When traveling for sauna experiences, you often find yourself in places you would never visit in your ordinary life. Tsuyama City in Okayama Prefecture is one such place. I've never been here before, nor do I know anyone from here. I came simply because there's a sauna I wanted to visit. Stepping into a new land always brings a sense of excitement. It's a completely unknown territory, with unfamiliar landscapes and people. Tsuyama City is located in the northern part of Okayama Prefecture. I drove from Okayama City towards Tottori Prefecture. The weather is rainy. It's a trivial matter, but ever since I started my sauna travels, it seems to rain a lot. It feels like every weekend is rainy this year. As a result, most of the exterior photos of the facilities I feature are taken under cloudy skies. With these thoughts in mind, I drove until I reached Tsuyama City. I checked into the Hotel Route-Inn in front of Tsuyama Station at 3 PM. Hotel Route-Inn is my go-to accommodation. It's very calming, and I sleep well here. A key to a successful trip is getting a good night's sleep, and the quality of sleep can vary depending on whether the hotel suits you. Sometimes I wake up unusually early. If I sleep well, I can be fully active from the morning of the next day, so having a hotel that suits me is very important. Since I have some time until the evening, I decided to write a blog post in my hotel room. I always bring a laptop on my travels, using spare time to write articles or register necessary information for site management. I feel that writing progresses more smoothly when working at a travel destination compared to at home. Perhaps it's because my senses are more heightened when traveling. As I focused on my work, it quickly became 6 PM. It's about time to head to the evening sauna. Tonight's sauna is Gokuraku no Sato Ebisu no Yu Kawabe Branch. The facility is about a 10-minute drive from Tsuyama Station. It's located on the same premises as a pachinko parlor, and the parking lot is spacious. I parked the car and went inside. It was quite bustling, mostly with locals. A facility loved by locals has a special energy. The shop inside sells original goods, giving the impression that there are many sauna enthusiasts. The dining menu is also very rich, featuring dishes like chicken cutlet curry and Tsuyama's specialty 'sozuri meat' dishes. After the sauna, I'll enjoy some delicious local specialties here. I quickly got undressed in the changing room and headed to the large bath. Earlier in the morning, I visited a private sauna where swimwear was required, but I find that the public bath nude style suits me better. Inside the large bath, there are several simple tubs lined up. The open-air area is spacious, allowing for a leisurely soak in the rock bath. However, it's not a hot spring, so it's just regular hot water. The open-air area also has a well-equipped rest area, so there should be no problem finding a place to relax after the sauna. After checking out the bath area, I warmed my body with the water from the open-air bath and entered the sauna. The sauna room is spacious enough for about 20 people to sit comfortably, with a far-infrared heater stove. The seating is quite wide, allowing you to stretch your legs or sit cross-legged comfortably. Recently, Finnish-style saunas have become more common, but there's something calming about this Japanese-style far-infrared sauna. Perhaps the homely atmosphere created by the locals makes it feel that way. It's very comfortable. I sweated in the sauna and then entered the cold plunge bath. The cold plunge bath is located right next to the sauna room, making the flow perfect. The water temperature is around 16°C, and it's deep and wide. I was able to cool my body thoroughly. Having already done four sauna sessions in the morning, I decided to finish with two sessions in the evening.

After the sauna, it's time for the usual meal. From the many menu options, I ordered the 'Hokkaido Obihiro-style Pork Bowl' and 'Sozuri Meat Stir-fry.' 'Sozuri meat' refers to meat scraped from near the bones of a cow. In Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, the local dialect uses the word 'sozuru' to mean 'scrape,' which is where the name comes from. The texture is elastic, and the more you chew, the more umami it releases. It might be similar to chicken 'seseri.' Encountering dishes that can only be tasted in that region is one of the charms of traveling. On a sauna trip, your taste buds are sharpened by the sauna experience, making the food taste even better. As always, I feel truly happy while eating. It makes me realize I'm alive, and feeling that food is delicious is proof of happiness. After enjoying the meal, I returned to the hotel to sleep in preparation for the sauna session from the next morning. Tomorrow, I plan to move to Mimasaka City to experience a private sauna. There's a facility with a handmade wood-fired sauna, a cold plunge bath with natural spring water, and an attached café. Tomorrow's destination is 'kobatoisa cafe&sauna.'