Architecture of the Important Cultural Property Dogo Onsen Main Building: Four Wings and Conservation Repairs Conducted While Open for Business

A "Complex Building" Formed by Combining Four Wings

While Dogo Onsen Honkan appears to be a single building at first glance, it actually has a complex composition with four wings interconnected, each having different uses and years of completion. From the central section built in 1894 to additions during the Taisho period, wings from different eras were added over time. Designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 1994 are these four wings: the Kami-no-Yu Main Wing, Yushinden / Tama-no-Yu Wing, South Wing, and Entrance Wing. The fact that structures and rooms from multiple eras overlap in a building used as a public bathhouse serves as a guide when exploring and observing the Honkan.

Kami-no-Yu Main Wing: A Three-Story Tower from 1894

The core Kami-no-Yu Main Wing was completed in 1894. It is a three-story wooden building with bathhouses on the 1st floor, rest areas on the 2nd and 3rd floors, and a tower structure (toya) perched atop an irimoya (hip-and-gable) roof. Born from the bold decision of Isaniwa Yukiya, the first town mayor of Dogo Yunomachi, and the master carpenter work of castle carpenter Sakamoto Matahachiro, this three-story tower structure was regarded as very unusual for its time. At the northwest end of the 3rd floor is "Botchan's Room," which is said to have been used later by Natsume Soseki. Looking not only at the bathhouses but also including the rest areas and the tower structure, one can read a composition where a facility for bathing and a symbol of the town are integrated.

Yushinden / Tama-no-Yu Wing: The Wing Housing a Bathroom Exclusively for the Imperial Family

The Yushinden / Tama-no-Yu Wing on the east side was completed in 1899. It is a three-story wooden building with copper-plate and cypress-bark (hiwada) roofing, housing "Yushinden," Japan's only bathroom exclusively for the Imperial Family. On the 2nd floor is the "Gyokuza-no-Ma" (Throne Room), featuring elaborate, prestigious designs. On the official website, spaces such as the Gyokuza-no-Ma, Oima (Living Room), and Oyudono (Bathing Room) are introduced, and Yushinden is guided as a place for viewing rather than a bathing facility. The combination of general bathhouses, rest rooms, and the Imperial private bath demonstrates the overlapping uses of the Honkan.

South Wing, Entrance Wing, and the Drum of the Tower Structure

Both the South Wing and the Entrance Wing were completed in 1924, telling the history of Taisho-era additions layered onto the Meiji-era main building. The tower structure soaring above the roof of the Kami-no-Yu Main Wing is called "Shinrokaku," where the Toki-daiko (time drum) announces the time to the hot spring town three times a day at 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. This sound was selected as one of the "100 Soundscapes of Japan to Be Preserved" in 1996. The tower structure on the roof and the drum echoing through the town convey that the architecture is also linked to the surrounding sense of time.

Preservation and Repair Work Conducted While Continuing Operations

To pass down and preserve its historical and cultural property value for the next generation, the Honkan began preservation and repair work in January 2019. The work progressed over approximately six years and was completed on December 20, 2024. A notable feature was that the Honkan, over 120 years old, was covered with a temporary construction roof (suya-ne) and repaired in stages while continuing operations. That temporary roof was adorned with art from the "Dogo REBORN Project," featuring Osamu Tezuka's manga Phoenix (Hi no Tori) as a motif. The official website states that the preservation and repair work started in January 2019 was completed in December 2024. Even after the preservation and repair, one can trace the time accumulated by the building by observing the four wings, the rooms on each floor, and Shinrokaku in turn.

The official website also provides introductions to each floor, usage guides, and introductions to each room in Yushinden. Rather than merely looking at the exterior, observing corresponding places with different roles—such as the bathhouse of the Kami-no-Yu Main Wing, the rest areas, the rooftop tower, and Yushinden on the east side—makes it easier to see the meaning of the additions and preservation repairs. The Honkan is introduced as a public bathhouse rather than an accommodation facility. Because places for bathing and places for viewing are combined within the same building, even during an architectural visit, one can consider it without separating it from its use as a bathhouse.

* The open areas, viewing fees, and bathing fees for each wing are subject to change. For the latest information, please check the detailed page of Dogo Onsen Honkan and official sources.