I found myself here again. I couldn't help but want to come back. The first time I visited "Yurax" was just yesterday. The sauna, cold plunge bath, and natural hot springs, known as the sacred site of the west, were incredibly pleasant. I was enveloped in such deep relaxation that I lost track of time. To be honest, until I actually visited, I wasn't sure if it would truly be the best facility for me. Even places called sacred sites can sometimes differ from one's ideals. However, when it came to "Yurax," everything from the baths, meals, and rest areas were comfortable, and it became a favorite facility of mine. Since it was a special trip, there was the option to visit as many facilities as possible. However, sometimes it's necessary to repeatedly visit a truly excellent facility to enhance the quality of the experience. Moreover, it's not easy to visit a place called a sacred site multiple times. Essentially, travel is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I might never come back again in my life. Thinking about that, I decided to visit once more before leaving. Unlike yesterday, I approached the reception with the demeanor of a regular. When I mentioned wanting to bathe during free time, I was asked, "Have you used our facilities before?" I coolly replied, "Yes." Since it was my second visit, I was familiar with the facility. I quickly changed in the locker room and stepped into the large bath. Just like yesterday, the sacred cold plunge bath sat in the center, continuously filled with natural water from Aso. It's an exquisite cold plunge bath with free-flowing underground water. I'm truly happy to be able to come here again. Let's quickly enter the sauna and then plunge into the cold bath once more. On this day, I had already finished a morning sauna at my accommodation, "Yuya Suizen Luxury Sauna & Spa," so I took a quick shower and headed straight to the main sauna. Just like yesterday, the pleasant aroma and fluffy sauna mat were there. The heat from the two sauna stoves was comfortable. Through the glass window at the sauna entrance, I could see the cold plunge bath. It looked incredibly inviting. I couldn't wait to get into the cold bath. The desire only grew stronger while I was in the sauna. I heated my body to the limit, washed off the sweat, and eagerly plunged into the cold bath. The underground water from Aso welcomed my body. I submerged my head and cooled my entire body. It felt like the water was colder than yesterday. Nonetheless, it was incredibly pleasant water. With a silky texture, it felt as if I was soaking in a hot spring. I couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah, this is the best!" After an outdoor air bath, I entered the meditation sauna for the second set. By chance, someone sharing the sauna performed a self-löyly every three minutes, enveloping us in a significant amount of steam, allowing me to sweat well. Afterward, I entered the cold plunge bath again and achieved totonou with an outdoor air bath. Just when I thought I had no regrets, I heard a staff member's voice. "We will have an aufguss event starting at 12!" I definitely wanted to experience it. An aufguss at the sacred site of the west is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was a fitting conclusion. I entered the sauna room five minutes before it started and sat in the top row. At 12, the staff member began the greeting, and the room was filled with applause. Just as it was about to start, a man stood up and left. It made no sense why he would leave at that moment, and the room was filled with awkward laughter, with the staff looking puzzled. I wanted to shout, "Read the room!" but I held back and prepared for the start of the aufguss. The aufguss performance began with the rhythm of dedicated BGM. Pouring a large amount of water with an aromatic ice cube onto the sauna stones, the room was instantly filled with a pleasant scent. Then, an impressive performance began. By rapidly spinning a large towel and vigorously swirling it to create airflow, a comfortable heat wave reached us. My senses of hearing, sight, smell, and touch were stimulated. As the approximately eight-minute performance neared its end, I decided to leave the sauna room. Waiting until the end would mean the cold plunge bath would be crowded. To enjoy comfort, one must not act like everyone else. Even if it means leaving midway, it's important to slowly enter the cold plunge bath. I slowly cooled my body in the empty cold plunge bath. By the time I left the cold bath, the aufguss performance had ended, and the cold bath was crowded. I thanked the performer and left the large bath.

Yesterday, I enjoyed a mapo tofu set meal and chicken nanban, so today I decided to have the "ginger pork set meal." The umami of the ginger pork soaked into my body, perfectly relaxed from the sauna. The rice, cooked with natural water from Aso, was also very delicious. The deliciousness of the food might be one of the reasons it's called a sacred site. By the time I finished my meal, there was only an hour left until my Shinkansen departure. I had to head to the station soon. I wished I could stay longer, but the time to part always comes. I might come again, or I might not. I said my goodbyes and got into a taxi to the station. On the way to Shin-Osaka on the Shinkansen, a thought came to mind. Of course, it was about which sauna to visit that night. What is the sacred site in Kansai suitable for the last sauna of the year? There's only one destination. The sauna I consider the best in Japan, after visiting sauna facilities all over the country, is in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. "Yurax" is called the sacred site of the west, but I also think that facility is a sacred site of the west. That facility is "Kobe Sauna & Spa." The route from "Yurax" to "Kobe Sauna & Spa" is one that sauna enthusiasts across Japan would want to experience at least once. Imagining that, I couldn't help but grin on the Shinkansen.