Changing plans is one of the great pleasures of travel.
My visit to Yurara no Yu Oshikuma was itself a stroke of luck born from exactly that kind of change.
The day before, I had been fully in my element at Spa Resort Ogoto Agaryan-se, and had since moved on to Nara. I had two plans for the following day:
① If it was raining, head to Nara Health Land first thing in the morning
② If the rain had stopped, take a morning stroll through Nara Park and then head to Nara Health Land
When I woke up at 6 a.m., the rain had cleared. That meant plan ②.
I had a morning bath and breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and arrived at Nara Park at 7:30. Breathing in the crisp morning air, I wandered through the sweeping grounds. The deer were already up and about, starting their day. I spent about two hours exploring — making my way from Todai-ji to Nigatsu-do, then to Hokke-do, and finally to Kasuga Taisha — and by the end I was drenched in sweat and desperately craving a cold plunge. I ducked into a cafe for a coffee break, then set off for Nara Health Land.
It was about a 30-minute drive from Nara Park to Tenri. I arrived just before 11 a.m., and the parking lot was already completely full. Visitors who couldn't get a spot were parking at the pachinko parlor across the road. I had a bad feeling about this. I parked the car and decided to at least walk up to the entrance. Sure enough, there was a long queue stretching out front — mostly families — and staff were handing out numbered tickets. The moment I saw that scene, I made up my mind to change plans. Nara Health Land could wait for another day. I got back in the car and headed for Yurara no Yu Oshikuma, a place I'd already looked up as a backup. Another 30 minutes of driving, and I finally reached my new destination.
After checking in, I made my way into the main bath area. After washing off, I plunged straight into the 15°C cold plunge bath. The heat I'd built up from walking around Nara Park drained away instantly. I dried off and stepped into the sauna — an electric heater sauna — worked up a good sweat, then went back into the cold plunge. I kept adding sets. After the cold plunge, I moved outside for some fresh air in the open-air bath area. With few other guests around, I stretched out on a bench. The Nara sky spread out above me in all its breadth. I could hear the gentle murmur of a stream nearby. It was perfect. I almost fell asleep right there. I was genuinely glad I'd come to Yurara no Yu.
There's always a story in how you end up at a sauna. And that story is life itself. It was still early afternoon. Time to find something good to eat and take the slow road home.
