Dogo Onsen Main Building

Dōgo Onsen is said to be one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, with a recorded history of around 3,000 years. I visited on a Saturday around 3:00 PM. Maybe because it was an in-between time, it was relatively quiet, but by around 4:30 PM there was a long line. It might be a good idea to check the crowd situation at the entrance when buying your ticket and choose your plan accordingly. Be sure to walk all the way around the main building. Every angle shows a new charm. 🕊 The White Heron Legend of Dōgo Onsen Long ago, a white heron with an injured leg bathed in the waters of Dōgo Onsen every day. Eventually, its wound healed, and the bird flew away healthy. People who saw this believed that the waters had mysterious healing powers, and that’s how Dōgo Onsen became widely known. The water is quite hot, so it’s difficult to stay in for a long time. There is only one bath, so if you’re expecting a large modern spa, you might be disappointed. However, it’s highly recommended for those who want to enjoy the history, architecture, and the overall atmosphere of the town. The parking lot had plenty of space for RVs as well.

This onsen seems to be the one that inspired the onsen in spirited away. It seems like a location with a lot of history, even today it is a very busy onsen with people coming in and out every minute. I did not take a bath here as it seems very crowded, it is a cold day and there are very few session for private baths per day. I probably only can go to the public bath house without reservation. I imagine a hotel bathhouse will be less crowded than the one here and its already paid for. Public bathhouse 700 yen with yukata and towel its 2000 yen. Even with the negatives, it is a very photo worthy place. I took some photo and left. There is a foot bath at the parking lot on top of a hill beside Dogo onsen. You can enjoy a nice view of the onsen from there as well. Giving a 5 based just on experience outside, not sure about the insides. 🤞 Visited on 30 Mar 2025

Great experience at the Dogo Onsen. Even though the space was a bit crowded, it still was a great experience. The changing rooms were clean and well organized, and the bath was beautiful with unique tiles on the wall and a great center fountain where the hot water came out from. Even if you're not interested in entering for an Onsen experience, the building is worth seeing from above.

I arrived at Dōgo Onsen around 7pm and the moment I stepped into the area, I could feel its rich history and charm. The iconic bathhouse was beautifully lit in the evening and creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. While I didn’t get to bathe myself due to the long queue, just being there and soaking in the ambiance was memorable. The architecture, the energy, and the tradition all make Dōgo Onsen a must-visit if you're in Matsuyama.

Beautiful old building. There are 2 type of baths and 3 rest area. Your access depends on the type of tickets you buy. I used the bigger public bath only. The water is good, feels smooth on the skin. The bath room size is not that big though. I went at 7am and there was no crowd. Great to start the day with a hot bath before breakfast. Around the building there is a shopping street. If you go behind the building and cross the road diagonally, there is an uphill route that brings you to a foot bath. From there you can get an aerial view of the building. It's pretty at sunset.

Amazing experience. For both me and my husband who is not at all into hot springs, spa, etc. Everyone is super kind and helpful, customer service is at top level, we got 2nd floor tickets, absolutely worth paying more. The bath was empty most of the time.

Oldest Onsen in Japan. You can get a private changing room with a view in the 3rd floor. Free tea and pastry.

A beautiful building and the people inside are all very nice, they all try very hard to speak English. The baths were just a little underwhelming compared to what we've seen even in our hotel in Kyoto. Don't miss out on the visit of the imperial family bath which is very cool.

The onsen(hot spring) which inspired Hayao Mizayaki's "Sprited Away" definitely brings your hopes waaay up once you see the architecture from outside. Architecture is very mythical if you see the movie. However, experience didn't match with my expectation. We purchase 1500 yen which includes yukata(little drape clothing you can wear to cool off), tea and a cookie. Also an access to tatami floor area where you can chill. They are not equipped with shampoo or soap. You need to purchase them or bring your own. Soap was 50 yen if I remember correctly. I didn't buy shampoo but it's expected to be in that price range. If you don't bring your towel, you can get rental for 220 yen. Bathing area was OK. It's old school. The tub is a bit deep. If you have long torso(like if your height is like 6'4) you can sit and dip. But if you are short like me, you need to sit on the edge and dip waist and below. Then the tatami floor area. Hair dryer is 10 yen per 3min. Make sure to have plenty of change with you, if you have long hair. The tatami floor space is quite narrow and quite frankly it wouldn't be relaxing if it's too crowded. Thankfully there weren't anybody left side of ours, I was able to stretch out my legs 'n all. But if there was someone there, I wouldn't be able to. So, as a conclusion, don't spend 1500 yen like I did. the cheapest plan(approximately 600 yen) does serve your needs and experience. But be prepared if you do.(i.e soap/shampoo/towel/hair dryer 'n such).

~~~The Oldest Onsen in Japan~~~ ~Built in 1894, During The Meiji Period~ It was also noted that this onsen was the inspiration for Miyazaki's animation film, Spirited Away. I was extremely excited to be able to visit, as one of my goals were to visit different onsens in Japan. This pisces very much enjoys hot baths and saunas! Unfortunately, we came during one of the tourist peak seasons, during Spring break. My brother recommended we try another onsen nearby for a better experience. He had been to this one, and stated it was small and crowded. I was so set to going inside anyway, but after reading several reviews on trip advisor, we decided to take my brother's advice. I hope to visit this onsen again during non-peak season in the future. It was worth the trip to at least take pictures and physically see this historic building. We enjoyed the shopping streets (shotengai), for omiyage and some great eats. It's also about a mile away from another historic tenshukaku, Matsuyama Castle.

Ever wonder where Hayao Miyazaki took his inspiration for the Onsen place in Spirited Away? That is Dogo Onsen. When I heard this piece of information, I MUST go and check it out. I love historical places and Onsen and this place is both. Unfortunately, it's one of the main tourist destination in this part of Matsuyama so expect it to be really crowded. The Onsen or bath is small and well normal, nothing really special. We tried to go and relax in the 2nd floor but found it really crowded. Beside all that, it's still a great place to visit though.

There are so many things to do there. Ashiyu(foot bath), onsen(natural hot bath), nomiaruki(waking around with alcohol), tabearuki (walking around with snacks and sweets), checking around historical spots, ... I really enjoyed Dogo local beer. They have 4 or 5 kinds. 1 bottle is more than US$5, Bocchan dang o( 3 sticky rice cake balls with 3 different kinds of sweet bean paste on a skewer), free Ashiyu with some tourists close to Dogo station. Dogo Onsen Honkan is the best part. You can see many historical stuff and experience cultural and traditional Onsen there. Only onsen for about $4 but I recommend about $12 one. It includes Yukata(kimono for summer or sleep), Ryokucha(green tea), Senbei(rice cracker), pass to 2 different Onsens, a rest spot, and a tour of the building. Onsen F1 is bigger and packed but one F2 is smaller and empty.

I have been to a lot of onsen and sento in the past. This place, though missing a lot of bells and whistles of newer onsen, is so neat inside that it's definitely worth visiting. The building itself is a huge, beautiful, Meiji era (I think?) styled old building with a ton of history. You often have to line up and wait to get in, but they told us 45 minutes and it ended up being less than 10. The place is packed with people coming in and out constantly. You pay to go in (but if you're staying in the area, ask at the desk of your hotel, because they may be able to sell you a discount ticket there) and you go inside, lock up your shoes and then go on into the locker room, where you get undressed. The actual dressing and bath rooms are also super old school, and when I went the bath tub was absolutely PACKED with people, the whole outside wall of the bath surrounded with people enjoying the water. When you get out and get dressed again, it's fun to enjoy a cold milk in a glass bottle near the shoes area, or if it's later in the day, you can enjoy a frosty cold beer from the nearby Dogo Brewery right outside the door. Anyway, if you're in the area there are a lot of good baths, and some good open-air baths too, but this place is worth a trip for the historical architecture alone.

Dogo Onsen! This historical hot springs is one of the oldest and largest public bath houses in Japan. Located in Matsuyama on the Island of Shikoku. I was here on March, 2011, just a few weeks after the great Sendai Earthquake. If this building looks familiar, it might be because this was the building that was featured in Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli Film 'Spirited Away' (千と千尋の神隠し). It was really cool to bathe in such a historical place. But practically speaking, it was way too crowded and of course I got into a little bit of trouble because of my tattoos. If you are ever visiting Shikoku, definitely check out this general area!

It is one of #Japan's oldest (dating from 1894) and most famous #hotsprings. Dogo Onsen has been a frequent destination for Japan's most prestigious guests, the #Imperial Family. The interior is beautiful; with a maze of stairways, passages and rooms, all of which bustle with bathers and staff. It is said to have served as inspiration for #Miyazaki's popular animated film "Spirited Away". The negative: very crowded.

Very nice place! I gave four, for the loooong line and the face that I really hate inside baths. Otherwise it's a great experience!

Charming historical Onsen with little frills. Be aware that you will need to bring your own towel, toiletries, shampoo/soap, etc... unless you want to purchase everything or rent. I only had access to the first floor men's side. There were two pools on either side of the changing rooms behind closed doors-- There are no windows, so unless you read Japanese, you're playing a guessing games of "What's Behind Door #1-2-3?". Each pool is basically the same on both sides, except for the center fountain which is carved differently. I scored a free ticket from the hotel directly behind the Dogo Onsen my relative was staying at because they didn't have a public bath at the hotel. I was here in the middle of the day last week, early February and it wasn't crowded at all. This Onsen is great for it's historical value, but don't expect much if you are staying at other hotels which offer their own public baths which may be nicer and more comfortable.