本日は住宅探訪については閑話休題。
現代生活では日帰り温泉というのは生活の句読点として定着している。日本人はお風呂好き民族ですが、それも公衆浴場文化というのが最大の特徴でしょう。広い浴槽、開放的な環境というのが風呂好きには堪えられない。
そんなことから大都市圏ではあの手この手、さまざまな温浴施設が休日の利用客を狙って趣向を凝らした温浴環境を提供している。建築設備のメーカーでも、戸建て住宅の高コスト化の波の中で、高価格にならざるを得ないユニットバスが今後、どのようなマーケット推移を見せるか、注意してきている。単純にコスパを考えれば、週末２日間を「外風呂」で済ませることになると、５日間の就業時間の「身支度」用だけということになるけれど、であれば、欧米並みにシャワーブースで十分ではないか、どうせ週末は温浴施設利用で家風呂にはない開放感を楽しめるのであれば、というムードとのにらみ合い。
思い切って家風呂をキャンセルしてシャワーブースだけの設備にしてしまえば、コストダウンの余地が生まれてくる。今後のマーケット動向として興味深い。
おっと、本題からズレている（笑）。
ご多分に漏れずわたしも週末には温浴施設に通ってきている。で、こういう楽しみをより高めてくれるのが、ときどきの「環境変換」。普段とは違う温浴施設にドライブする楽しみ。わたしのような年代はクルマ社会の第１次世代。人類進化の結果としての「移動の自由」の最大化を実現させてくれたクルマとともに生きてきた。そろそろ免許更新時の教習では「高齢者」へキビしい対応をされてきていますが、従順にしていてできるかぎり移動の自由は確保していたい。
きのうはカミさんが超忙しということで、ふらっと単独ドライブ。数年ぶりくらいの石狩市浜益の日帰り温容施設まで往復。行き帰りとも大好きな北海道らしい風景が和ませてくれた。
上の写真は札幌から国道231号線、日本海オロロンラインの開始点とも思える石狩市望来（もうらい）の遠望。ひさしぶりの景色との出会いに一瞬でカムバック感が襲ってくる（笑）。


きのうのような雲行きの初冬の日というのも、なかなかに奥行きが深い。スピルバーグ監督の「未知との遭遇」でも同じような姿の山が、宇宙人とのインスピレーション型コミュニケーションで地球人に「目印」場所として指定されていたけれど、まるでそっくりな浜益の「黄金山」。
帰りは石狩湾に面した厚田から遠くに積丹半島側を遠望する景観。

なんですが、温泉施設の方に聞いたら、ことしはヒグマ情報が超頻発しているとの情報。さらにエゾシカの群による突然の襲来など相次いでいるとのこと。自然は生々流転、いろいろに様相を変えてきている。つねに最適な距離感を心がけて行かねばなりませんね。

English version⬇

Ishikari Hamamasu round trip
A relaxing weekend at a one-day hot spring spa. The natural scenery healed me after a long absence, and my mood was liberated. However, brown bears have also expanded their range of activity. I reconfirm my sense of distance from the natural world. The day trip

Today, I’d like to take a quiet moment to talk about house-hunting.
In modern life, a day spa is an established punctuation mark of life. The Japanese are bath-loving people, and perhaps the most significant feature of this is their public bathhouse culture. The large bathtubs and open environment are unbearable for bath lovers.
For this reason, various bathing facilities in metropolitan areas are providing elaborate bathing environments for holiday visitors. Building equipment manufacturers are also paying attention to how the market for unit baths will evolve in the future, given the trend toward higher costs for detached houses, which will inevitably lead to higher prices. If we simply consider the cost performance, if we have to take a “bath outside” for two days on weekends, we will only be using it for “getting ready” during our five-day working hours. The mood of the room was a standoff with “Why not use a hot-spring bath on weekends?
If the house baths are cancelled and only shower booths are used, there will be room for cost reductions. This is an interesting future market trend.
Oops, I’m getting off topic (laugh).
As you may have guessed, I too have been going to hot bath facilities on weekends. What makes my enjoyment even greater is the occasional “environmental change. Driving to a different bathing facility than usual is a pleasure. People my age are the first generation of the car society. We have lived with the car, which has maximized “freedom of movement” as a result of human evolution. Although the “elderly” are now being harshly treated in the lessons for license renewal, I would like to remain obedient and maintain my freedom of movement as much as possible.
Yesterday, my wife was extremely busy, so I took a drive alone. It had been several years since I had been to a day spa in Hamamasu, Ishikari City, and back. On the way there and back, I was comforted by the scenery typical of Hokkaido, which I love.
The photo above is a distant view of Mourai in Ishikari City, which is the starting point of the Sea of Japan Oloron Line on Route 231 from Sapporo. The encounter with the scenery for the first time in a long time instantly brought back a sense of comeback (laugh).

An early winter day with clouds like yesterday’s is also quite profound. In Spielberg’s “Encounter with the Unknown,” a mountain with a similar shape was designated as a “landmark” for the earthlings in their inspirational communication with the aliens.
On the way back, the view from Atsuta facing Ishikari Bay with the Shakotan Peninsula side in the distance.

However, when I asked the staff at the warming facility, they informed me that brown bears have been reported very frequently this year. In addition, there has been a series of sudden attacks by groups of Ezo sika deer. Nature is a dynamic and ever-changing place, and its aspects are changing in various ways. We must always keep in mind the optimum distance from nature.

Posted on 12月 4th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究