Dogo Onsen Main Building

Highly recommend to visit this historic hot spring remains. Also, the long queue usually happens in the evening so If you would like to have a faster queue I recommend have the hot spring in the morning.

The building, especially from the outside, is incredibly beautiful and detailed, well worth the visit. Inside, it's been reconditioned and depending on the ticket you've bought, you can see the other floors and some of the relaxation areas. The onsen is disappointing as it's very small (enough room for 8-10 people max) and the water seems very mediocre (it smelled like chlorine). The changing room and shower facilities are disproportionately large compared to the small bathing area. While it's nice to see a stone onsen with the old decoration, it did seem out of place compared to the rest of the wooden building

Mixed feelings about this one. The exterior and interior architecture is stunningly beautiful and refined. It's just gorgeous to walk around in. The bathing experience is...meh. The bath itself is beautiful marble, but there's only one single one that can fit 15-20 people. When I went at 8pm it is was fine, but it's not hard to see how during the day you might have to wait in line to get in the bath. I guess they want to retain the traditional aesthetic which probably only had the single hot bath, but come on. The building is only 130 years old, surely it won't ruin anything to have a cold bath, sauna, etc. As it is, the bathing experience itself is more expensive and offers far less options than even a local onsen. Overall I enjoyed my experience because of the beautiful building, but if you come here specifically for bathing you'll be left wanting.

Went in the middle of the day; sprung for the lowest entry fee and rented a towel. It’s very small… I enjoyed it but at one point there were no more space for people to sit in the onsen.

One of the oldest if not the oldest onsen available today. Even the emperor of Japan bathed here before. Note that you need to buy ticket at the entrance and do make sure you have some money on hand as well as they will ask if you need towels, tea, etc agter you got in.

If you want to experience the magic of 'Spirited Away' don't waste your time here. Even though i really enjoyed the atmosphere, 60 minutes is simply not enough to enjoy the whole facility (even if you are buy an expensive plan - you don't get more time), and the staff is incredibly rude, unless you are japanese. I've travelled a lot in japan and it was the first time i've experienced such xenophobia. Dear employees, don't talk shit behind gaijins' backs because some of us can actually understand japanese.

This is a wonderful onsen to visit and experience. The staff were friendly and helpful explaining us the etiquette and showing us the way. The bathes were traditional, clean and soothing. The outside area offered many photo opportunities. Unfortunately the onsen was being renovated when we visited, so not all usually vantage points were available, but it was an amazing place to visit!

Beautiful historic spot with lots of shopping and interesting spots to check out nearby! We didn’t enter the Hot Spring but just looking at the building itself is impressive enough. Definitely need to come back!

Highly recommend to visit this historic hot spring remains. Also, the long queue usually happens in the evening so If you would like to have a faster queue I recommend have the hot spring in the morning.

The building, especially from the outside, is incredibly beautiful and detailed, well worth the visit. Inside, it's been reconditioned and depending on the ticket you've bought, you can see the other floors and some of the relaxation areas. The onsen is disappointing as it's very small (enough room for 8-10 people max) and the water seems very mediocre (it smelled like chlorine). The changing room and shower facilities are disproportionately large compared to the small bathing area. While it's nice to see a stone onsen with the old decoration, it did seem out of place compared to the rest of the wooden building

Mixed feelings about this one. The exterior and interior architecture is stunningly beautiful and refined. It's just gorgeous to walk around in. The bathing experience is...meh. The bath itself is beautiful marble, but there's only one single one that can fit 15-20 people. When I went at 8pm it is was fine, but it's not hard to see how during the day you might have to wait in line to get in the bath. I guess they want to retain the traditional aesthetic which probably only had the single hot bath, but come on. The building is only 130 years old, surely it won't ruin anything to have a cold bath, sauna, etc. As it is, the bathing experience itself is more expensive and offers far less options than even a local onsen. Overall I enjoyed my experience because of the beautiful building, but if you come here specifically for bathing you'll be left wanting.

Went in the middle of the day; sprung for the lowest entry fee and rented a towel. It’s very small… I enjoyed it but at one point there were no more space for people to sit in the onsen.

One of the oldest if not the oldest onsen available today. Even the emperor of Japan bathed here before. Note that you need to buy ticket at the entrance and do make sure you have some money on hand as well as they will ask if you need towels, tea, etc agter you got in.

If you want to experience the magic of 'Spirited Away' don't waste your time here. Even though i really enjoyed the atmosphere, 60 minutes is simply not enough to enjoy the whole facility (even if you are buy an expensive plan - you don't get more time), and the staff is incredibly rude, unless you are japanese. I've travelled a lot in japan and it was the first time i've experienced such xenophobia. Dear employees, don't talk shit behind gaijins' backs because some of us can actually understand japanese.

This is a wonderful onsen to visit and experience. The staff were friendly and helpful explaining us the etiquette and showing us the way. The bathes were traditional, clean and soothing. The outside area offered many photo opportunities. Unfortunately the onsen was being renovated when we visited, so not all usually vantage points were available, but it was an amazing place to visit!

Beautiful historic spot with lots of shopping and interesting spots to check out nearby! We didn’t enter the Hot Spring but just looking at the building itself is impressive enough. Definitely need to come back!

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.