「Suruga Health Land」 - A Visit

I arrived at Suruga Health Land in a completely battered state. That day, I had done 3 sets at "Sauna Shikiji" in the morning and 5 sets at "Mount Fuji Natural Water SPA Sauna Taka-no-Yu" in the evening. While I was in a state of bliss from how incredible it felt, I was also feeling quite fatigued. Even during the local train ride from Fuji Station to Okitsu Station, despite there being empty seats, I remained standing for fear of oversleeping. When I arrived at Okitsu Station, I thought I'd take a taxi, but in front of the deserted station, there wasn't a taxi in sight—not even a stray cat. Could there really be a health land representing Shizuoka in a place like this? There was no sign of any taxi coming. I had no choice but to walk. According to Google Maps, it was a 15-minute walk. That was within acceptable range. After walking for a while, the scent of the sea stimulated my nostrils, and a large building came into view. It was Suruga Health Land. Upon entering the reception area, it was bustling with many people, as if the previous silence had been a lie. There were families, elderly couples, travelers like myself—all sorts of people, but no one looked unhappy. Everyone was probably thinking they'd achieved perfect totonou in the sauna, eaten delicious food, and felt amazing! Although I was feeling quite tired, I was energized by the facility's vitality. Could I manage 3 more sets after this? After checking in, I entered my single room. It was past 9 PM. The room was very compact, giving the impression it was truly just for sleeping. That was perfectly fine. Moreover, unlike a capsule hotel, it was a completely private room, so I didn't need to worry about noise. I put down my luggage and lay on the bed. Suddenly, drowsiness attacked me with tremendous force. I didn't even have the strength to pick up my phone. I lost consciousness just like that. The next time I regained consciousness, it was 5 AM. It was the most perfect awakening. My fatigue had flown away somewhere far off, and my physical condition was perfect. Since I had lost consciousness around 9 PM the previous night, I had slept for about 8 hours. I had fallen into dreamland about 15 minutes after checking in. Despite having come all the way to Suruga Health Land, I had fallen asleep without even touring the facility or entering the sauna. However, there was no need to feel down. The large public bath was available 24 hours. Besides, entering now that my energy had recovered would make for the perfect morning sauna session. Since sunrise was approaching, I decided to take a morning walk before the sauna. Suruga Health Land is located along the coast, so you can enjoy a panoramic view of Suruga Bay. I changed clothes and went outside to walk along the coastline. Then, at the same time as sunrise, Mount Fuji also revealed itself. It was very mystical, and I sat on the seawall for about 20 minutes gazing at the scenery. There were several fishermen nearby, and even they were shouting "This feels amazing!" while fishing. Being able to welcome such a perfect morning was only possible because I had crashed at 9 PM the previous day. All events are connected to bring about the most perfect moments. After being healed by the walk, it was finally time to savor one of Shizuoka's premier saunas.

When I went to the large public bath, I was first amazed by the size of the changing room. How many lockers were there? Compared to all the facilities I had visited before, this was incomparably huge. While feeling this, I stripped off my clothes at lightning speed and entered the bathing area. Before cleansing myself, I carefully checked the entire bathing area. The indoor baths included a silky bath with carbonated spring water, a large pool, a Finnish sauna, cold plunge, walking bath, and more. Going outside to the outdoor area, there was a bath where you could enjoy the flowing "Ancient Waters" that spring from geological strata about 10 million years old, with two cold plunges (cold springs) beside it. These cold plunges were made by cooling the spring water to about 16°C and letting it flow continuously. There was no doubt it would feel amazing. I'd try it later. Next to the cold plunges was a high-temperature sauna. There were many types of baths and saunas available. It was an extremely well-equipped facility. Feeling slightly excited, I went to the washing area to cleanse myself. I started the first set with the outdoor flowing spring bath. Soaking in ancient hot springs while gazing at Suruga Bay from early morning. I could feel every cell in my body awakening and experiencing joy. Once my body had warmed up sufficiently, I headed to the high-temperature sauna. It was probably around 100°C. Quite hot. Moreover, three Finnish-style iki stoves were arranged side by side. What a luxurious sauna to have three iki stoves lined up! Naturally, being an iki sauna, the humidity was high, allowing for pleasant sweating. When I reached my limit, I rinsed off the sweat and plunged into the flowing spring water cold plunge. The smooth spring water enveloped and cooled my skin. The texture was clearly different from tap water. After the cold plunge, I sat on a chair in the outdoor air bathing area, relaxing while enjoying the panoramic view of Suruga Bay. And I reflected on my journey. This sauna trip that began at Kobe Sauna had been a truly dream-like lineup: Ogaki Sauna, Sauna Shikiji, Mount Fuji Natural Water SPA Sauna Taka-no-Yu, and Suruga Health Land. At every facility, there had been moments of deep emotion and exceptional pleasure. If I could, I'd want to keep traveling forever, but I had to return home today. With one day remaining, let's enjoy it to the fullest! For the second set, I entered the Finnish sauna in the indoor area. There was no TV here, and from the sauna room window, you could enjoy a spectacular view of Suruga Bay. The balance of focusing on my own body while gazing outside for healing was irresistible. When I reached my limit, I rinsed off the sweat, entered the cold plunge in the outdoor area, and achieved totonou with outdoor air bathing. This concluded today's morning sauna session. After checking out, I left Suruga Health Land behind. Somehow, I felt like I'd return here again. I had no proof, but I just felt that way. I took the shuttle bus to Okitsu Station and traveled by train to Shizuoka Station. Well, there was nothing left undone in Shizuoka. So I purchased a ticket for the shinkansen bound for Nagoya. The journey wasn't over yet. Going to Nagoya meant my destination was that sauna facility. The holy land "Wellbe Sakae." To be continued.