[Ehime ]Spots near Dogo Onsen, Ehime, recommended for travel with elderly people.

Dogo Onsen Honkan, located about 30 minutes by cab from Matsuyama Airport, is one of the three oldest hot springs in Japan, gushing out in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. "It is also the famous hot spring that was the model for Spirited Away ".

This historic hot spring is designated as an important cultural property, but is currently undergoing conservation and repair work and is only partially open for business.

The hot water at Dogo Onsen Honkan is neither heated nor watered, which is rare in Japan. "The hot water is free-flowing from the source "and is a beauty's hot-spring water.

The water in Dogo Onsen Honkan is adjusted to 42-43°C, but it is quite hot.
When entering with the elderly, be careful not to take long baths.

The benefits of the hot water that are of interest include neuralgia, frozen shoulders, muscular pain, bruises, rheumatism, gastrointestinal disorders, gout, skin diseases, and anemia.

Although the Dogo Onsen Honkan is not large, it is filled with the charm of a hot spring with a long history, including the bath in which the emperor bathed and the room in which Soseki Natsume actually stayed.

Even if you do not take a hot spring bath, there are many inns near the Dogo Onsen Honkan that have the source of Dogo Onsen flowing through them, and the atmosphere of the town with its history is fantastic.

"Facility Information "
Facility name: Dogo Onsen Honkan
Address: 〒790-0842 5-6, Yu-no-machi, Dogo, Matsuyama-shi, Ehime
Access: 30 minutes by cab from Matsuyama Airport or 5 minutes on foot from Dogo Onsen Station by streetcar
Phone number: 089-921-5141
Business hours: 6:00-23:00

Dogo Onsen Annex Asukanoyusen, located about a 2-minute walk from Dogo Onsen Honkan, is an Asuka-era architectural style hot spring.

Since the bathhouse was completed in 2017, the building is relatively new and clean, and there is a family bath in the building, so it is recommended for those who want to take a relaxing hot spring bath with their elderly guests.

You can enjoy the hot water of both the large bath and the open-air bath.

Ehime hinoki (Japanese cypress) from Ehime Prefecture is used for the walls of the open-air bath, and an andon (Japanese lantern) made of Kikuma tiles from Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, expresses the world of the Manyoshu anthology.

There is also a private rest area staged with traditional Ehime crafts, where visitors can enjoy Ehime's famous sweets and tea.

After leaving the hot spring, it is recommended to spend some time in the private rest area.

For a limited time only, Asukanoyusen is holding an exhibition of artwork by photographer and film director Mika Ninagawa until the end of February 2024.
About 230 photographs of beautiful flowers are laid out in the courtyard, like a flower garden, creating a fantastic world.

"Facility Information "
Name: Dogo Onsen Annex Asuka-no-Yusen

Address: 19-22 Dogoyunomachi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-0842
Access: 30 minutes by cab from Matsuyama Airport, 5 minutes walk from Dogo Onsen Station
Phone number: 089-932-1126
Business hours: 6:00-23:00

Built in 1953, Tsubaki no Yu is a bathhouse that has been loved by locals for many years after being reconstructed and reopened.

Located in the center of the Dogo shopping district, next to Asukanoyusen, a 2-minute walk from Dogo Onsen Honkan.
Like Dogo Onsen, the hot spring water is unheated and unpasteurized, and the fee is 400 yen for adults, the lowest among those introduced, which is one of the reasons why locals love this hot spring.

"Tsubaki no Yu "has fewer tourists and the water is warmer than the Dogo Onsen Honkan, so you can take your time getting in.

"Facility Information "
Facility name: Camellia no Yu
Address: 19-22 Dogoyunomachi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-0842
Access: 30 minutes by cab from Matsuyama Airport, 5 minutes walk from Dogo Onsen Station
Phone number: 089-935-6586
Business hours: 6:30-23:00

If you find it difficult to move around and take a large or open-air bath with the elderly, we recommend a nearby inn where you can enjoy the source of Dogo Onsen.

There are many inns near the Dogo Onsen Honkan, and among them, we would like to recommend some that can be enjoyed by both the elderly and children.

I would like to introduce "Dogo Prince Hotel ".

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"Dogo Prince Hotel "has a lot of room types anyway.

Japanese and Western-style rooms are combined together, and some rooms are available with either beds or futons, so you can sleep on the bedding of your choice.

Some rooms are Japanese-style rooms with two adjoining rooms, so even if there are many people, everyone can stay in one room.

In addition to the hot spring baths, the hotel also has a lounge, a free drink corner, a nighttime snack bar, a face bath bar, and a footbath, allowing people of all ages to enjoy themselves inside the hotel without having to leave the hotel.

The center also holds regular events, such as rice cake pounding and udon noodle making, which can be enjoyed by the whole family.

The "Starry Sky Lounge" is only available to a select few who stay in certain rooms, but it offers a beautiful view and free drinks.

[Night view of Matsuyama City seen from the Starry Sky Lounge ]

In Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, city ordinances prohibit the construction of buildings taller than Matsuyama Castle.
Therefore, the beautifully illuminated Matsuyama Castle and the night view of Matsuyama can be overlooked because there are no tall buildings.

The image is "Tangerine Ball hot water "
There is no actual hot water, but a ball pool for children to enjoy.

In addition, the hot spring baths were separated into a large bath and an outdoor bath, and the large bath with few steps was equipped with handrails and made elderly-friendly.

There are two open-air baths: "the left one "and "the right one "with different inside construction.
The men's and women's baths are switched in the morning and at night, so you can enjoy either open-air bath during your stay.

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Also "Dogo Prince Hotel "is up to the 12th floor, but there is an elevator near the rooms, so it is not difficult for the elderly to get around.

Also, depending on the plan, you can enjoy meals such as the famous tai-meshi (sea bream rice) using sea bream from Ehime Prefecture or kaiseki dishes using ingredients from within the prefecture, and children's lunches are available for children, so the whole family can enjoy the meal together.

There are a variety of hotels near the Dogo Onsen Honkan, but only "Dogo Prince Hotel "has the charm that can be enjoyed by so many people of all ages.

"Facility Information "
Facility Name: Dogo Prince Hotel
Address: 100 Dogo Himezuka, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-0858
Access: 30 minutes by cab or 25 minutes by tram from Matsuyama Airport to Dogo Onsen Station.
*Free shuttle service is available from Dogo Onsen Station.
Phone number: 089-947-5111
Hours: Open 24 hours Check-in 15:00-24:00 Check-out 10:00

We have compiled a list of spots near the Dogo Onsen Honkan that can be visited slowly by elderly people who are worried about their legs and back while pushing a wheelchair or wheelbarrow.

All are within walking distance of each other and within a short distance of each other.

The "Bo-chan Karakuri Clock "in front of Dogo Onsen Station was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the construction of Dogo Onsen Honkan.
"The Bo-chan Karakuri Clock "is a plaza, and directly next to it is a footbath using the source of Dogo Onsen, making it a resting spot where you can sit and rest.

Also, every hour from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., characters from the novel "Bo-chan "will appear to music.

The large area allows wheelbarrows and wheelchairs to go there safely, and visitors can spend a relaxing moment while soaking in the footbath.

"Facility Information "
Facility name: Bo-chan Karakuri Clock
Address: 6-7 Dogoyunomachi, Dogoyunomachi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-0842
Access: 1 minute walk from Dogo Onsen Station
Telephone number: None
Hours of operation: 8:00-22:00 (hourly)

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"About 70 meters (1 minute walk) from YUKEMURI CAFE "is "Dogo Onsen Station "is an Iyo Railway city train (streetcar) station and the nearest station from Dogo Onsen.

It is the terminus of the "Bo-chan Train ", modeled after a steam locomotive that ran when the Iyo Railway first opened (1888).
If your timing is good, you can see the Bo-chan Train and take a commemorative photo.

If you know the old steam locomotives, this is a place where you can feel nostalgic.

"Facility Information "
Facility name: Dogo Onsen Station
Address: 1-10-12 Dogo-machi, Dogo-machi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-0843
Access: 30 minutes by cab from Matsuyama Airport
Phone number: 0899483323
Business hours: 8:30-19:00

Ehime's famous food is "tai meshi" (sea bream rice).

The contents of "Tai-meshi "change depending on the region, but at "Kadoya "you can eat Tai-meshi from the Nanyo region, which is in the south of Ehime Prefecture.

Tai-meshi from the Nanyo region is a local dish of Ehime Prefecture, consisting of sea bream sashimi served over warm rice and topped with a special sauce.

"Kadoya "has a long history, having opened in 1955 in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, and has a store in the Dogo shopping district, so it is within walking distance from "Dogo Onsen Honkan "neighborhood.

In addition to tai-meshi made with sea bream from Ehime Prefecture, you can also enjoy Uwajima's specialty jakoten (fish cake), fried Matsuyama chicken, and locally brewed sake.

"Facility Information "
Name: Kadoya Dogo Ekimae Store
Address: 6-12 Dogoyuno-cho, Dogo, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-0842
Access: 2 min. walk from Dogo Onsen Station
Phone number: 0899335588
Business hours: 11:00-14:30 17:00-21:00 (closed on Mondays)

For the elderly, it is physically and mentally demanding to travel to a strange place.
Therefore, I think it is a good plan to spend some time at the hotel and go out for a short trip nearby if you can afford it....

The best thing is to enjoy the trip together as a family without overdoing it, and to return home safely, laughing and reminiscing.

We hope you enjoy your trip with the elderly.