Honestly, one might argue that meeting people should be my top priority, but for me, onsen and sauna experiences always come first — everything else is just a bonus.
That day, I was heading to Hyogo Prefecture for an evening get-together. Which meant, for me, the start of a sauna trip. Since I had plenty of time before the evening plans, I needed to decide on a morning spot. I considered exploring somewhere new, but thinking it over calmly, I realized I had already visited most of the places in Hyogo I'd wanted to try. New discoveries are great, but returning to a favorite or a place filled with memories has its own appeal. This time, I decided to make a nostalgic tour of old haunts.
I climbed into my car and sped across the Naruto Strait and through Awaji Island. Rolling down the window, the refreshing May breeze swept through the cabin. As Kobe drew closer, one particular place began flickering in my mind.
Arima Kaido Onsen Suzuran no Yu.
I had discovered it about a year ago and was instantly captivated — the outdoor bath with its incredible sense of unity with nature, the free-flowing natural spring drawn from deep underground, the cold water bath filled with Miyamizu, the famous pure water of Rokko, and a proper Finnish-style sauna. For a while, I was going nearly every week. There was even a period when I made it a fixed final stop on every trip. Yet despite loving the place so deeply, I had been led astray by the temptation of new discoveries and had drifted away for some time. After all that, I found myself longing again for the air of that forest.
I arrived just after the 10 a.m. opening. The parking lot was nearly empty, wrapped in stillness. Every previous visit had been in the evening when the place was buzzing with guests, so coming in the morning was a first. It felt genuinely fresh. The area around reception was almost deserted, and the changing room was practically all mine.
Reining in my excitement, I undressed and stepped into the main bathing area to find only about five people, including the outdoor bath. A place I'd visited many times, yet a different time of day and different circumstances make it an entirely new experience.
After washing off, I headed first to the outdoor bath. The same beautiful garden and natural scenery greeted me, unchanged. The season of fresh green foliage made it all the more vivid — an atmosphere that naturally made me want to take a long, deep breath. I gazed up at the maple trees and the forest spreading beyond them, then eased into the free-flowing, mildly alkaline simple hot spring. The sound of birdsong resonated directly in my ears. Nature and hot springs are, without question, a perfect match. What a glorious morning.
I soaked for a while, gazing at the beautiful surroundings, and realized I was already drifting into a state of totonou — without even touching the sauna or cold bath yet. At this rate, I'd never leave the water. I forced myself to switch gears and made my way to the Finnish sauna.
Nearly a year had passed since this sauna was built, yet the pleasant woody scent still lingered inside. The vihta hanging near the entrance was a nice touch. The moment I stepped in, the automatic löyly — triggered once every twenty minutes — released a wave of pleasant hot steam throughout the room. With so few people around, I could stretch out on the bench and sit in total comfort. I closed my eyes and quietly let the heat work through my body in the stillness.
After pushing my heart rate to its limit in the sauna, it was time for the long-awaited cold plunge bath. Just outside the sauna door, a large cold bath awaits, blended from Miyamizu — the celebrated pure water of Rokko — and natural spring water. I rinsed off and slowly lowered myself in. Cool, refreshing, and impossibly soft water wrapped gently around my overheated body. I looked out at the forest ahead and soaked while the sounds of nature soothed me. The water itself is top-tier, and the surrounding natural environment delivers an overwhelming sense of exhilaration.
After leaving the cold bath, I settled into an outdoor chair and gazed at the forest. I closed my eyes, listened to the sounds of nature, and felt the breeze brush my cheek. A sensation of slowly fading consciousness washed over me. I surrendered to that comfortable drift and lost awareness entirely.
When I came back to my senses, I headed into the second round of sauna. I repeated this cycle several more times. Strangely, with each set, my body felt better and better. That is the power of sauna.
In the end, I indulged in a luxurious four sets from the morning on, and reached a state of perfect totonou.
After finishing in the sauna, I headed to the restaurant inside the facility. Despite having visited so many times, this was actually my first time eating here. I had always been curious about it since it's popular too, but in the evenings it was always fully booked, so I had held back. Today, with it being morning and few people around, I decided to sit down for a meal. I ordered the karaage gozen set, properly recharging the energy I had burned through in the sauna. The freshly fried karaage soaked into my post-sauna body perfectly.
Since I wasn't meeting anyone until the evening, there was still plenty of time. I planned to visit one more facility before the evening meetup. As for the next destination, there was one place I had in mind near my hotel. I had lived in Hyogo Prefecture ten years ago, and I remembered visiting it back then and having a wonderful time. Looking it up, it seemed they had also done some renovations. It had been ten years, so why not go and see for myself.
The name of that facility is Naruo Hama Onsen Kumano no Sato.
