[Dogo Onsen] If you know the history, will it open the way?! Walk around the town while listening to the story with an audio guide

Dogo Onsen, one of Japan's three oldest hot springs

Dogo Onsen is one of the three oldest hot springs in Japan, along with Arima Onsen and Shirahama Onsen.

It is said that Prince Shotoku once bathed here, and there are inscriptions on the ground that he left behind at the time.

It says, "Just as the sun and the moon distribute their light equally, Kami-no-Yu also grants its blessings to everyone equally. The ideal is to do things in this way without discrimination."

The reason why these hot springs are known as one of the three oldest hot springs is that they are scattered all over the city.

Before you start your lucky trip, visit Dogo Onsen Tourist Hall

Before starting your "Dogo Onsen Good Luck Tour," let's first stop by the Dogo Onsen Tourist Hall in front of Dogo Onsen Station.

You can get your hands on goods for bringing good fortune, such as the "Kami no Yu Bottle," "Yu Pearl," "Omusubi Strap, Fukumusubi," and other essential items for bringing good fortune.

Why have people come to Dogo Onsen for so long?

The reason why people have been coming to Dogo Onsen since ancient times is because the spring quality is "alkaline simple spring". The spring quality is gentle on the skin, perfect for Japanese skin, and has a high beauty effect.

Mythology records that when the gods Okuninushi and Sukunahikona visited this area, Sukunahikona fell ill and was instantly cured by bathing in the hot springs.

Good luck spot ◎ Dogo Onsen Main Building "Tama no Ishi"

The "Tama no Ishi" is enshrined on the north side of the Dogo Onsen main building. It is said that if you pour hot water from Dogo Onsen onto this stone and make a wish, you will be able to reach the gods. It is said that it is especially effective in helping with recovery from illness, finding a partner, and prospering in business .

Dogo Onsen Main Building

5-6 Dogoyunomachi, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture 790-0842

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Dogo Onsen, beloved by great men

Of course, writers also come. Masaoka Shiki read the following haiku when he visited Dogo with Natsume Soseki:

"A village of red light, ten steps away, the autumn wind"

Just as this song says, there was a time when red-light districts, or brothels, were spread out right next to Hogonji Temple in Dogo Onsen. Dozens of brothels were lined up, and looking at old photos, it is an overwhelming sight.

Hogon-ji Temple is also where the monk Ippen Shonin was born and raised. He was born into a wealthy family, but during the Mongol invasions and other times of turmoil, Ippen abandoned everything and advocated dancing while chanting the Nembutsu. He continued to dance as he traveled around Japan, traveling with nothing but his body.

This is said to be the origin of the Bon Odori festival that continues to this day. Masaoka Shiki praised Ippen Shonin as "the greatest hero in this land."

Good luck spot ◎ Hogonji Temple "Surigami"

Sureshi paper is a good luck item from Hogon-ji Temple based on the concept of the "idea of throwing away" of Ippen Shonin, who is revered as the "Saint of Throwing Away."
By writing down the desires, jealousy, and other resentment in your heart on a piece of paper and throwing it away, you are given the opportunity to take a fresh look at your own heart.

A new way to enjoy Dogo Onsen. Walk around the town while listening to the audio guide

Dogo Onsen has been visited by many different people and has been a place of healing for them.

By learning about the stories that are rooted in each place, you can experience a feeling of relaxation that you can't get by simply soaking in a hot spring. By the way, all of these stories are included in the ON THE TRIP audio guide. Of course, we've only introduced a small part of them.

At Dogo Onsen, good luck maps are distributed at the tourist information center, and as you tour the town with the linked audio guide, the history we have introduced will be told to you along with the stories that lead to each place.

Listening to the audio guide app "ON THE TRIP" changes the scenery of your travel destination vividly.

The audio guide app "ONTHE TRIP" is based on the theme of " turning every travel destination into a museum ," and includes cultural assets such as shrines and temples, spectacular views, hot springs, art festivals, and even cultures such as Zen and sushi. It is a travel guide app that lets you explore things that interest you at various travel destinations on the spot.

The audio guide is easy to use . Just download the ON THE TRIP app, launch it , and select the spot guide.

When you select a spot that interests you and play it , it will tell you the history and background of the scenery in front of you with audio, text, and photos.

*There are two types of guide playback: GPS-enabled automatic playback and manual playback.

Download the iOS app here

Download the Android app here

Once you have launched the ON THE TRIP app, search for the guide we introduced this time , "Dogo Onsen, Good Luck Tour." You can enjoy the guide immediately when you are traveling, but we also recommend downloading it in advance to plan your trip.

By walking from 01 to 02 to 03 using the map on your smartphone and stopping at the good luck spots marked with a "★", you can enjoy a tour of good luck while learning about Dogo's history.

A journey to bring good fortune around Dogo Onsen. Behind the scenes of this journey lies the deep history of Dogo Onsen.
By walking while listening to these hidden stories, you too will surely find the path to good fortune.

[Dogo Onsen Good Luck Tour]