Overlooking Tokyo Dome: Feeling the Passage of Time at LaQua

Obituaries and the Changing of Eras

The news reported the passing of Shigeo Nagashima, a national superstar of the Showa era.
As a Giants fan, I only know Nagashima as a manager, but there is no doubt he was a great man known to every Japanese person.
As I heard the news, I felt a sense of sadness at the passage of time, as we transition through the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras.

Right Next to the Sacred Tokyo Dome

With that on my mind, I headed to LaQua, located right next to Korakuen—or rather, Tokyo Dome—the sacred ground of the Yomiuri Giants and Shigeo Nagashima.
I got off at the west exit of Suidobashi Station, crossed the long bridge, passed Tokyo Dome, and arrived at the elevator in front of Spa LaQua.
There are several elevators, but it seems only a limited number stop at the reception floor.

Encountering the High-Temperature Sauna

Once I reached the reception floor and finished checking in, I headed straight to the bath area.
Besides the high-temperature sauna, there are several medium-temperature saunas, but as always, I will only describe the high-temperature one.
For those who don't know why, it's because I love high-temperature saunas.
I wandered around the bath area looking for my favorite high-temperature sauna.
I found the high-temperature sauna right next to where the sauna mats are kept.

A Log Cabin-Style Sauna Room

The interior of the high-temperature sauna is shaped like a log cabin made of logs, and it even has a window like one you'd find in a real log cabin, allowing you to look out into the bath area.
The view seen from the dim lighting looks like a painting framed by the window frame.

A Sight Like a Whirlpool

And the view from the window was...
I saw a "large whirlpool, as if it had suddenly appeared in the middle of the vast ocean."
I could hear the whirlpool making a sound like "slurp, slurp," as if someone were pressing their lips to a bowl of ramen soup and sucking it in.
When I looked closely, the large whirlpool even looked like a narutomaki fish cake in ramen.

The Flow from Mountain to Sea

I sat on the bottom tier and let myself sweat thoroughly.
Then, I headed toward the whirlpool I saw from the window.
I cleansed my body, climbed the stairs of the whirlpool, and then descended them.
I slowly submerged my shoulders to the water's surface and held my breath for a while.

---From a mountain log cabin to a sea-surface whirlpool---

It's an impossible situation, but here, it is reality.
The flow from the mountain to the sea is flawless, with the whirlpool right next to the door of the log cabin.
There is a bench right next to where you cool down in the whirlpool, making the path from the log cabin to the bench ideally perfect.

Sauna Meal: Tom Yum Goong Ramen

After repeating this a few times, I left the bath area, needing to go from the vast ocean to a foreign land to fill my stomach.
"Hmm? Am I in Vietnam?"
I had them swap the pho noodles in the Tom Yum Goong for Chinese noodles and enjoyed the Tom Yum Goong ramen.
The sourness of the soup and the scent of the cilantro were pleasant.

Tokyo Dome Seen from the Relaxation Area

Then, I went to look for a bed in the vast, cafe-like relaxation area.
From the window next to the stylish bookshelf, I could see Tokyo Dome.
Thousands of baseball games have been played at this Tokyo Dome, and so much emotion has been born in this place.
And there, countless stars have thrilled audiences and shone with a brilliance that illuminated the era.

Brilliance That Transcends Eras

---Even as eras change, that brilliance continues to illuminate people's memories---
The brilliance of the stars lives on in the memories of the audience today, and is woven into the new era.
That brilliance becomes courage, nourishment for the heart, and hope.

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