Why does Iekei ramen after a sauna make you feel so high? The ultimate 'totonoi' experience at 'Yamatoya' in Akishima

Hello fellow sauna lovers, nice sauna today! This is Samakko.

Steaming in the sauna, wrapped in a freezing cold bath, and enjoying the outdoor air while feeling a pleasant breeze. Do you remember that intense urge that crosses your mind the moment you exhale deeply and think, 'Ahhh, I'm perfectly totonoi (refreshed)...'?

Yes, it's that 'intense hunger' and 'craving for a punchy, salty flavor'.

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After leaving the sauna, our bodies have lost water, salt, and minerals along with a large amount of sweat. What we crave when our senses are sharpened and our stomachs are empty is not delicate Japanese cuisine or a light snack.

It's a rich tonkotsu soy sauce soup that shakes your brain, and piping hot white rice wrapped in nori soaked in that soup... yes, it's 'Iekei ramen'.

This time, I will share the charm of the devilish 'sauna meal' route I experienced in the Akishima area: 'Yokohama Iekei Ramen Yamatoya Akishima Branch'.

Creating the ultimate condition at an Akishima sauna

First, I headed to a sauna in the Akishima area. Speaking of Akishima, it is a city with some of the best sauna spots in the Tama area.

There's 'Akishima Onsen Yuranosato,' where you can take deep breaths in the spacious open-air bath and well-equipped outdoor bathing area, and the piping hot 'Fujimiyu,' which welcomes sauna lovers until late at night. When you tighten your body in a cold bath nurtured by Akishima's groundwater and sit on a bench with your eyes closed, the daily stress and fatigue from desk work melt away all at once.

After completing 3 sets and being fully refreshed in both mind and body, I head to the ramen shop that is the star of this story.

Storming into Yokohama Iekei Ramen 'Yamatoya Akishima Branch'

After leaving the sauna facility, I head to 'Yokohama Iekei Ramen Yamatoya Akishima Branch' while bathing in the night air. It is located near the south exit of JR Akishima Station and is a reliable ally for sauna lovers, staying open until late at night.

I bought 'Ramen' and 'Rice' at the ticket machine. For my sauna meal preference, I ordered 'firm noodles, strong flavor, and extra oil'.

The bowl that was brought to me emitted a rich tonkotsu soy sauce aroma that whetted my appetite. First, a sip of the soup.

'...Wow, it soaks right in...!!!'

The deep richness of the pork bone and the sharpness of the soy sauce base hit every cell in my body that was parched from the sauna. The custom-made medium-thick straight noodles were chewy and held the soup well, and the flavor of the wheat spread with every bite.

And this is where the true essence of an Iekei sauna meal begins. I put a small amount of grated garlic and doubanjiang from the table onto the rice, wrap the rice with a large sheet of nori soaked in the soup, and bring it to my mouth—.

A violence of flavor spreads throughout my mouth. I can feel the dopamine overflowing. It is the moment I truly realize, 'This is what I came to the sauna for'.

How can you enjoy the pleasure of 'sauna x Iekei' at home?

A freshly made bowl at Yamato-ya in Akishima is exceptional, but there are days when you might think, 'I can't go out of my way on my way home from a weekday sauna,' or 'After enjoying a sauna-like feeling in my home bath, I want to eat Iekei without stepping a foot outside my room.'

For times like those, ramen mail-order services that allow you to keep the soup from famous shops frozen in stock are very handy.

Also, for those who want to further enhance the quality of their sauna experience, I recommend an 'Imabari towel sauna hat,' which protects your scalp and hair from the heat and allows you to enjoy a deeper sense of immersion.

The full story of Akishima Sauna x Yamato-ya is now available on my blog!

I have provided a complete explanation with photos on my main blog regarding the detailed features of each sauna facility in the Akishima area (Yuraku no Sato, Fujimi-yu), detailed access to Yamato-ya, and recommended topping customizations.

If you are looking for a sauna activity plan for this weekend, please be sure to check out this article as well!

👉 Click here for the main blog post

If you thought this article looked delicious or it made you want to go to a sauna, please give it a like (heart mark) and follow me! See you next time for another report on the best sauna meals!