Dogo Onsen Honkan (Hot Spring), Ehime

The hot water of “Dogo Onsen Honkan” is the luxury of “100% fresh hot spring water”

“Dogo-onsen Hot Spring” of Matsuyama-shi, Ehime Prefecture, also said to appear in “Nihonshoki” (Chronicles of Japan), also known as Japan’s oldest hot spring. Together with its rich townscapes, as well as new attempts such as the holding of art events, it has become one of the most popular nationwide.
You can reach Dogo Onsen Station in about 12 minutes by tram from the center of Matsuyama city. The first visitor to Dogo Onsen should visit “Dogo Onsen Honkan” for the first time. Walking along the shopping street from the station and approaching the “Dogo Onsen Honkan,” you will see a heavy-looking exterior appearance. This building was designated as a national important cultural asset for the first time as a public bathhouse. It consists of the “Kaminoyu main building” built in 1894, “Yushinden / Tamanoyu building” built in 1899, “entrance building” and “South wing” built after that.
The hot water of “Dogo Onsen Honkan” is the luxury of “100% fresh hot spring water”. Spring quality is an alkaline simple hot spring with a silky feel, but the bathing skin is moist. It is reputed that it is difficult to cool down after bathing.
The most convenient to use is the “Kaminoyu downstairs” plan. Within 1 hour of use, bathing alone is 410 yen for adults. There is no restroom in this plan, and take a bath after taking off your clothes in a dressing room. This is a popular plan for those who want to taste hot water anyway slowly; there seem to be many local people who go every day. Do not forget to bring anything you need, like towels, etc., that are not attached to this plan.
In “Kaminoyu” for men, “West bathroom” and “East bathroom” are connected to a big clothing room, and both can be used freely. Before bathing in a bathtub, wash your body tightly with soap and then take a bath.
Everyone who uses bathing can see anyone, “Botchan’s room” on the third floor. (“Botchan” is a novel by Japanese novelist Natsume Soseki.) It is said that this room was used when Natsume Soseki, who often visited Dogo Onsen, visited with Shiki Masako. Since various materials are displayed and the bust, it is interesting to watch those novels “Botchan” feeling thoughtful.

Charms and Highlights of Dogo Onsen Honkan (Hot Spring)

Symbolic existence of the town

There is a Dogo Onsen (Hot Spring) Honkan (main building) at the Dogo Hot Spring town in Matsuyama-shi, Ehime. It appears in “Botchan,” which is the writing of great writer Soseki Natsume of Meiji Era and suddenly became famous. And it is also called the hot spring of Botchan. It is the historical building as a symbolic existence of the town built in 1894, and it was designated as a national important cultural property in 1994.

The history of 3,000 years

Dogo Onsen is proud of the history of 3,000 years and counted as one of the three great oldest hot springs in Japan compared with Arima Onsen of Hyogo and Shirahama Onsen Wakayama. It also appears in various articles, such as the “Nihon shoki” (the oldest chronicles of Japan) and the “Genji Monogatari” (Tale of Genji), and a lot of legends, that Okuninushi no Mikoto(*) cured the illness of Sukunahikona no Mikoto and Shotoku-Taishi (Prince Shotoku) took a bath here, appropriate for “the Japanese oldest hot spring.”
* Chief god of Izumo from the southern Honshu Island, Japan, and the central character in the important cycle of myths established in that region.

2 stars in the volume for Michelin guide

Dogo Onsen Honkan has a high popularity, particularly in the hot-spring town; it is admired equally with Yudanaka Oyu in a public bathhouse ranking. Moreover, it was selected by 2 stars in the volume for Michelin guide (tourist resort) Japan in March 2009.

Alkaline hot spring

It is said that spring quality affects neuralgia, arthritic pain, cold-sensitive, a chronic digestive organ disease, etc., at an alkaline simple hot spring.

Grand impressive looks

Dogo Onsen Honkan is wooden 3 stories with grand, impressive looks. A decline is not impressive, while thing time will pass in 100 or more. The hot spring loved even by writers and penmen to the local person is worth visiting.

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