Yu Jinja Shrine
A shrine on Kanmuriyama hill, revered as the guardian deity of Dogo Onsen. Its principal deities are Onamuchi-no-Mikoto and Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto. A legend tells that hot water which had stopped after an earthquake began to flow again through prayer.
Yu Shrine is a shrine enshrined on Mount Kanmuri in Dogo, Matsuyama City, and has been worshipped since ancient times as the guardian deity of Dogo Onsen. The main enshrined deities are Onamuchi no Mikoto and Sukunahikona no Mikoto, and the joint shrine enshrines Susanoo no Mikoto and Inadahime no Mikoto of Izumooka Shrine. The shrine's name is derived from Dogo Onsen.
Origin
It is said to have been founded as a guardian deity of Dogo Onsen when Emperor Keiko visited the area with his empress. Originally enshrined in Sagidani, it later relocated to the current Mount Kanmuri.
Hot Springs and Yu Shrine
There is a legend that when the hot spring water of Dogo Onsen stopped flowing due to an earthquake in 1707, prayers were offered at Yu Shrine, and the hot spring water gushed out again. It has been popular as a shrine associated with the blessings of hot springs.
Festivals
The annual festival is on October 6. During the period of the Yu-kito-sai from March 19 to 21, the Matsuyama Spring Festival (Dogo Onsen Festival) is held.
Access
It is enshrined on Mount Kanmuri (the same hill as Sora no Sanpodo) near Dogo Onsen Honkan.
Source: "Yu Shrine" Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), etc. Please check the local and official information for the latest information.
Last confirmed date: July 2026
Articles that mention this place
History
Dogo Onsen's History: From the Waters of the "Nihon Shoki" to the "Botchan-yu"
We trace the history of Dogo Onsen, counted as one of Japan's three oldest hot springs, from myths and ancient legends to the mystery of Prince Shotoku's epitaph, the reconstruction of the main building in the Meiji period, the literature of Shiki and Soseki, and the recent preservation and repair work, all based on primary sources.
神社
Guardian of Dogo, Isaniwa Shrine: One of Only Three Hachiman-zukuri Shrines Nationwide and a Sanctuary of Sangaku
Isaniwa Shrine sits enshrined at the top of the stone steps from the Dogo Onsen Main Building. Based on primary sources, this article introduces the shrine that has watched over Dogo for a thousand years, including its history tied to Yuzuki Castle, its main sanctuary built in the Hachiman-zukuri style—one of only three examples in Japan—and the sangaku (mathematical tablets) dedicated there.
歴史
Yuzuki Castle and the Kono Clan — A Medieval Castle Resting in Dogo Park
Yuzuki Castle was a medieval castle located on the hill of Dogo Park, near Dogo Onsen. Built as the base of the Kono clan who ruled Iyo, this article introduces its history up to its fall during Hideyoshi's conquest of Shikoku, and the present state of the national historic site where moats, earthen ramparts, and excavated remains still remain. It also outlines the highlights in Dogo Park.
More spots in Central Dogo Onsen Area
See all in this area →Yunomachi Bakery
A bakery near Dogo Onsen. It opens early in the morning and sells items such as salt bread with ice cream, mentaiko baguettes and raw doughnuts.
Entertainment Bar Tower8
An entertainment bar offering live-accompaniment karaoke and hanafuda card fortune-telling.
Atatakai Yado Taniya
The ryokan Atatakai Yado Taniya in Dogo Yunomachi. It is close to Dogo Onsen Honkan and convenient as a base for visiting the bathhouses.
Ecolopark Dogo Onsenmae Dai1
Ecolopark Dogo Onsenmae Dai1. An ecolopark near Dogo Onsen Honkan. Suitable for tourists needing a short visit.
Ashiyu Cafe Botchan Dogo Ehime
A paid footbath cafe located in Dogo Botchan Square. Located in front of the south entrance of Hotel Kowakuen Haruka, diagonally opposite Dogo Onsen Honkan.
Este Salon Bijinya
A women-only private salon on the second floor of the Dogokan annex, by appointment only. It offers treatments combined with the hot spring.
Kokoro-no-Yu Udon Kamajii
A daytime udon restaurant in Dogo Yunomachi. It serves kake udon and soki udon at moderate prices.
Dogo Milk Cheese Cake
A milk cheesecake specialist on Dogo Haikara-dori. Soft, smooth rare cheesecakes made with house-made cheese and Ehime-grown fruit are lined up here.
More "Shrines" spots
See all in this category →Oyamazumi Jinja Shrine (Ishite)
A shrine located in Ishite, Matsuyama City. It is said to have been founded in 1279 when Kono Michiari transferred the divided deity from Oyamazumi Shrine on Omishima.
Isaniwa Jinja Shrine
A Hachiman-zukuri style shrine set on a hill in Dogo. The existing shrine buildings were constructed in 1667 (Kanbun 7) by Matsudaira Sadanaga, lord of the Matsuyama Domain, and the main hall and other structures are designated National Important Cultural Properties.
Matsuyama Toshogu (formerly Matsuyama Shrine)
A shrine in Iwaidani-higashi-machi, Matsuyama, enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu and Sugawara no Michizane. In 2025 (Reiwa 7) it was renamed from its former name, Matsuyama Shrine, to Matsuyama Toshogu. Its shrine buildings are designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Ehime Prefecture.
Ishite-ji Okunoin Atago-sha
Atago-sha, the inner sanctuary (okunoin) of Ishite-ji, the 51st temple of the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage. It is a quiet place of worship nestled in the hills.
Dogo Shusse Inari Jinja Shrine
An Inari shrine located in the Dogo Onsen town area (Dogo Yunomachi, Matsuyama City). The worship hall, which had been demolished due to aging, was rebuilt in 2018.