# #79 断食合宿に行ってみた - Show: ぽこピーのゆめうつつ - Published: 2026-10-05 - Canonical: https://podc.club/en/episode/1818355288_855c43d96539.html - Audio: https://anchor.fm/s/1035e1308/podcast/play/126802746/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-9-4%2F433339825-44100-2-e6a54bfc33e2b.m4a - Source: Edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. Not an official summary. In this catch-up talk episode of Poko Pī no Yumeutsutsu (ぽこピーのゆめうつつ), Ponpoko and Peanuts finally air stories they have kept off-camera — a Turkish hammam visited on a Finland stopover, a fasting retreat they fled on day one with suitcases in tow, and an overseas hospital visit that ended with two injections in an unexpected place. Every story comes with laughs, genuine pain, and plenty of surprise. ## What this episode answers ### What did Ponpoko and Peanuts each experience at the Turkish hammam? Ponpoko was laid on a marble platform and washed head to toe by three Venus-like female attendants using mountains of foam on what she called the softest cloth she had ever touched; Peanuts was scrubbed hard by a Zeus-built male attendant who then smacked him on the bottom, the crack echoing through the marble hall, before cheerfully delivering a second smack. ### Why did the fasting retreat end on the very first day? After a two-hour orientation, participants were struck on the back one by one in a physical activation ritual; Peanuts, first in line and given no warning, was hit so hard he mentally checked out on the spot and declared 'I'm leaving' during the break, Ponpoko joined rather than face the retreat alone, and the two slipped away during a power outage, rolling their suitcases down the mountain. ### What treatment did Peanuts receive at the overseas hospital? Peanuts was taken to a special treatment room, given a blood draw, and told he would receive injections in the buttocks; the nurse pre-patted the area repeatedly so he never felt the moment of injection, only learning it was over when she said 'All done,' and by the next morning his fever had broken. ### What does Peanuts still hold a grudge about regarding the vending machine roulette? Peanuts still holds a grudge over the moment he said 'so close!' after drawing 0001 on the vending machine roulette and Ponpoko replied 'Isn't that kind of rare?'—his argument being that since you are not playing until you win, it is obviously a near miss. ### How did the corn tea made by Hikakin's older brother taste? Both were surprised, describing it as tasting 'more like corn potage than expected' with 'a pretty rich flavor,' and they noted it is already a convenience-store staple in Hokkaido, agreeing they would want to try it on a future visit there. ## Article ## The "So Close" Vending Machine Debate Peanuts pulled 0001 on the vending machine roulette again today, and the moment he said "so close," a specific memory came flooding back. On a previous occasion in the same situation, Ponpoko had shot back with "Isn't that kind of rare?" Peanuts' position is firm: since you are not playing until you hit the jackpot, "so close" is obviously the right call. Ponpoko refused to budge, insisting it was a near miss either way. Peanuts admits to still holding a low-key grudge over this small but vivid exchange. ## The Turkish Hammam (A Stopover on the Way to Finland) About two years ago, on a trip to Finland to experience its famous saunas, the two stopped over in Turkey for one night to keep transit costs down. A local staff member recommended what they called a "world-class bath" — a hammam, a traditional Turkish bathhouse. The price came to roughly ¥20,000–30,000, and the two bathed in separate men's and women's sections. **Ponpoko (women's bath):** Inside a marble-domed room, she lay on a central stone platform. Three attendants dressed like Venus entered, poured cold water from a bucket over her body, then used what Ponpoko describes as "the softest cloth I have ever touched" to build up mountains of foam and wash her from head to toe. Afterward she was wrapped in a bathrobe and served dried fruit. **Peanuts (men's bath):** His attendant had the build of Zeus. After a vigorous, scrubbing-style full-body wash, Peanuts was suddenly smacked on the bottom — the crack rang out across the wide marble hall. When he reacted in shock, the attendant grinned and called out "Come from Japan!" before delivering a second smack. The whole session was calibrated for large foreign men, so the intensity was genuinely painful throughout, but Peanuts laughed it off and mused that ancient kings must have been bathed exactly like this. ## The Fasting Retreat: Down the Mountain on Day One Some time back, after failing to see the northern lights in Finland, the two made a pact: if they could not sleep, they would do a fasting retreat. They followed through late last year, checking into a retreat facility together (location and duration undisclosed). Things turned serious from the moment they arrived. First came a two-hour orientation session. Then, one by one, each participant received an "activation" — a firm strike on the back. Peanuts was first in line and had been told nothing about what was coming. The moment he was struck, his face went completely blank — like the "Universe Cat" meme, Ponpoko recalls. During the break, Peanuts appeared in Ponpoko's room with a single word: "I'm leaving." They told the staff they had urgent business and tried to arrange their exit. Before anything was finalized, a power outage hit the facility and the staff rushed to deal with it. Seizing the opening, the two grabbed their suitcases and rolled them down the mountain. Peanuts descended in the golden evening light with a huge grin on his face. "That feeling of freedom," says Ponpoko, "is something I will never forget." They rounded off the day with a hearty local meal at the bottom. ## Overseas Hospital Visit: Injections in an Unexpected Place While abroad, Peanuts came down with a fever the night before a flight. A quick ChatGPT search confirmed that his passport was enough to get him seen at a local hospital, so he went in and explained his situation in English. He told the staff he had a flight the next day and needed fever-reducing medication. He was led to a special treatment room. The doctor ordered a blood draw and then announced he would be receiving injections — in the buttocks. The nurse repeatedly patted the area beforehand, and Peanuts never felt the moment of injection; the nurse simply said "All done" and he realized it was over. Two injections, both completely undetected. He rested at the hotel and woke up fever-free the next morning, catching his flight without any trouble. ## Recent News: Corn Tea, Fortune Slips, and a 3D Printer The episode was recorded over cups of corn tea by Hikakin's older brother, sold under the name Onii-cha (お兄茶). Both Ponpoko and Peanuts were genuinely surprised — "It tastes more like corn potage than I expected" and "the flavor is really rich" were their verdicts. They noted that it is already a convenience-store staple in Hokkaido and agreed they would want to try it when they visit. On another note, Peanuts drew daikichi (大吉, the best possible fortune) at a shrine again. He has also been using a 3D printer to make a wine-glass-shaped lamp, with photos to be posted on social media soon. ## Takeaways - The Turkish hammam was a surreal marble-hall experience: goddess-like attendants in the women's bath, a Zeus-built one in the men's — calibrated to foreign-visitor intensity and complete with an unannounced smack on the bottom. - The fasting retreat lasted less than one day: a surprise physical activation broke Peanuts' spirit on arrival, and the two escaped down the mountain under cover of a convenient power outage. - A pre-flight fever abroad sent Peanuts to a local hospital where two buttocks injections — administered so skillfully he never felt them — cleared his fever overnight and got him on his flight the next morning.