Dōgo Onsen Honkan

5-6 Yunomachi, Dōgo Phone: ☎ +81 089-943-8342

About

Dōgo Onsen Honkan (道後温泉本館), 5-6 Yunomachi, Dōgo, ☎ +81 089-943-8342, [23]. Grab your towel and go bathing! Dōgo Onsen is the oldest and most famous onsen in Japan, with a history stretching back over 3,000 years. Quite a few legends surround these waters. One says that the springs of Dōgo were discovered when, during the age of the gods, a heron placed his injured leg into hot water streaming out of a rock and was miraculously healed. Another claims that when an ill god bathed in the hot spring, the god recovered and danced for joy. The heron motif is everywhere inside the building. Tama no ishi or Yudama, the round rock from which the healing waters sprang, is the source of the symbol for Dōgo, though it looks more like a chestnut to some. According to legend, Prince Shotoku (574-622) used to partake of the waters, and in 1899, the annex Yushinden, was built so that the Imperial Family could enjoy Dōgo in privacy. The last time the Emperor visited Dōgo was in the 1970s, but the curious can peek into the rooms (15 minute tour without bathing: ¥250 adults, ¥120 children.) There is also an exhibition room that features artifacts from the various stages of Dōgo's history. There are two types of baths in the honkan for both men and women. (33.852098,132.786427)