Honestly, I should probably be putting all my energy into meeting people, but for me, hot spring and sauna experiences are the top priority, and everything else is just a bonus. On this day, I was heading to Hyogo Prefecture because I had plans to meet someone at night. In other words, for me, that meant the start of a sauna trip. Since I had plenty of time before my evening plans, I first had to decide where to go in the morning. I had thought about exploring a new facility, but when I calmly considered it, I realized I had already visited almost all of the facilities in Hyogo Prefecture that I wanted to try. New discoveries are great, but revisiting favorite places and places tied to memories from past trips is great too. This time, I decided to revisit places full of memories. I got into my car and sped across the Naruto Strait and through Awaji Island. When I rolled down the window, the refreshing May breeze swept through the car. As Kobe drew closer, one facility began to flicker in my mind. It was Arima Kaidō Onsen Suzuran no Yu. I discovered it about a year ago and was captivated by its superb outdoor baths, where you can feel completely at one with nature, its natural free-flowing hot spring water bubbling up from deep underground, its cold plunge bath using Miyamizu, the famous water of Rokko, and its authentic Finnish-style sauna. For a time, I went there almost every week. There was even a period when I had decided I would always stop by there as the final destination of my trip. And yet, despite loving the place so much, I had drifted away because I kept flirting with new discoveries. After a long time, I found myself wanting to breathe in that forest air again. I arrived just after it opened at 10:00 a.m. There were only a few cars in the parking lot, and the place was wrapped in silence. All my previous visits had been at night, during busy hours full of guests, but this was my first time coming in the morning. It felt so fresh. There were hardly any people around the reception area, and the changing room was almost like it had been reserved just for me. Holding back my eagerness, I undressed and stepped into the large bath area. Even including the outdoor baths, there were only about five people. Although I had visited many times, changing the time of day and the situation turned it into a completely new experience. After cleansing my body, I headed first to the outdoor bath. There, the beautiful garden and nature spread out just as they always had. The beautiful fresh greenery of the season made the space even more inviting, to the point that I almost wanted to take a deep breath. While looking up at the maple trees and the forest stretching beyond them, I sank into the weakly alkaline simple hot spring flowing directly from the source. The chirping of birds rang straight through my eardrums. Nature and hot springs really are a perfect match. What a wonderful morning it was. As I soaked in the hot spring for a while and gazed at the beautiful scenery, I was already starting to feel totonou even though I had not yet entered the sauna or the cold plunge bath. At this rate, I would end up soaking in the hot spring forever. I forcibly switched gears and headed to the Finnish sauna. Nearly a year has passed since this sauna was built, but the pleasant scent of wood still lingers. Another nice touch is the vihta hanging near the entrance. The moment I stepped inside, the automatic löyly that runs once every 20 minutes began, and pleasant waves of hot steam spread through the room. Because there were so few people, I could sit comfortably on the bench with my legs stretched out. I closed my eyes and slowly warmed my body in the silence. After raising my heart rate to the limit in the sauna, it was time for the long-awaited cold plunge bath. Right outside the sauna, a huge cold plunge bath is prepared, blending Miyamizu, the famous water of Rokko, with spring water. I washed off the sweat and slowly lowered myself into it. Cool and refreshing, yet endlessly soft, the water gently enveloped my heated body. I soaked in the bath while looking at the forest in front of me and letting the sounds of nature soothe me. On top of the fact that the water itself is first-rate, this natural environment delivers an overwhelming sense of refreshment. After getting out of the cold plunge bath, I sat down in an outdoor resting chair while gazing at the forest. I closed my eyes, listened to the sounds of nature, and felt the breeze brush against my cheeks. I was overcome by the sensation that my consciousness was slowly drifting away. I surrendered myself to that pleasant flow and completely lost consciousness. Then, the moment I came back to my senses, I headed to the sauna for a second set. I repeated this over and over for several sets. Strangely enough, my physical condition kept improving more and more with each set. That is the power of the sauna. In the end, I luxuriously completed four sets from morning and felt absolutely amazing.

Honestly, I should probably be putting all my energy into meeting people, but for me, hot spring and sauna experiences are the top priority, and everything else is just a bonus. On this day, I was heading to Hyogo Prefecture because I had plans to meet someone at night. In other words, for me, that meant the start of a sauna trip. Since I had plenty of time before my evening plans, I first had to decide where to go in the morning. I had thought about exploring a new facility, but when I calmly considered it, I realized I had already visited almost all of the facilities in Hyogo Prefecture that I wanted to try. New discoveries are great, but revisiting favorite places and places tied to memories from past trips is great too. This time, I decided to revisit places full of memories. I got into my car and sped across the Naruto Strait and through Awaji Island. When I rolled down the window, the refreshing May breeze swept through the car. As Kobe drew closer, one facility began to flicker in my mind. It was Arima Kaidō Onsen Suzuran no Yu. I discovered it about a year ago and was captivated by its superb outdoor baths, where you can feel completely at one with nature, its natural free-flowing hot spring water bubbling up from deep underground, its cold plunge bath using Miyamizu, the famous water of Rokko, and its authentic Finnish-style sauna. For a time, I went there almost every week. There was even a period when I had decided I would always stop by there as the final destination of my trip. And yet, despite loving the place so much, I had drifted away because I kept flirting with new discoveries. After a long time, I found myself wanting to breathe in that forest air again. I arrived just after it opened at 10:00 a.m. There were only a few cars in the parking lot, and the place was wrapped in silence. All my previous visits had been at night, during busy hours full of guests, but this was my first time coming in the morning. It felt so fresh. There were hardly any people around the reception area, and the changing room was almost like it had been reserved just for me. Holding back my eagerness, I undressed and stepped into the large bath area. Even including the outdoor baths, there were only about five people. Although I had visited many times, changing the time of day and the situation turned it into a completely new experience. After cleansing my body, I headed first to the outdoor bath. There, the beautiful garden and nature spread out just as they always had. The beautiful fresh greenery of the season made the space even more inviting, to the point that I almost wanted to take a deep breath. While looking up at the maple trees and the forest stretching beyond them, I sank into the weakly alkaline simple hot spring flowing directly from the source. The chirping of birds rang straight through my eardrums. Nature and hot springs really are a perfect match. What a wonderful morning it was. As I soaked in the hot spring for a while and gazed at the beautiful scenery, I was already starting to feel totonou even though I had not yet entered the sauna or the cold plunge bath. At this rate, I would end up soaking in the hot spring forever. I forcibly switched gears and headed to the Finnish sauna. Nearly a year has passed since this sauna was built, but the pleasant scent of wood still lingers. Another nice touch is the vihta hanging near the entrance. The moment I stepped inside, the automatic löyly that runs once every 20 minutes began, and pleasant waves of hot steam spread through the room. Because there were so few people, I could sit comfortably on the bench with my legs stretched out. I closed my eyes and slowly warmed my body in the silence. After raising my heart rate to the limit in the sauna, it was time for the long-awaited cold plunge bath. Right outside the sauna, a huge cold plunge bath is prepared, blending Miyamizu, the famous water of Rokko, with spring water. I washed off the sweat and slowly lowered myself into it. Cool and refreshing, yet endlessly soft, the water gently enveloped my heated body. I soaked in the bath while looking at the forest in front of me and letting the sounds of nature soothe me. On top of the fact that the water itself is first-rate, this natural environment delivers an overwhelming sense of refreshment. After getting out of the cold plunge bath, I sat down in an outdoor resting chair while gazing at the forest. I closed my eyes, listened to the sounds of nature, and felt the breeze brush against my cheeks. I was overcome by the sensation that my consciousness was slowly drifting away. I surrendered myself to that pleasant flow and completely lost consciousness. Then, the moment I came back to my senses, I headed to the sauna for a second set. I repeated this over and over for several sets. Strangely enough, my physical condition kept improving more and more with each set. That is the power of the sauna. In the end, I luxuriously completed four sets from morning and felt absolutely amazing.