【All Japan Cross-Country Journey: Ehime Prefecture】 Matsuyama City, Dogo Onsen Street

This article is first published on Ctrip and my personal website.

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Hope to exchange travel experiences with everyone.

After coming down from Matsuyama Castle, it was already past noon. On a Friday daytime, there were very few people on the streets. Even Tokyo is like this, let alone such a quiet small city. Across the street not far from the entrance of Matsuyama Castle, there is a grilled meat restaurant. Since I was here, it seemed there was really no reason to miss the beef here, although it is not as widely known as Matsusaka beef or Kobe beef. The grilled large intestines were sizzling and burning fat. If only it were the excess fat on my own belly burning. Back home, going to a grilled meat restaurant alone would definitely attract strange looks. But in Japan, it is very common for many people to enter a large restaurant alone or go to a movie theater alone. So as a traveler, I ate heartily without any hesitation. Counting it up, eating to a full stomach cost only about 2000 yen. How nice it would be to work in a big city while consuming in a small city.

Alright, thank you to this restaurant. Let me give you a little advertisement, and also a guide for everyone. If you are hungry at the foot of Matsuyama Castle, be sure to order some grilled meat.

Only then can you have the strength to continue the afternoon adventure and conquer this old castle.

After eating the grilled meat, the next task was to visit a relatively famous museum nearby. Museums in Japan, except for the huge ones in big cities, are often small local archives in small cities.

Alright, here we are. This is the direction of the Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum. Let me go take a look.

This museum is said to be built around the plot of the novel 'Saka no Ue no Kumo' by Japanese writer Ryotaro Shiba. I don't know much about the novel's content, so let's go in and see :).

After leaving the museum, the main event of this trip was to experience Dogo Onsen. Matsuyama's Dogo Onsen is known as one of Japan's three great ancient hot springs. It was also depicted in Natsume Soseki's novel, and has since become an iconic tourist destination in Ehime Prefecture.

Boarding this city tram heading toward Dogo Onsen, despite the winter chill, my heart was still warm. Hoho.

Japan's railways have a special charm. There is no crowding, only tranquility and a blend of classic and modern.

I am actually a mild railway fan. On holidays, I like to carry my camera and go to the countryside to take pictures of scenery and railway lines. I feel that traveling by railway, although the destination is my goal, the scenery along the way is also a feast to enjoy.

Alright, after about 15 minutes of long-distance travel, I finally arrived at this legendary terminal station. The sign in the photo says [Dogo Onsen Station]. The entrance station to this ancient scenic spot actually uses brush calligraphy characters.

In Japanese, [駅] means [station]. It is a simplified Japanese character evolved from the ancient Chinese character [驛]. In ancient China, there were [驿站] where travelers could rest, and Japanese absorbed this character, turning it into its current form.

The pronunciation of [駅] is [eki]. I hope everyone will use this word when traveling in Japan in the future :)

This is the end of the city tram line. It is a stone monument; the text inside is already illegible, so I won't explain it in detail here. I hope everyone can come and experience it in person.

The signboard in front of the station records the history of the station and Dogo Onsen. Japan's trams and railways have a history of over a hundred years. Even in bustling Tokyo, traces of tram history can often be seen. Next time, I will also show you the scenery of Tokyo's railway lines, so I won't go into detail here.

Across from the station, I found a small shop. What is this? Looking closely, hehe, isn't this the legendary Lawson? In Japan, Lawson stores are divided into different types by color based on their business scope. The most common is the blue Lawson, which is a convenience store for general consumers found in streets and alleys. There is also the 100-yen Lawson, which mainly sells daily sundries and fresh produce, positioned at around 100 yen, targeting housewives or frugal families for daily meals.

This Lawson in front of me seems to be collaborating with local tourism organizations, and its color completely blends into the atmosphere of Dogo Onsen.

The characters [道後] stand clearly above my head. This is Dogo Onsen Street. There are many tourists, not at all deterred by the January cold.

One thing to mention here is the landmark building of the hot spring street. It is this small clock tower in front of me. It is about two stories high and is a fixed spot where tourists gather to take photos. The feature of this clock tower is that at specific times, the puppets below come out to play music, and after the performance, the clock at the top comes out to announce the time.

Three meters away from this clock tower is this natural hot spring for passing travelers to wash their feet and relax. The hot spring is free. If you are tired from the journey, you can stop by, sit down, and soak your feet a little, giving them a full relaxation.

Next to it is a haiku mailbox, made entirely of stone. Haiku is a literary form originating from ancient Japan. In通俗 terms, you can think of it like Tang and Song poetry. When visitors come here, if they are moved by the world's restlessness and feel poetic, dropping their own haiku in this mailbox is a good choice.

This is the hot spring street.

Strolling leisurely, I arrived at Dogo Onsen. It is divided into two buildings. The other one should be the main building; it was too crowded, so I chose this less crowded one. After all, I had barely relaxed since flying in the middle of the night the day before.

Alright, let's enter. First, I bought a bathing ticket. Then... skip 5000 words here...

Alright, sorry to keep everyone waiting. I finally climbed out of the big bath. The temperature inside was indeed high. I heard the spring water contains many minerals; I wonder if my skin will fundamentally improve in the future.

Next, it was time to enjoy good food and fresh air. Let me first post a cute picture to please your eyes. Yes, it's TOTORO. This TOTORO shop at Dogo Onsen should be a certified merchandise store from Studio Ghibli.

In Japan, I generally don't take photos of the items in stores. Out of respect for the other party, I won't take specific photos; here's a full view of the entrance. So if you are a Ghibli fan, be sure to visit this place.

Here's another panoramic view of the main gate of Dogo Onsen. Doesn't it make you want to go in?

Various confectionery shops on the hot spring street, countless sweets.

A small bar. I wanted to go in, but unfortunately no one to accompany me...

I would like to especially introduce this dessert shop: [Ichiroku Honpo].

It has two floors. The first floor is a general store selling sweets and gifts, and the second floor is a self-run tea house. But calling it a tea house, it is different from classic Chinese tea houses. In Japanese tea houses, there are also sweets...

After bathing in the hot spring, I felt very tired and urgently needed an afternoon tea to fill my stomach. So I ordered this dessert set. It contained red bean soup made from adzuki beans, a few glutinous rice balls, a cup of thick green tea, and a small plate of dried fruit strips.

The theme of this dessert is [Harmonious Couple]. It is said that if lovers come together and eat this dessert, their future relationship will be perfect and harmonious.

Believe it or not, give it a try.

Before I knew it, evening had arrived. Here's a photo of Dogo Onsen at night, crowded with people. There was a line at the entrance. I suggest visiting on days other than holidays if possible.

Alright, the tour of Dogo Onsen Street is over. Night has fallen, and I need to check out Matsuyama's night market.

Still on the Matsuyama city tram, but the night crowd was very sparse.

Getting off, I arrived at Matsuyama's busiest shopping street, [GINTENGAI].

This contrasts greatly with Matsuyama's antique city atmosphere. The blend of old and modern. Repeatedly crossing between old and modern.

A panoramic view of the shopping street, bustling with voices at night.

On the way, I passed a store crowded with people. Looking inside, it was a group of teenage girls doing a mini live performance.

This is the local idol group [HIMEKYUN] from Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. It was formed not long ago and is not as famous as AKB, but very popular locally. They were promoting their latest album; I listened and found the composition very good. I hope music lovers will also give it a listen.

In a flash, it was late at night. Alright, my impromptu trip ends here today. I'll find a cheap internet cafe and sleep.

Internet cafes in Japan generally provide sleeping spaces. Many friends may not have seen a Japanese internet cafe in person. Today, I'll give you a little glimpse.

Each guest's space is separated into small rooms. The computers inside can play many movies and many popular games.

Inside the small space, it looks like this. After opening the door from outside, you need to take off your shoes before entering. Inside, there is a computer, TV, and a menu to order late-night snacks and breakfast for the next morning.

Additionally, if you choose an overnight package, drinks in the lobby are free, commonly known as [DRINK BAR]. The price for an overnight stay with internet and sleep is about 2200 yen. Depending on the city, the consumption level varies slightly, but generally around 2000 yen.

If you feel like taking a shower in the middle of the night, internet cafes are equipped with shower rooms. Just tell the front desk girl or guy, and they will give you a key. Many guests usually choose to take a shower, so there may be a queue. So you have to hurry :).

Alright, enough said, time to sleep... :)

Waking up the next day, I continued to go out for a drive. First, a cute photo of JR railway.

The carriage was full of ANPANMAN patterns.

It must be a paradise for children.

Passing by a movie theater in Matsuyama, they were showing the latest Detective Conan movie. This time it was a crossover with the anime Lupin III.

Any anime fans? If so, be sure to come to Japan and watch it.

I wasn't very interested in the movie plot, but a small fresh seafood shop next door caught my eye.

Not eating some seafood is not truly visiting Shikoku, so I ordered a big lunch. Waiting quietly... Nervous.

Since this is a port city near the sea, it's easy to catch seafood. Seafood has also become a major source of local income. Almost every dish is made from fresh seafood.

Alright, let me show today's lunch. A platter of sashimi, plus a bowl of clear clam chowder with egg.

Finally, to thank this restaurant for the good impression, here's a panoramic view of it.

Now time is about up. This trip to Matsuyama was actually a spontaneous decision. I didn't prepare any itinerary in advance, so the schedule seems quite scattered.

[Travel without planning] is one of my travel styles. As soon as I have time, I will continue to pack my backpack and start my journey.

After a little adjustment, I will introduce other scenic spots of Japan travel. Please stay tuned :)