EhimeTravel

Symbol of the Hot Spring Town with the Shinshario Tower—Awe-Inspiring Wooden Architecture

About this spot

A symbol of Dogo Onsen and the first public bathhouse in Japan to be designated a National Important Cultural Property, this imposing three-story wooden structure stands majestically. Atop the roof sits the Shinshario tower, crowned with a white egret statue, whose bell strikes mark time for the hot spring town. Born from repeated expansions and modifications, the complex layering of roofs shifts in character with every viewing angle, making a circuit around it—front, side, and back—a rewarding architectural experience. The building is known as the setting for Natsume Soseki's novel "Botchan" and retains the Mashin-den, a bathhouse originally built as the exclusive imperial bathing chamber. As dusk falls, lights illuminate the exterior walls, and with hot spring steam rising around it, the building becomes the very embodiment of retro hot spring town charm.

Tips

If bathing, late afternoon can be crowded; check the ticket window queue conditions beforehand. For building appreciation alone, walking all the way around is recommended, and the view from the rear is equally charming. The area is bustling with rickshaws and tourists, so photograph from a slightly greater distance. The angle from the nearby Air-no-Sanpo footbath is also popular.