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Dogo Onsen (道後温泉, Dōgo Onsen) is one of Japan's oldest and most famous hot springs. It is located to the east of central Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture. The area is popular with tourists for its beautiful bath house and many ryokan,Japanese- style hotel. Dogo Onsen has also been a frequent destination for Japan's most prestigious guests, the Imperial Family. 
The main attraction in Dogo Onsen is the Dogo Onsen Honkan, a Meiji Period wooden public bathhouse, dating from 1894. The interior of the Honkan is a maze of stairways, passages and rooms, all of which bustle with bathers and staff. It is said to have served as inspiration for a popular animated film "Spirited Away"produced by Hayao Miyazaki. 
The Dogo Onsen area also features many other attractions such as a shopping arcade, the secondary bath house Tsubaki no Yu, interesting shrines and temples, Dogo Park and a museum about Masaoka Shiki, one of Matsuyama's most celebrated figures. Ryokan guests often walk around the streets in their yukata, giving the onsen town a very pleasant atmosphere.

Dogo Onsen Honkan
Hours: 6:00 to 23:00 (Last entry 22:30) 
Admission: 410 to 1550 yen
The Honkan has two indoor baths: Kami no Yu is the larger public bath and Tama no Yu is the smaller, more grand and less crowded bath. Four different options provide visitors with varying levels of access to the Honkan's facilities, with some price plans including a snack and some green tea. Visitors on the highest price level can view the exclusive bathing facility reserved for visiting emperors.

Tsubaki no Yu
Hours: 6:30 to 23:00 (Last entry 22:30) 
Admission: 360 yen
Located less than 100 meters away from the Honkan is Dogo Onsen's secondary bath house, Tsubaki no Yu. It offers gender separated indoor baths using the same hot spring water that the Honkan does.

The Kamihaga Residence (上芳我家, Kagihagatei) is the former home and workshop of the Kamihaga family, a branch family of Uchiko's most influential family, the Honhaga. Located in the Yokaichi Old Town, the large building complex consists of a spacious Meiji Period residence and a museum about Uchiko's wax industry. Besides the Wax Museum, the family residence itself is a beautifully maintained example of a prosperous family's living quarters during the early 1900s.  

There is an impressive garden and Elegant tatami rooms with painted screens and decorative pottery are combined with Western elements that became more popular as the 20th century progressed.  The Kamihaga Residence includes a well documented and informative wax museum with displays in both English and Japanese. 

About Uchiko Wax and Haga family
Uchiko wax was well regarded in Japan at the beginning of the Meiji Period, bringing modest prosperity to the town. This was particularly true of the Honhaga household, Uchiko's main wax producers. The Honhaga and Kamihaga produced the distinctive "Crane in the Sunrise" label, for which Uchiko became internationally known.
In 1900, when the Honhaga family visited the Paris World Expo to showcase their goods, Uchiko's reputation for high quality wax spread to Europe and America. A new level of success was achieved with average yearly profits totaling over one billion yen in today's currency.

Hours: 9:00 to 16:30 
Admission: 500 yen

The Kamihaga Residence is located in the Yokaichi Old Town, about a 20-30 minute walk from JR Uchiko Station. It can also be reached in a short ride on the Chagamaru Retro Bus.

Located 200 meters east of Dogo Onsen Station, in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, is Isaniwa Shrine.  This Shinto Shrine is dedicated to the god Hachiman, patron to the warriors.  Visitors will see artwork displaying warriors and wars here.

The architecture of this shrine is traditional Hachiman architectural style with a tall flight of stairs leading up to the shrine.  The shrine consists of two halls which are connected by their roofs, making the two halls into one building.  This is typical of the Hachiman style.  The vermillion pillars and walls are yet another distinct characteristics of this style.

Hours: 5:00 to 19:00 (6:00 to 18:00 during winter)
Admission: Free of Charge

The Shiki Memorial Museum displays information on one of Matsuyama's most well-known sons, Masaoka Shiki, who introduced modern haiku poetry. This museum is located near Dogo Onsen area (see below). Shiki's works of poems and paintings, as well as materials documenting his life are presented.
There are valuable materials for the study of modern Japanese literature. Moreover the museum holds works related to Natsume Soseki, who was best friend of Shiki.

Shiki Memorial Museum
Hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (until 17:00 from November to April)
Admission ends 30 minutes before closing
Admission: 400 yen
Closed: Mondays (or following day if Monday is a national holiday), Dec 29 to 31

Access info
It takes 4minutes walk from Dogo Onsen station.
Dogo Onsen (道後温泉, Dōgo Onsen) is one of Japan's oldest and most famous hot springs, located to the east of central Matsuyama. The area is popular with tourists for its beautiful bath house and many ryokan. Dogo Onsen has also been a frequent destination for Japan's most prestigious guests, the Imperial Family.

The main attraction in Dogo Onsen is the Dogo Onsen Honkan, a Meiji Period wooden public bathhouse, dating from 1894. The interior of the Honkan is 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".