One of the oldest Onsen -hot spring- in Japan: Dogo Onsen (Matsuyama, Ehime)

Dogo Onsen, said to be the oldest hot spring in Japan, can be reached in about two hours from Hiroshima Port by high-speed ship and bus.

If you take a ferry and a bus, it takes about 3 hours and 40 minutes; some of the ferry services are operated by a comfortable ferry called "SEA PASEO".

It carries you to Ehime Prefecture in the Shikoku Region as if you were enjoying the wide Setonaikai (=Seto Inland Sea) National Park from a park on a ship.

There is a space where you can lie down and relax, and also a space where you can enjoy chatting like in a café. (Café is not operated.)

If you have enough time, I would recommend you to take ferry.

SEA PASEO Exterior

SEA PASEO Interior

It is not only being a hot spring with a long history, but also a rare hot spring that is "free-flowing spring" without additional heat or water.

There are many ryokans (Japanese style inns) in the area, but in this section, I will introduce the public hot spring facilities.

• Dogo Onsen Honkan(Main Building)
• Dogo Onsen Annex "Asuka-no-Yu"

Dogo Onsen Honkan (Main Building)

Built in 1894, this three-story wooden building is still in use today along with its restoration.

It has a bathroom called “Yu-Shin-Den” which was built in 1899 only for the imperial family. You can visit inside with a guide. (It is currently closed for its restoration work and will be reopen after 2022.)
Dogo Onsen is that traditional hot spring facility with long history.

 

Dogo Onsen Annex "Asuka-no-Yu"

It opened in December 2017. The facility was built based on the concept of Japan around the 7th century, known as the Asuka period.

Dogo Onsen Annex "Asuka-no-Yu"

The " Yu-shin-den" mentioned earlier, is replicated as a special bathroom in Asuka-no-Yu, and only 8 groups per day can bathe in it.
For those who are embarrassed to be naked, we recommend the "yu-cho", which is a kind of yukata worn for taking a bath. It is said that those who had certain status or higher, including the female emperors, wore this yu-cho during the Asuka period, and it is an option to wear yu-cho only available in this special bathroom. Be sure to check it out.

Also, the ceramic boards surrounding the men's and women's bathrooms display projection mapping every 30 minutes that corresponds to the scenery depicted on the ceramic boards.

At both facilities, you can take a break in the large hall and feel like one of the locals.

Honkan(Main Building)

For further information: https://dogo.jp/en/

In addition, Dogo Onsen became the location of the story " Bocchan" written by the Japanese novelist Souseki Natsume, and there are many items based on this story.
One of the things you should check out is the Bocchan Karakuri -Wind up- Clock. From 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., every hour (sometimes every 30 minutes on weekends), Bocchan and his friends appear from here and there on the clock.
While waiting for the Wind-up Clock to run, or while waiting for the streetcar, you can warm up in the footbath right next to the clock.

 

If you have come all the way to Hiroshima, why don't you take one more step forward and meet another Japan?