​Nagaki Onsen is a long-established public bathhouse that has been in operation since 1954 in downtown Kita-ku, Nagoya City.

The high-temperature sauna (over 110°C) and water bath (about 10°C) have become a hot topic of conversation among saunas, and are rapidly gaining attention. The smiling face of the mother who stands at the guard stand every day is also soothing.

*Information at the time of coverage in September 2022

Super Public Bath!
Entertainment place in downtown

Nagaki Onsen

I visited Nagaki Onsen because I heard it was a "downtown public bathhouse," but I was surprised to find that it was more like a leisure complex with a coin laundry, karaoke cafe, and yakitori restaurant.

Anyway, let's go to the public bath on the second floor. There is a stair lift, so even elderly people with bad legs can go up.

Fumi Ando, the proprietress, welcomed us with a big smile. She is loved by everyone as "the mom on the watch stand".

Fumi is now elderly, and her grandson, Mina Inoue, is supporting her. When we asked her about her business, she told us that she also runs her own karaoke cafe and yakitori restaurant.

"Nagaki Onsen" may be a "super public bathhouse" that also packs in a lot of entertainment elements.

However, it is classified as a "public bathhouse" and is open to adults for 460 yen, which is appreciated. If you want to enter the sauna, it costs +100 yen. Receive a yellow towel at the entrance.

The changing room is filled with the personal belongings of regulars, clearly indicating that this is a bathhouse loved by the community.

The hottest sauna in Nagoya!!?

Now it's time to go to the bathroom! The baths are simple, but there are many "attractions," such as a singing bath, an electric bath, and an ultrasonic bath, that will make you excited.

After washing my body, I went to the "high-temperature bath" to "pre-boil*" my body. I went in for the time being, but it was hot!

* Before entering the sauna, warm your body with hot water so that you can easily sweat.

On closer inspection, it was pointing to "43.1°C" (!). That's no wonder it was hot. No wonder it was hot. I left early because I was about to be boiled thoroughly, even though I intended to "pre-boil". Finally, we entered the sauna room, which is rumored to be the hottest in Nagoya.

The sauna room is the size that about 8 people can fit in, and it can be said that it is quite large among public bath saunas. The old-fashioned far-infrared sauna has a strong wind coming from the stove!

The temperature is almost 110°C! Depending on the conditions, the temperature can reach 115 degrees Celsius or higher. Incidentally, the women's sauna has almost the same settings as the men's. Ladies who are looking for "authentic Showa strong style" should go to Nagaki Onsen right away.

Incidentally, when we talked to Ms. Inoue later, he said, "There was a time when it was 130 degrees Celsius, and even this is a calm one". Oh, give me a break.

Everyone loves water baths. It doesn't need to be mentioned that the water bath feels good after enduring a sauna over 110 degrees Celsius, so I'll omit it.

Glancing up, the water temperature is 10.5°C! The underground water, which is estimated to be 18 degrees Celsius (various theories exist), is further cooled by a chiller (cooling system). This can only be described as a perfect understanding of the hearts of sauna lovers.

This water bath uses groundwater and is characterized by the quality of the water that clings to the body. It is different from a water bath that is only unnecessarily cold.

Radon hot springs, which contain trace amounts of radiation and are said to be good for the body, are another attraction of Nagaki Onsen. The temperature is about 40°C, which is not low, but after experiencing the 43°C high sound bath and the sauna, which is over 110°C, you will feel strangely calm.

There is no rest space where you can take a bath in the open air, but we recommend that you relax while inhaling radon here.

Enjoy a fulfilling time after taking a bath

After bathing, you can relax in the lobby. "Oropo," a combination of Oronamin C and Pocari Sweat, is now well established as a drink for saunas, but Oroyaku is a rarity! It comes with a cup of ice, Oronamin C and Yakult for 300 yen. It seemed to have a gentler taste than Oropo, and I tried to copy it at home later.

Of course, there is also "Oropo" (340 yen)! And it's amazing that they have beers from every company. As one would expect from the original entertainment-oriented public bathhouse.

Many original goods are also available. The hoodie (4,367 yen) has a cute drawing of the guard mom and mascot dogs Monaka (left) and Luke (right).

The "Staff T-Shirt," with its straightforward "public bathhouse" design, costs 4,090 yen. It is printed on both sides (photo shows front and back from the top).

Due to space limitations, it is currently only sold online (see below for details). There are many samples in the public bath lobby, so if you find something you like, check the size and other details on the spot and purchase it online.

https://suzuri.jp/Nagaki-onsen

The secret to the splendor of hot water quality is "firewood"!

We asked Ms. Inoue again about the bathhouse. When I told her that the "hot water," the essence of a public bath, was wonderful, not to mention the rumored sauna and water bath, he said meaningfully, "We have a 'kamaji' (old man who manages the hot water)".

Once I left the public bath, I was guided to a certain place.

Yes. The boiler is still in use at Nagaki Onsen, and the hot water is burned with firewood. In the heat of the day, "Yana-san," or "Kamaji of Nagaki Onsen," was feeding firewood into the boiler one after another.

Come to think of it, I was surprised by the "leisure complex" appearance and missed it, but you can see the magnificent chimney from some angles.

I wondered if the reason why I felt the quality of the hot water was so good was because the water was burned with firewood, or because the quality of the groundwater was good in the first place. I honestly don't know.

However, I was moved by the fact that the public bath has continued to run in the old fashioned way. The regulars who can't wait for the opening at 14:00 and gather 15 minutes before are sure to continue their unchanging sento life for many years.

Ms. Inoue said at the end, "We are very grateful that the number of new customers has increased due to the sauna boom. If anything, I'm more concerned about the aging of the facilities and equipment."
I just hope that "Nagaki Onsen" will continue to be loved in this area for as long as possible while maintaining the current business style.

The proprietress, the wood-fired bath, the overheated sauna, and the cold water bath—this was Nagaki Onsen, which was full of entertainment. "The hot water is hot, the sauna is hot, and the water bath is cold!"