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Dogo Onsen
 
 
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is a hot spring
Hot spring

A hot spring is a Spring that is produced by the emergence of Geothermal groundwater from the earth's crust . There are hot springs all over the earth, on every continent and even under the oceans and seas....
 in the city of Matsuyama
Matsuyama, Ehime

is the capital Cities of Japan of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dogo Plain. Its name means "pine tree mountain." The city was founded on December 15, 1889....
, Ehime Prefecture
Ehime Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama, Ehime....
 on the island of Shikoku
Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshu and east of Kyushu island. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima ....
, Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
.

History
Dogo Onsen is one of the oldest (arguably the oldest) and best-known onsen
Onsen

An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs....
 hot springs in Japan, with a history stretching back over 3,000 years. The springs are mentioned in the Man'yoshu (written c.






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is a hot spring
Hot spring

A hot spring is a Spring that is produced by the emergence of Geothermal groundwater from the earth's crust . There are hot springs all over the earth, on every continent and even under the oceans and seas....
 in the city of Matsuyama
Matsuyama, Ehime

is the capital Cities of Japan of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dogo Plain. Its name means "pine tree mountain." The city was founded on December 15, 1889....
, Ehime Prefecture
Ehime Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama, Ehime....
 on the island of Shikoku
Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshu and east of Kyushu island. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima ....
, Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
.

History


Dogo Onsen is one of the oldest (arguably the oldest) and best-known onsen
Onsen

An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs....
 hot springs in Japan, with a history stretching back over 3,000 years. The springs are mentioned in the Man'yoshu (written c. 759), and according to legend even Prince Shotoku
Prince Shotoku

, also known as , was a regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan. His existence, however, is disputed....
 (574-622) used to partake of the waters.

Dogo Onsen was also the favorite retreat of writer Natsume Soseki
Natsume Soseki

' was the pen name of ', who is widely considered to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the Meiji Era . He is commonly referred to as Soseki....
 (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
Botchan

Botchan is a novel written by Natsume Soseki in 1906. It is considered to be one of the most popular novels in Japan, read by most Japanese during their childhood....
, the eponymous main character is a frequent visitor to the springs, the only place he likes in the area.

Modern haiku
Haiku

' ', plural haiku, is a form of Japanese poetry, consisting of 17 Mora e , in three metrical phrases of 5, 7 and 5 morae respectively. Haiku typically contain a kigo, or seasonal reference, and a kireji or verbal caesura....
 poet Masaoka Shiki
Masaoka Shiki

was the pen-name of a Japanese author, poet, literary critic, and journalist in Meiji period Japan. His real name was Masaoka Tsunenori , but as a child he was called Tokoronosuke ....
 (1867-1902), a noted critic of Matsuo Basho
Matsuo Basho

was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Basho was recognized for his works in the collaborative Renku form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as a master of brief and clear haiku....
 (1644-1694), was also a resident of Dogo Onsen. His poems are prominently inscribed in many places around town.

Present


The present building of the Dogo Onsen public bath was built in 1894. Built on three levels for maximum capacity, the baths remain extremely popular and are usually crowded at peak times, i.e. around 6 p.m. before dinner.

While Dogo is largely engulfed in the suburban sprawl of modern-day Matsuyama, the area around Dogo retains the feeling of a resort town
Resort town

A resort town, sometimes called a resort destination, is a town or area where tourism or vacationing is a primary component of the local culture and economy....
, with guests from all over the country wandering the streets in yukata
Yukata

is a Japanese summer garment. People wearing yukata are a common sight at fireworks displays, bon-odori festivals, and other summer events. The yukata is a casual form of kimono that is also frequently worn after bathing at Ryokan ....
 robes after their bath. Dogo is easily accessible from central Matsuyama by tram, and has regular bus services to and from both the air and ferry ports.

In popular culture

The main building in the movie Spirited Away
Spirited Away

is a 2001 in film Japanese anime written and directed by famed animator Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film sees a sullen ten-year-old girl in the middle of her family's move to the suburbs wander into a world ruled by gods, witches, and monsters; where humans are changed into animals; and a bathhouse for these creatures....
 was modeled on the present building of the Dogo Onsen public bathhouse. Spirited Away was directed by famed animator Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki

is a prominent filmmaker of many popular animated feature films. He is also the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, an animation studio and production company....
 in 2001 and it was named Best Animated Feature
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature

The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles-based professional organization, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences....
 at the 75th Academy Awards
75th Academy Awards

The 75th Academy Awards honored the 2002 in film, were held on March 23, 2003, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It was produced by Gilbert Cates and hosted by Steve Martin, who also hosted the 73rd Academy Awards....
.

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