The end of my sacred site pilgrimage was finally in sight.
The destination for my final day was Wellbe Sakae, the holy ground of saunas in Nagoya. Any sauna enthusiast in Japan has heard that name at least once. It's said to be the closest thing to an authentic Finnish sauna experience you can find.
I boarded the Shinkansen bound for Nagoya at Shizuoka Station. About an hour later, I arrived at Nagoya Station. An ordinary tourist would probably be amazed by the city sprawl around the station and head off to some photogenic landmark, or go eat miso katsu or hitsumabushi. But not me. The moment I arrived at Nagoya Station, I made a beeline for a taxi and gave my destination: "To Wellbe Sakae, please." The driver said, "You look like the type who loves saunas, don't you?" So I proudly replied, "Yes, I love them. I'm on a sauna trip right now — I've already been to Kobe Sauna, Ogaki Sauna, and Sauna Shikiji." But the driver just said, "Oh, is that so? That's nice," with a decidedly lukewarm reaction. Apparently he had no idea what I was talking about. I'd assumed he was a fellow sauna lover...
About ten minutes later, I arrived at Wellbe Sakae. The exterior and entrance looked exactly as I had seen them in the drama Sado. I was so happy I took a photo of the outside. I checked in, headed to the locker room, stripped down at lightning speed, and made my way to the main bathing area. I stood in front of the door. Beyond it lay a world of Finland. I took a deep breath to contain my excitement, and opened the door.
Entering the main bathing area, there was the main sauna on my right and a 12°C cold plunge bath on the left. A few steps in, I couldn't help but stop and stare. Beyond the Forest Sauna, a Finnish forest spread out before me. In a dimly lit space decorated with birch trees and vihta, a forest came to life, lined with reclining chairs for an indoor cool-down session. The scent of the forest drifted through the air, and even before I'd stepped into the sauna, I was already on the verge of reaching totonou.
I gathered myself, washed up, and decided to try the Forest Sauna first. A small window let in just a sliver of outside light; the lighting was minimal. No TV, no background music. A space for pure self-reflection. And as luck would have it, the timing overlapped with guest checkouts, so I had the Forest Sauna entirely to myself. In this incredible space, I was the only one there. I closed my eyes and turned my awareness inward. The heat was gentle and comfortable. After a while, the sweat began to flow. My heart rate rose. That was my cue to do a self-service löyly. I poured water over the sauna stones, releasing a burst of steam. The humidity surged instantly, and sweat poured out of me. It was intensely hot, yet strangely comfortable. A truly good sauna, I believe, is a mellow sauna — one where you can feel pleasure even within the heat.
When I hit my limit, I headed straight for the 12°C cold plunge bath. It was seriously cold. The body I had heated in the Forest Sauna cooled down all at once.
After enjoying the cold plunge, it was time to reach totonou in the Finnish forest. I lay back in a chair in the space filled with the scent of vihta and birch, focusing my awareness on my heartbeat and the sensation of my skin. And then, the ultimate moment of bliss arrived. Breathing in the scent of the Finnish forest while reflecting on this whole pilgrimage trip, I felt even more deeply happy. I was fully in totonou — and it was only my first set. I still wanted to enjoy the other saunas.
For my second set, I moved to the main sauna. The sauna stove was massive — must be a custom order. An aufguss done with that thing would surely deliver incredible waves of heat. Wellbe Sakae's main sauna has a spot where you can lie down and enjoy the sauna. I moved there. Once again, I had the place to myself. I lay down like in a stone sauna bed and enjoyed the sauna in a fully relaxed state. Since I'm used to sitting, it felt refreshingly different. The warmth spread evenly across my whole body. Whether it was because the heat in the sauna room was so gentle, I could feel real relaxation even in the midst of the heat.
The second set ended with a dip in the 12°C cold plunge and a cool-down in the Finnish forest. I hadn't noticed it in the first set, but the birdsong playing softly in the background was wonderfully soothing. The Finnish forest atmosphere, the scent, the sound — all together they sharpened all five senses. This might be the most blissful sauna experience I've ever had. I'm so glad I came to Wellbe Sakae at the end of this trip.
For the third set, I went back to the Forest Sauna. I did a self-service löyly and meditated in the quiet space. My heart rate kept climbing. I was about to head to the cold plunge, but I noticed the Ice Sauna & Cold Plunge next to the Forest Sauna. It's a wild space — room temperature of minus 25°C and water temperature of 0°C. Apparently it recreates the environment of authentic Finland. I hesitated, but where else in Japan could you have an experience like this? It had to be Wellbe Sakae. I steeled myself and walked in. Conclusion: I was out in five seconds. The cold was shocking. Just dipping my feet into the 0°C water felt like my entire body was about to freeze solid. So this is what authentic Finland is like... I had always thought I'd like to try a sauna experience in Finland someday, but jumping into a 0°C lake after a sauna might be a little too hardcore for me.
Three sets done. I was completely satisfied to have had a sauna experience unlike anything I'd felt before. And with that, my sauna session at Wellbe Sakae came to a close. If time had allowed, I would have loved to spend the night in a Wellbe Sakae capsule and enjoy Wellbe Imaike the next day — but I had work the next morning, so I had to head home. In that case, at least let me have an outstanding post-sauna meal before I go. So I decided to head to Ajidokoro Kano, the legendary restaurant said to be the birthplace of miso katsu.
The miso katsu at Ajidokoro Kano was absolutely incredible. Please take a look at the photo on the right. That on top is the miso katsu. An impossibly thick pork cutlet, soaked through with rich miso sauce. Maybe it was because I'd just come from the sauna, but the moment I took the first bite, I couldn't help but mutter, "This is too good." So this is what authentic miso katsu tastes like...
A supreme sauna experience at Wellbe Sakae, followed by the city's famous miso katsu. It was only a few hours in Nagoya, but I was victorious. I took a taxi from Sakae to Nagoya Station and bought a Shinkansen ticket back to Shin-Kobe. The end of a trip always brings a twinge of sadness. I didn't want to go home. Once I got back to Shin-Kobe, I wanted to start the journey all over again from Kobe Sauna. Stay at Kobe Sauna, go to Ogaki Sauna, then Sauna Shikiji, then Fujisan Tennen-sui SPA Sauna Takannoyu, then Suruga Kenko Land, and close out the trip at Wellbe Sakae.
I may never be able to pull off a golden sauna route like that again. But as long as I'm a sauna enthusiast, I'm sure I'll find my way back, and there are so many other wonderful saunas across Japan. Who knows how long this life will last — but if I can keep visiting sauna after sauna for as long as I live, collecting once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and one day look back thinking "that sauna was the best" as I go, then I'll die a truly happy man.
On the train from Nagoya heading back to Shin-Kobe, I was already searching for my next destination.
I'll probably be off on another sauna trip next week.
