Dogo Onsen Station and Hojoen — Gateway to the Hot Spring Town and the Karakuri Clock

The Gateway to the Hot Spring Town: A Meiji-era Western-style Station Building

Dogo Onsen Station, standing at the entrance to the Dogo Onsen district, is the gateway to the hot spring town. It is the terminus of the Iyo Railway Jonan Line, opening on August 22, 1895. This coincides with the exact year Natsume Soseki took up his post in Matsuyama. The stylish station building, carrying the flavor of Meiji Western architecture, is one of the symbols of Dogo's townscape.

The Story of a "Restored" Station Building

The current station building is actually not the exact original from the time of opening. The former station building constructed in 1911 was dismantled in 1985 due to deterioration, but in the following year, 1986, it was newly constructed in a way that faithfully reproduced the former station building. At that time, parts of the old building materials were reused, carrying forward the Meiji design. Since 2017, a café has occupied a corner of the station building, and the historic structure continues to be used as an active station today.

Hojoen: Footbath and Karakuri Clock

The small plaza right outside the station is Hojoen. It is located on the reclaimed site of the Hojo-ike pond, which was created when Isaniwa Shrine was moved to its current location during the Kenmu era, situated in front of Dogo Onsen Station at the entrance to Dogo Shopping Arcade. It features the Sagi Stone, a footbath using water flowing from a yugama that was once used at the Dogo Onsen Honkan, and the Botchan Karakuri Clock, with gas lamps lit at night.

The Footbath and Features in the Plaza

The footbath was completed in December 2002 and is a free-flowing hot spring that uses spring water flowing from a yugama once used in the Dogo Onsen Honkan. The spring quality is an alkaline simple hot spring (hypotonic alkaline high-temperature spring), and operating hours are listed as 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. There is also a free "Grooming Area" for women to remove stockings, but its use is currently suspended.

In Hojoen, there are also the Sagi Stone, said to bear the footprint of a heron that discovered Dogo Onsen; haiku monuments of Yanagihara Kyokudo and Mori Motengai; a Matsuyama Haiku Post; and a statue of Masaoka Shiki. Next door is the Dogo Tourist Information Center, which provides guidance on Matsuyama and Dogo, introductions to ryokan and hotels, and distribution of pamphlets.

Movements of the Botchan Karakuri Clock

The Botchan Karakuri Clock was created in 1994 as part of the project commemorating the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Dogo Onsen Honkan. The clock tower, themed on the Shinrokaku of the Honkan, rises to music, and characters appearing in Botchan emerge. The display basically takes place every hour from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and every 30 minutes on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, in March, April, August, and November, during the New Year period from December 28 to January 5, and during Golden Week from May 1 to May 5.

Meeting Up and a Moment After Bathing

In the plaza in front of the station, Botchan Train railcars are parked at night, and their illuminated appearance is also a highlight. Soaking in the hot springs, cooling off at the footbath, and viewing the Meiji station building. Because the station, Hojoen, and the shopping arcade entrance are close together, it is a spot you can stop by both when arriving in Dogo and when concluding your walk.

Taking the footbath next to the Karakuri Clock, looking at the Sagi Stone and haiku monuments, and picking up a pamphlet at the neighboring Dogo Tourist Information Center allows you to check multiple elements of the plaza all at once. The water for the footbath flows from the yugama used in the Dogo Onsen Honkan, and the Karakuri Clock is themed on the Honkan's Shinrokaku. The layout of Hojoen is characterized by having the station building, yugama, clock, and literary statues and haiku monuments gathered closely together.

Taking the footbath next to the Karakuri Clock, looking at the Sagi Stone and haiku monuments, and picking up a pamphlet at the neighboring Dogo Tourist Information Center allows you to check multiple elements of the plaza all at once. The water for the footbath flows from the yugama used in the Dogo Onsen Honkan, and the Karakuri Clock is themed on the Honkan's Shinrokaku. The layout of Hojoen is characterized by having the station building, yugama, clock, and literary statues and haiku monuments gathered closely together.

Taking the footbath next to the Karakuri Clock, looking at the Sagi Stone and haiku monuments, and picking up a pamphlet at the neighboring Dogo Tourist Information Center allows you to check multiple elements of the plaza all at once. The water for the footbath flows from the yugama used in the Dogo Onsen Honkan, and the Karakuri Clock is themed on the Honkan's Shinrokaku. The layout of Hojoen is characterized by having the station building, yugama, clock, and literary statues and haiku monuments gathered closely together.

※ Business and operating statuses of each facility are subject to change. Please check each spot's detail page and official information for the latest details.