I woke up. Clear blue skies. In that instant, my body was already moving. I wanted to soak in a bath while looking out at the sea. That was all the reason I needed. One of the finest facilities in the Kansai region — complete with an outdoor bath overlooking the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge — was waiting for me on the other side of the bridge. My motto is to act on impulse, without any plan. I wake up in the morning and decide where to go based on how I feel. Sometimes I don't go anywhere at all. It's precisely because I don't plan ahead that I sometimes find myself deeply moved by a destination, or stumble upon a wonderful experience somewhere I stopped by on a whim. There's comfort in a planned trip. But I feel like that comfort comes at the cost of those unexpected moments of wonder. I got in the car without even tidying my room. I felt like I was just popping out for a bit. I crossed Awaji Island and approached the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. Every time I cross this bridge, my excitement hits its peak. I roll down the window, let the sea breeze wash over me, and gaze down at the Seto Inland Sea spreading out below. I was about to enter a sauna while looking out at that very sea. Just thinking about it made my foot press harder on the accelerator. About an hour and a half later, I arrived at SPA Sen Taiheinoyu. This was my second visit, so I knew my way around. Being first thing in the morning, the parking lot was nearly empty and there weren't many other guests. It looked like I'd have a comfortable time. I headed straight to the main bath area. Morning sunlight streamed into the bathing area. Through the glass, I could see the outdoor bath, and beyond it, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge floating in the morning light. The sea was strikingly beautiful. Just taking in this view made the whole trip worthwhile. After rinsing off, I headed first to the carbonated spring in the outdoor bath area. I soaked in a half-body bath and gazed absentmindedly at the ocean scenery. Ships passed by, and cars drove across the bridge above. Just moments ago, I had been one of those cars on that bridge. Now I was soaking in the water, looking up at it. A strange feeling. I stepped out of the carbonated spring and leaned against the wall of the outdoor bath area. The Akashi Strait stretched out before me. The blue of the Seto Inland Sea, the silhouette of Awaji Island, and the bridge cables glittering as they reflected the morning sun. It was truly beautiful. I couldn't move for a while. The first set was the high-temperature sauna indoors. The heat was around 90°C with very high humidity, and an automatic löyly system activated at regular intervals. You could clearly feel the moisture saturating the air inside the sauna room. Aufguss events also seemed to be popular here — there were announcement posters displayed in the bathing area. But what was truly outstanding about this sauna, above all else, was the mat. The seating surface in the sauna gets extremely hot, so mats are placed on it — and these mats were wonderfully plush. When you sit down, you can feel yourself sinking in slightly. On top of that, the backrest area was also covered in a thick, soft mat, so you could lean back in complete comfort. The seating area was wide enough to sit cross-legged with plenty of room. This kind of thoughtfulness is genuinely appreciated. The temperature and humidity of a sauna matter, of course, but the comfort of the seating is directly linked to the quality of the experience. This sauna had it all. After heating up thoroughly, I moved to the cold plunge bath. At an ideal 15°C, it was wide and deep — I submerged my entire body and let the cold do its work. I settled into a chair in the outdoor space. Sunlight poured down from a clear sky, and the sea breeze gently brushed my skin. The sea and the bridge stretched out before me. I felt my consciousness slowly drifting away. I let myself go with the flow of time and stayed still for a while. When awareness returned and I felt the urge to move on, I finally got up. And yet, after just the first set, I had already reached totonou — the state of perfect relaxation. All thanks to a breathtaking view and exceptional facilities. For the second set, I moved directly to the outdoor steam sauna. The moment I opened the door, I was enveloped in the scent of medicinal herbs. You could see the Akashi Strait through the window, but the room was so thick with steam that the sea appeared hazy and dreamlike. I warmed my body for a while. Intense heat followed by intense cold is one way to go, but there's also something wonderful about warming up gently, cooling off with a cold shower, and then transitioning to an outdoor rest. That's my routine when I use a steam sauna. Another round of outdoor relaxation while gazing at the sea — the luxurious time continued. For the final third set, I returned to the high-temperature sauna. I sat down on the plush mat and let the steam from the automatic löyly wash over my entire body. I heated up thoroughly, then finished off with the cold plunge bath. During the last outdoor rest, I burned the spectacular view from the outdoor bath into my memory — and with that, my morning sauna session was complete.

I woke up. Clear blue skies. In that instant, my body was already moving. I wanted to soak in a bath while looking out at the sea. That was all the reason I needed. One of the finest facilities in the Kansai region — complete with an outdoor bath overlooking the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge — was waiting for me on the other side of the bridge. My motto is to act on impulse, without any plan. I wake up in the morning and decide where to go based on how I feel. Sometimes I don't go anywhere at all. It's precisely because I don't plan ahead that I sometimes find myself deeply moved by a destination, or stumble upon a wonderful experience somewhere I stopped by on a whim. There's comfort in a planned trip. But I feel like that comfort comes at the cost of those unexpected moments of wonder. I got in the car without even tidying my room. I felt like I was just popping out for a bit. I crossed Awaji Island and approached the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. Every time I cross this bridge, my excitement hits its peak. I roll down the window, let the sea breeze wash over me, and gaze down at the Seto Inland Sea spreading out below. I was about to enter a sauna while looking out at that very sea. Just thinking about it made my foot press harder on the accelerator. About an hour and a half later, I arrived at SPA Sen Taiheinoyu. This was my second visit, so I knew my way around. Being first thing in the morning, the parking lot was nearly empty and there weren't many other guests. It looked like I'd have a comfortable time. I headed straight to the main bath area. Morning sunlight streamed into the bathing area. Through the glass, I could see the outdoor bath, and beyond it, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge floating in the morning light. The sea was strikingly beautiful. Just taking in this view made the whole trip worthwhile. After rinsing off, I headed first to the carbonated spring in the outdoor bath area. I soaked in a half-body bath and gazed absentmindedly at the ocean scenery. Ships passed by, and cars drove across the bridge above. Just moments ago, I had been one of those cars on that bridge. Now I was soaking in the water, looking up at it. A strange feeling. I stepped out of the carbonated spring and leaned against the wall of the outdoor bath area. The Akashi Strait stretched out before me. The blue of the Seto Inland Sea, the silhouette of Awaji Island, and the bridge cables glittering as they reflected the morning sun. It was truly beautiful. I couldn't move for a while. The first set was the high-temperature sauna indoors. The heat was around 90°C with very high humidity, and an automatic löyly system activated at regular intervals. You could clearly feel the moisture saturating the air inside the sauna room. Aufguss events also seemed to be popular here — there were announcement posters displayed in the bathing area. But what was truly outstanding about this sauna, above all else, was the mat. The seating surface in the sauna gets extremely hot, so mats are placed on it — and these mats were wonderfully plush. When you sit down, you can feel yourself sinking in slightly. On top of that, the backrest area was also covered in a thick, soft mat, so you could lean back in complete comfort. The seating area was wide enough to sit cross-legged with plenty of room. This kind of thoughtfulness is genuinely appreciated. The temperature and humidity of a sauna matter, of course, but the comfort of the seating is directly linked to the quality of the experience. This sauna had it all. After heating up thoroughly, I moved to the cold plunge bath. At an ideal 15°C, it was wide and deep — I submerged my entire body and let the cold do its work. I settled into a chair in the outdoor space. Sunlight poured down from a clear sky, and the sea breeze gently brushed my skin. The sea and the bridge stretched out before me. I felt my consciousness slowly drifting away. I let myself go with the flow of time and stayed still for a while. When awareness returned and I felt the urge to move on, I finally got up. And yet, after just the first set, I had already reached totonou — the state of perfect relaxation. All thanks to a breathtaking view and exceptional facilities. For the second set, I moved directly to the outdoor steam sauna. The moment I opened the door, I was enveloped in the scent of medicinal herbs. You could see the Akashi Strait through the window, but the room was so thick with steam that the sea appeared hazy and dreamlike. I warmed my body for a while. Intense heat followed by intense cold is one way to go, but there's also something wonderful about warming up gently, cooling off with a cold shower, and then transitioning to an outdoor rest. That's my routine when I use a steam sauna. Another round of outdoor relaxation while gazing at the sea — the luxurious time continued. For the final third set, I returned to the high-temperature sauna. I sat down on the plush mat and let the steam from the automatic löyly wash over my entire body. I heated up thoroughly, then finished off with the cold plunge bath. During the last outdoor rest, I burned the spectacular view from the outdoor bath into my memory — and with that, my morning sauna session was complete.