is a

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by c ...

in the city of Matsuyama,

Ehime Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,342,011 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...

on the island of

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), ...

, Japan.

History

Dōgo Onsen is one of the oldest

hot springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by c ...

in Japan, with a history stretching back over 1000 years. The springs are mentioned in the

Man'yōshū The is the oldest extant collection of Japanese (poetry in Classical Japanese), compiled sometime after AD 759 during the Nara period. The anthology is one of the most revered of Japan's poetic compilations. The compiler, or the last in ...

(written c. 759) and, according to legend,

Prince Shōtoku , also known as or , was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was the son of Emperor Yōmei and his consort, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito, who was also Yōmei's younger hal ...

(574–622) used to partake of the waters. Dōgo Onsen was the favorite retreat of writer

Natsume Sōseki , born , was a Japanese novelist. He is best known around the world for his novels '' Kokoro'', ''Botchan'', '' I Am a Cat'', '' Kusamakura'' and his unfinished work ''Light and Darkness''. He was also a scholar of British literature and write ...

(1867–1916) when he was working near Matsuyama as a teacher in what was at the time rural Shikoku. In Soseki's loosely autobiographical novel ''

Botchan is a novel written by Japanese author Natsume Sōseki in 1906. It is one of the most popular Japanese novels, read by many during their school years. The central theme of the story is morality, but the narrator serves up this theme with gener ...

'', the eponymous main character is a frequent visitor to the springs, the only place he likes in the area.

Description

Dōgo Onsen is famous for the Dōgo Onsen public bathhouse, which was organized by Dōgo Yunomachi mayor Isaniwa Yukiya and built in 1894. Built on three levels for maximum capacity, the baths remain popular and are usually crowded at peak times, such as in the early evening before dinner. While Dōgo is largely engulfed in the suburban sprawl of modern-day Matsuyama, the area around Dōgo retains the feeling of a

resort town A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...

, with guests from all over the country wandering the streets in ''

yukata A is an unlined cotton summer kimono, worn in casual settings such as summer festivals and to nearby bathhouses. Originally worn as bathrobes, their modern use is much broader, and are a common sight in Japan during summer. Though are traditio ...

'' robes after their bath. Dōgo is easily accessible from central Matsuyama by tram and has regular bus services to and from the air and ferry ports.

Yushinden

Yushinden is a bath room specially reserved for the Imperial Family. Yushinden is on the east side of the main building. The name is taken from a Chinese classic. Yushinden was built in 1899 in the traditional architecture of

Momoyama period Momoyama may refer to: History *Azuchi–Momoyama period, the final phase of the Sengoku period in Japanese history 1568–1600 People *Ion Momoyama, Japanese singer and voice actor *Momoyama Kenichi (1909–1991), Korean prince and cavalry office ...

. The Gyokuza no Ma is a bath room for the exclusive use of the Emperor.Akimasa Watanabe ''Matsuyamajo to Dogo Onsen'' atsuyama Castle and Dogo Onsen(Matsuyama: Ehimebunkasousho, 1983) page 200-201

Legends

In Dōgo, two legends were handed down.

Legend of the egret

Long ago, many egrets (herons) lived in Dōgo. One day, an egret who injured his shin found a hot spring there. He soaked his shin every day in the hot water. Eventually the

egret Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same buil ...

became well and flew away. People who watched this situation soaked in the hot spring and their health improved. The news spread that the hot spring was beneficial for one's health, and the spring became popular.

Legend of Tama no ishi

A long time ago, there were two small gods, Ōkuninushi no Mikoto and Sukunabikona no Mikoto. They came from Izumo to Dōgo. Sukunabikona no Mikoto contracted a bad illness and his days were numbered. Okuninushi no Mikoto made Sukunahikona no Mikoto soak in the hot spring. Sukunahikona no Mikoto regained his health and danced on a stone in the hot spring as proof of his vigor. At that time, his footprint was left, and there is now a stone called Tama no ishi that is exhibited at Dōgo Onsen.

In popular culture

The present building of the Dōgo Onsen public bathhouse partially inspired the design of Yubaba's bathhouse in ''

Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and dist ...

''.

Features

The first floor (Kami-no-Yu) is separated into two baths for men and one for women. The second floor (Tama-no-Yu) consists of two baths: one for men and one for women. There are four bathing plans with different rates.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dogo Onsen Landforms of Ehime Prefecture Hot springs of Ehime Prefecture Tourist attractions in Ehime Prefecture Public baths in Japan Matsuyama, Ehime