It was pouring. The hotel where I was staying had a large public bath. On top of that, there was another sento-style spa only a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. Still, calling a taxi just to go soak somewhere is something only onsen and sauna lovers will understand. For me, though, the three types of cold plunge baths unique to this facility, the cold plunge baths fed by natural groundwater, Ikeda Yuge Onsen, and the two types of saunas waiting there made the rain irrelevant. If anything, I even hoped the bad weather would mean fewer people. Rain hammered the taxi windows. As I wrote before, bad weather is a positive factor for me. When I arrived, the place was indeed quieter than usual. Minori Bathhouse is normally popular, so it would usually be much busier. After checking in at the front desk I headed for the large bath. Immediately to the right was the main sauna, and two cold plunge baths sat adjacent to the sauna. They use groundwater, and the water temperatures are 12°C and 18°C. That combination is perfect. I planned to enjoy alternating cold baths later. The indoor baths are also well appointed, with a herbal bath and jet bath. Outside, the rest chairs are plentiful, and there’s a carbonated spring, the Ikeda Yuge Onsen rock bath, a Finnish sauna, and a cold plunge bath fed by natural groundwater—plenty to enjoy. The space is generous and the facilities are very complete. I started by soaking in the outdoor Ikeda Yuge Onsen. There’s something special about bathing in an onsen while being pelted by heavy rain. The water has a silky texture that noticeably smooths the skin. The rock bath is thoughtfully designed too; the angle of the backrest isn’t a harsh right angle but a comfortable incline that lets you lean back and relax while gazing up at the night sky. The rock bath has character, and the attention to small details like the backrest angle shows the high level of the facility. Once my body had warmed in the onsen, I began my first set. I entered the outdoor Finnish sauna. It’s a space for about six people and the room temperature was around 90°C. A pleasant hojicha aroma filled the air. Personally I like tea scents in the sauna. What’s interesting about this sauna is that after a self-löyly there’s a “re-steam button” that, when pressed, sends a powerful blast of air from a louvered fan and instantly fills the small room with intense heat. The rule is to do the löyly when the hourglass runs out. After a while another guest performed a löyly, and then someone pressed the re-steam button. Because the space is small, a fierce heat wave hit immediately. It was intense but very pleasant, and the hojicha scent filled my nasal passages—it was wonderful. After a thorough steam I headed for the cold plunge bath. I immersed myself in the cold plunge bath fed by natural groundwater. It felt about 18°C to the touch, but with the vibra jets it felt colder than that. Being groundwater, the exact temperature probably varies by season. Above all, the water quality is excellent. It felt very pleasant and soft, the kind of comfort that makes you feel like you could stay in forever. You can really feel the refreshing sensation that groundwater gives to the skin. The flow of movement is brilliant too: the cold plunge is right outside the sauna, so you can cool off with zero transit time. I lay back on a chair in the outdoor area and from the first set I felt totally totonou. For the second set I went to the indoor main sauna. It’s a five-tier tower sauna with a lovely hinoki cypress aroma. Bags of hinoki chips hang in the sauna room, which must be the source of the scent. The outdoor sauna is hojicha-scented while this one is hinoki-scented. Not only are the aromas soothing, but the sauna’s temperature and humidity are excellent. There’s a large stove at the front, and auto-löyly periodically increases the humidity, keeping the room moist. On the top bench the temperature rises to about 95°C, and combined with the humidity you work up a really good sweat. Once I was thoroughly heated, I plunged into the 12°C cold plunge bath. The indoor flow is perfect as well. The water bath is right in front of the sauna door. After rinsing off I cooled down properly in the 12°C cold plunge, then stepped over to the adjacent 18°C bath. After being chilled at 12°C, the 18°C bath still feels cold but somehow also warming—this alternating cold-bath routine is addictive. I moved to the outdoor rest area and, while being rained on, reached a wonderful totonou state. For the third and final set I returned to the outdoor Finnish sauna. Two guests were already inside. The hourglass had run out, so I told them, “I’ll do a löyly,” and they replied, “Please do!” I performed the löyly, steam rose, and I pressed the re-steam button. A red light came on and a heat wave was delivered. The two guests were quite surprised. “You have that function?” they said, excited. Conversation flowed from there and they asked, “Are you a regular here?” When I said it was my first visit they were even more surprised. “We thought you were a regular, for sure, haha.” Maybe I give off a regular’s vibe. Well, I do go into saunas like an addict. After one more refreshing dip in the cold plunge fed by natural groundwater, I finished the day’s sauna.

When you travel for saunas you often feel grateful. Since I started this media, I’ve spent more time researching facilities and come to realize that behind terms like “natural hot spring overflow,” “groundwater cold plunge,” and “löyly sauna” lie huge facility investments, company effort, and the luck of having good groundwater and an onsen in that place. We users enjoy these things without thinking about it, but naturally feelings of gratitude arise for this fortunate combination of nature and the facility’s hard work. While eating at the facility’s restaurant I planned tomorrow’s route. Looking at a map, a different destination than I’d originally planned caught my eye. I had intended to finish the trip in Gifu and Nagoya, but I noticed easy access to Mie Prefecture. In Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture, there’s a facility I’d had my eye on for some time. I had plenty of time tomorrow, so I decided to visit Mie Prefecture in the morning. Tomorrow’s destination will be Shinme no Yu.