Hurry if you want to go!“Dogo Onsen Honkan” to close completely for 7 years

▲ Dogo Onsen Honkan is a landmark of Matsuyama City. (Photo / From HowToTrip’s Ehime Travel fan page)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The iconic “Dogo Onsen Honkan,” reportedly one of the inspirations for Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away,” is a landmark of Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. Due to aging infrastructure, local authorities have decided to temporarily close the bathhouse for seismic reinforcement work starting autumn 2017. The reopening could take as little as five years or as long as seven years, so travelers should seize the opportunity to visit.

Dogo Onsen is ranked among Japan’s three ancient hot springs and gained fame through Natsume Soseki’s novel “Botchan.” But it is perhaps best known to Taiwanese travelers as one of the inspirations for the bathhouse in Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film “Spirited Away.” As a result, it attracts over one million domestic and international visitors every year.

With Dogo Onsen Honkan having stood for 122 years, many wooden structures have deteriorated. To carry out reinforcement and seismic strengthening, the bathhouse is scheduled to close completely from autumn 2017. However, due to the extensive nature of the work, the city of Matsuyama estimates that reopening could take at least five years and up to seven years. If partial operations and renovations are carried out simultaneously, the project may take as long as nine years to complete.