Moopon

1. Once visitors exit immigration and customs at Kansai Airport, visitors will be on the 1st floor. Follow the signs for “Railways”, taking one of the 4 escalators or 3 elevators to arrive at the 2nd floor.

2. Once on the 2nd floor, follow the signs to one of several walkways and walk across the road to Kansai-airport Station. Visitors need to exit the air terminal building to arrive at the JR Station (two separate buildings connected by a walkway). Two train companies use Kansai-airport Station: JR (blue/green) and Nankai (orange). Only JR can take visitor to the platform Haruka departing from. DO NOT use Nankai.

3. Before entering tickets gate, find JR Ticket Office where visitors can purchase ticket or reserved ticket for JR train.(there is a huge sign in English above their head).JR ticket office staff may or may not speak English, but they can read place names and train types written in the Roman alphabet. 

4. With one’s tickets, go through JR ticket gate and take an escalator to get to Platform 4.

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 Date Museum (伊達博物館, Date Hakubutsukan) commemorates the Date Clan, who ruled over Uwajima for more than 250 years during the Edo Period (1603-1867). The first Date lord of Uwajima was Date Hidemune, who hailed from the main branch of the family based in Sendai. Uwajima grew and prospered under the rule of generations of lords from the Date Clan.

The museum exhibits a lot of artifacts and possessions of the Data family, such as weapons, family crests, scroll paintings, writings and daily-used items. It displays a sizable collection of beautiful folding screens (byobu) with precious paintings. Maps depicting Uwajima in the past enable visitors to see how the castle town has been reformed over the years. In particular, the waterfront west of the city has changed quite dramatically as a result of land reclamation.    

     
Access info                                                                             
Date Museum is located close to Tenshaen Garden and it is a 20-30 minute walk from Uwajima Station. Or Uwajima Bus operates hourly buses between the station and Tenshaen-mae bus stop (天赦園前, 10 minutes, 150 yen one way), which is located a few steps from the museum.        

Schedule & cost                          
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (entry until 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (or following day if Monday is a national holiday), December 29 to January 3
Admission: 500 yen
English: Good English pamphlet available

Ishiteji Temple (石手寺) located in Matsuyama City, Shikoku, is a popular destination for pilgrims who visit the many Buddhist temples located on this island.  Ishiteji Temple is number 51 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage Map and the most famous temple in Matsuyama.

According to legend, an aristocrat held onto a stone very tightly on deathbed seeking the priest Kobo Daishi.  Though he was unable to receive a visit from priest Kobo Daishi, when the aristocrat was reincarnated, the stone was in his infantile hand. Thus the name Ishiteji (ishi=stone; te=hand; ji=temple) was also born.

Ishiteji temple is a very unique and special temple. From the statue of Kobo Daishi, an important figure in Japanese Buddhism, standing above the temple, to the Niomon Gate, a designated National Treasure, there are many cultural sites within the temple.  The temple’s main hall and three-storied pagoda are also designated Important Cultural Properties.  In addition, there is an inner temple which is connected to the main grounds by a cave.

Visitors will see the typical Kamakura Period architectural style within the structures in Ishiteji Temple.  Though this temple has various statues and historical objects, statues and religious objects are periodically added to its collection.  Visitors are able to see some of the temple’s most important artifacts in the treasure house.

Treasure House
Hours: 8:00 to 17:00
Closed: Opened All Year Round
Admission: 200 yen

Behind the main hall, visitors can walk through a dimly lit 200 meter long cave.  Within the cave, visitors will find many Buddhist statures, carvings and drawing. After passing through the cave, visitors need to cross the street to the inner temple grounds. Here there is a large, golden-dome hall. Visitors will find the inner grounds to have a different atmosphere than the main grounds.  There are various statues, carving and drawing here as well.  There are scenes of the historical Buddha Shaka just before he has gained enlightened.
 
Ishiteji Temple Grounds
Hours: Always open
Closed: Opened All Year Round
Admission: Free

Access Information
1.  From JR Matsuyama Station, take tram line 5 to Dogo Onsen Tram Stop (journey is about 20 minutes with a fare of 160 yen).
OR
   From Matsuyama-shi Station, take tram line 3 to Dogo Onsen Tram Stop (journey is about 15 minutes with a fare of 160 yen).
2.  From Dogo Onsen Tram Stop, a 5 minutes bus ride. There are many departures to Ishiteji Temple from Dogo Onsen and the fare is 160 yen.
OR
A 15 to 20 minute walk from Dogo Onsen to Ishiteji Temple.

Located in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, the world famous Dogo Onsen (Hot Springs) symbol is the Dogo Onsen Honkan (道後温泉本館). This charming bath house is filled with activity as staff members lead guests up and down the wooden staircases, along the old-fashioned wooden hallways to their rooms and various.  It is said Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away” is modeled after the Dogo Onsen Honkan.

The Honkan has two different baths for visitors to enjoy.  Kami no Yu (the Bath of the Gods) is located on the first floor and Tama no Yu (the Bath of the Spirits) is on the second floor.  Both baths are a separate male and female bathing section separated by a wall.  The baths are made of stone. Kami no Yu is larger but Tama no Yu is more elegant.
Visitors will find communal tatami mat rooms on the second floor.  Often these large tatami rooms are used to relax after a long bath.  There are smaller, individual rooms on the third floor to rest and perhaps have a light snack. There are four different admission packages of visitors as to the extent of facilities available to them during their visit.

Visitors may wish to view Yushinden, a special section in the Honkan which was constructed for the Imperial Family’s visit in 1899.  Visitors will be taken on a short guided tour to see the facilities reserved for visiting emperors.  The facilities shown include a lavishly decorated room as well as the emperor’s exclusive bath and toilet.  Please note, since 1952, no emperor has used the Yushinden.

Access Information:
By Tram…From JR Matsuyama Station, board tram line 5. The journey will take 20 minutes with a cost of 160 yen. Likewise, visitors can board tram line 3 from Matsuyama-shi station. The journey will take 15 minutes with a cost of 160 yen.  From the Dogo Onsen Tram Station, a 4 minute walk will lead you to the Dogo Onsen Honkan.