were drawn to the scenery. Other guests were also enjoying their sauna bath while gazing at the view. The space, with the scent of wood from the use of kelo wood on the walls and the aroma from the löyly, combined with the magnificent view, is indeed special. After leaving the sauna room, I went to the cold plunge bath. It was wide and deep, with a water temperature of about 15°C, though it felt a bit colder. I quickly cooled my body heated by the sauna and moved to the relaxation area. Sitting on one of the lined-up chairs, a deep relaxation hit me from the first set. As my heart rate settled, I started the second set. For the second set, I entered the löyly sauna. It's a dark space that can accommodate about ten people, with a special seat for one person on the top tier. You can't see the scenery from this sauna. It's a quiet space where you close your eyes and feel your inner self rather than external stimuli. Gradually, my body warmed up, my heart rate increased, and sweat started to pour out. I repeated deep breaths with my eyes closed. Someone performed a löyly. A wave of heat enveloped my body. Just as I reached my limit, I left the sauna and went to the cold plunge bath. The moment I entered the cold plunge bath, I was brought back to the real world. As I rested in a chair while gazing at the city of Yokohama, I found it curious how pleasant it was to lose track of time and just zone out. In everyday life, there is plenty of time. Some say there are only 24 hours in a day, but I believe there are 24 whole hours in a day. Even subtracting eight hours of sleep, there are still 16 hours. During that time, how much time can you spend zoning out and being free of thoughts? Constantly receiving external stimuli, whether it's work or smartphone notifications, how many minutes of restful time can you secure in a day? Saunas provide the necessary rest time for humans. While in the sauna, it's like traveling to another world. I'm still on that journey. There are no smartphones or computers here. No one talks to me. It's a completely different world. For the third set, I returned to the main sauna. After all, when you think of Skyspa YOKOHAMA, it's this main sauna. Entering the sauna while looking at the city of Yokohama is an experience you can only have here. Watching the scenery calms me and makes me feel like praising myself. I am doing well. I entered the cold plunge bath, rested, and moved on to the fourth set. I couldn't stop this flow anymore. Like a runner's high, I was in a sauna high. If no one stopped me, I felt like I could repeat the sets forever. After finishing the fourth set, I moved on to the fifth set. Repeating the main sauna → cold plunge bath → rest without thinking. After completing the fifth set, I felt a sense of satisfaction, thinking, "It's perfect now." It was the timing to finish. If you miss this moment of change, you lose the timing to leave. The way things end is important.

After leaving the sauna, I headed to the restaurant of memories. Four years ago, I watched the Tokyo Olympics finals while eating at the counter here. I sat down in what was probably the same seat. This story is only known to me, but it felt like I was coexisting with my past self, which made me happy. I savored the ginger pork set meal and felt immense happiness. Now, there is nothing left to regret on this Kanto sauna journey. I visited the most famous facilities in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba, and thoroughly enjoyed the sauna baths. If possible, I would like to come every week. That's how many wonderful facilities there are in the Kanto region. However, if I were to obtain everything, I would lose the meaning of living. It's because I can't have it all that I find the energy to strive to come again. My sauna journey will never be complete. There will be facilities I never visit until I die. That incompleteness is life. It's because of that incompleteness that I strive for the days ahead. I finished preparing to leave and departed from Skyspa YOKOHAMA.