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 The Dogo Onsen Honkan is a picturesque symbol of Japan’s oldest hot spring. In 1994 it was the first public bathhouse in Japan designated as a National Important Cultural Property, and in 2009 it was awarded the top rating of 3 stars by the Michelin Green Guide Japan.
The present-day Kami-no-Yu Honkan is a 3-story wooden structure renovated in 1894 by Yukiya Isaniwa, the first mayor of Dogo Yunomachi. The building was designed by Matahachiro Sakamoto, a craftsman from a family of master carpenters who worked on Matsuyama Castle. Featuring a truss structure that incorporates Western techniques, this grand 3-tiered building is crowned by a square cupola called the Shinrokaku that features giyaman glass windows and a roof adorned by a sculpture of the egret from the Dogo Onsen legend. The Dogo Onsen Honkan has two bathing areas, the Tama-no-Yu and Kami-no-Yu, and guests can select from four bathing packages: the Tama-no-Yu 3rd floor private room, Tama-no-Yu 2nd floor resting lounge, Kami-no-Yu 2nd floor resting lounge, and Kami-no-Yu downstairs.

Mika Ninagawa with EiM × Dogo Art