Published date: May 8, 2025
Dogo Onsen: A Place for Both Children and Adults to Enjoy
Room Type Stayed
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Experience of the stay
Getting to Dogo Onsen required navigating through some dubious streets, so I was a bit anxious. However, upon check-in, I was greeted with a refreshing orange juice from a tap. In the shopping district and service areas, it cost around 500 yen per cup. After check-in, I headed straight for the baths. Luckily, the timing was perfect, and I had the place to myself. At the entrance of the onsen, there was a sake bar and a snack bar with a wide variety of treats! I filled a bag with snacks to take back to my room, and we had a little snack party. For those who don't drink alcohol, they had non-alcoholic umeshu available. I gave up on the Dogo Onsen main building since there was a long queue, but the hotel was wonderful. The next morning, the male and female baths had switched, allowing us to enjoy a different atmosphere. One of the baths had a special shower system. After strolling through the shopping district, I returned to find my futon laid out for me. Small amenities were provided in front of the elevator, with different types available at the onsen as well. These were also placed in the room.
They allow one companion to stay for free, and when I inquired by chat, they responded politely. For the fourth person or older than 3 years, there is a facility usage fee of 2,200 yen per person. Additionally, adding a futon costs 4,400 yen plus the facility fee of 2,200 yen. Breakfast isn't included, but after reading reviews and other posts, I wanted to have breakfast, and they prepared it for me at 3,300 yen for adults and 1,650 yen for children aged 3 and up. The breakfast included seafood rice bowls, a variety of bread, donuts, ice cream, yogurt, and even buckwheat noodles. There were three types of orange juice available! It wasn't too crowded, and I enjoyed refilling multiple times in the spacious dining area.
The room had an entrance as soon as you stepped in, and upon opening the sliding door, there was a tatami room and a small cafe space further back. Although it was an old structure, they had prepared an extension cord with USB ports for convenience. Since I had mentioned staying with a small child, they kindly provided a note and a plastic bag for diapers, which was heartwarming. The hot water in the kettle was already prepared, and I was reminded of a different atmosphere compared to typical hotels.
I took pictures on the Noh stage located on the fourth floor (they provided tabi socks along with the yukata in the room for climbing onto the stage) amidst the loud music from preparations for a wedding, creating a strong impression with the contrasting atmosphere. I had a precious experience.
Experiences during the trip
For dinner, I went to the Iyo Tanuki restaurant near the shopping district. I made a reservation for 6 PM since it was a highly rated place according to reviews. Some customers who didn't have reservations were turned away, so it's recommended to book in advance if you plan to go. You order using a QR code, which was a bit tricky at first, but I got to try some rare dishes, including a type of shellfish called 'turtle hand' that was quite shocking in appearance! There was a foot bath in the shopping district as well; I recommend bringing a towel. I bought souvenirs at a department store in Matsuyama city, but most of the same items were available in the shopping district. The Dogo Onsen main building was beautiful at night.