坊っちゃんカラクリ時計
Admirers of the aforementioned Botchan may enjoy watching the Gizmo Clock beside Dōgo Onsen Station at the mouth of the shopping arcade when it chimes every hour and half hour. Botchan Karakuri Tokei was completed in 1994 to commemorate the 100th year of the last reconstruction of Dōgo Bathhouse, and the animatronics that emerge during the musical interlude depict special scenes from the novel.
Chimes between 08:00-21:00·Free
伊佐爾波神社 Isaniwa Jinja
Sitting upon Dōgo Hill and accessible by car or climbing 135 stone steps, this important cultural asset is one of three great examples of Shinto Hachiman-zukuri (God of War) architecture in Japan. It was promised by the lord of Matsuyama Castle, Matsudaira Sadanaga (松平定長), if the gods awarded him victory in the 1667 Edo Castle Yabusame (horseback archery) competition. The outer walls are modeled after the Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine in Kyoto, while the inner sanctum (the oldest part of the shrine) is designed in various Shinto styles of the 17th century. Memorials honoring the warlords who fought against the Kamakura battalion are guarded by stalwart dogs who watch over the four deities adorning the four corners of the vermilion structure. There are exhibitions of feudal era armor (including Matsudaira's helmet) and swords (Tachi Mei, a mid-Kamakura era piece crafted by the famous Kuniyuki Rai).
24 hours·Free
道後公園・湯築城
From mid-March through April, the typically peaceful Dōgo Park is overwhelmed by inebriated locals and hawking vendors who come to take part in the most ancient of activities, hanami, or viewing of sakura (cherry blossoms). An oval shaped patch of green in the overdeveloped Dōgo neighborhood, Dōgo Kōen is an important part of Matsuyama's identity because it harbors the ruins of Yuzuki Castle. Yuzuki-jō was the residence of the Kōno Clan (河野), who ruled Iyo Province (伊予, now Ehime) from the 13th to the late 16th century, when war lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉) sent an army to Shikoku to conquer and unify Japan. The excavation of the 30,000-m² site took over 14 years, but the castle, gardens, and residences were all recovered. Within the recreated homes, mannequins silently act out the daily lives of the elite during that time, drinking tea and writing renga (poems composed by a group). There is also a library and a volunteer English-speaking guide can show visitors around with advance reservations.
Dōgo Park: 24 hours, Yuzuki Castle Ruins: Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00, closed 29 Dec-3 Jan·Free
Do
道後温泉本館
Grab your towel and go bathing! Dōgo Onsen is the oldest and most famous onsen in Japan, with a history stretching back over 3,000 years. Quite a few legends surround these waters. One says that the springs of Dōgo were discovered when, during the age of the gods, a heron placed his injured leg into hot water streaming out of a rock and was miraculously healed. Another claims that when an ill god bathed in the hot spring, the god recovered and danced for joy. The heron motif is everywhere inside the building. Tama no ishi or Yudama, the round rock from which the healing waters sprang, is the source of the symbol for Dōgo, though it looks more like a chestnut to some. There are two types of baths in the honkan for both men and women.; In January 2019, renovation works started on the Dogo Onsen Honkan during which the bath house is closed partially over the period of seven years. During the first of two phases of the renovation works, two small baths on the first floor remain open to visitors (one for each gender), while the rest of the building, including the rest areas on the second and third floors, gets closed. Some parts of the building will be covered up by scaffolding; however, some of the building's sides (the front and north sides during the first phase of the renovations) will intentionally be kept free of scaffolding to reduce the impact on tourism.