The Architecture of Dogo Onsen Honkan, an Important Cultural Property: Four Wings and Conservation Repair While Open

Dogo Onsen Honkan Architecture at a Glance

(Confirmed on 2026/10/23 against guidance from the official Dogo Onsen website.)

A Building Made of Four Connected Wings

Dogo Onsen Honkan is made up of four wings that differ in both construction year and use. Wings were added to the central wing completed in 1894 (Meiji 27) in 1899 (Meiji 32) and 1924 (Taisho 13). The four wings designated as a national Important Cultural Property are the Kami-no-Yu Honkan wing, the Yushinden Rei-no-Yu wing, the South wing, and the Entrance wing.

Kami-no-Yu Honkan Wing: A Three-Story Building of Meiji 27

• A three-story wooden building completed in 1894 (Meiji 27).
• The first floor is the bathhouse, and the 2nd and 3rd floors are rest rooms. A tower sits on top of the hip-and-gable roof.
• At the northwest corner of the third floor is "Botchan's Room," said to have been used by Natsume Soseki with Masaoka Shiki (article on Shiki and Soseki).

The Builder: Isaniwa Yukiya and Master Carpenter Sakamoto Matahachiro

The rebuilding of the Honkan was led by Isaniwa Yukiya, the first mayor of Dogo-Yunomachi. The official Dogo Onsen website says that despite strong opposition, he pressed ahead with the idea that "we must make something that others cannot imitate even 100 years from now." Sakamoto Matahachiro, a castle carpenter, was appointed as master carpenter. The completed three-story wooden building was said to be highly unusual at the time. The background to the rebuilding is in the history of Dogo Onsen.

Yushinden and Rei-no-Yu Wing: The Wing With a Bath for the Imperial Family

• Completed in 1899 (Meiji 32).
• It contains Yushinden (又新殿), a bath reserved for the imperial family. The official website describes it as "the only bath in Japan reserved for the imperial family," and it has a Throne Room (Gyokuza-no-Ma), a Sitting Room (Goima), and a Bath Chamber (Oyudono).
• Bathing is not possible in Yushinden; visitors see the interior on a guided tour.

South Wing, Entrance Wing, and the Time Drum at Shinrokaku

The South wing and the Entrance wing were both completed in 1924 (Taisho 13). The tower on the roof of the Kami-no-Yu Honkan wing is called Shinrokaku (振鷺閣); its windows have red gyaman glass, and a white heron stands at the top. The time drum played there announces the hour 3 times a day (6:00, 12:00, and 18:00). It has continued since the Meiji 27 rebuilding and was selected as one of the "100 Soundscapes of Japan."

Seeing the Interior: Tours of Yushinden

The Yushinden tour fee and hours are as follows.

LINE Pay cannot be used at the Yushinden tour ticket counter. Ticket types for the Honkan are described in ticket types and amenities at Dogo Onsen Honkan, and ways to tour Dogo without bathing are in enjoying the Dogo Onsen area without bathing.

Conservation Repair Carried Out While the Bathhouse Stayed Open

• Conservation repair began in 1/2019 (Heisei 31) and ended on 2024/12/20 (Reiwa 6). The work took about 6 years.
• The Honkan, which is more than 120 years old, was covered by a protective roof structure and repaired in stages while it stayed open.
• The protective structure was decorated with art from the "Dogo REBORN Project," inspired by Osamu Tezuka's manga Hi no Tori (Phoenix).
• The names of the people who built the Kami-no-Yu Honkan are inscribed on the white heron's wings at Shinrokaku. During the repair, that part was preserved and then returned to its original place.
• When the entire Honkan reopened, previously inaccessible rooms on the third floor of Rei-no-Yu became the reserved rooms "Shirasagi-no-Ma" and "Hisho-no-Ma."

Sources:

• Dogo Onsen Honkan | Sotoyu Guide | Dogo Onsen (Official)
• About Dogo Onsen | Dogo Onsen (Official)
• Dogo Onsen Honkan - Wikipedia
• Dogo Onsen Official Website (Dogo Onsen Ryokan Cooperative)

Last confirmed: 2026/10/23