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 Yamatoya is one
of the best and most popular ryokan and onsen in
Southern Japan. A mineral water source that is
believed to be one of the oldest in Japan is
found in Matsuyama, the city of one of Japan's
better remaining castles, on Shikoku Island. The
famous Dogo Onsen Honkan dates from 1894. From
its interior, the bath building looks exactly
like a mini wooden castle. The ceiling of the
honkan (the main building) is graced with a
legendary white heron. Guests will know the
exact time of the opening of the bath because a
large bell will be rung at 6.30am sharp every
day. Dogo
Photo: Yamatoya Besso
Onsen Honkan is so popular that even
guests, who are staying at nearby ryokan with
their own private mineral water sources, still
wish to join in the more public and often
crowded Honkan baths.
Yamatoya Besso is
located very close to Dogo Onsen Honkan and
offers modern-day comforts with its own unique
history and hot soothing waters. This
second-home was originally built in 1868 but was
closed and totally rebuilt in the 1980s with the
knowledge brought back by the Okumura family who
has traveled throughout Japan and studied the
design and concept of some of the most refined
inns in Japan. What you can see here at Yamatoya
Besso is light and spacious, a highly tasteful
melding of stylish Sukiya understatement with
more modern luxuries. Yamatoya Besso's natural
cypress interiors are smartly lit and
judiciously accented with gold-leaf screens,
small silk-clad and intriguing haiku scrolls.
Visitors here have the opportunity to witness
the seventeen syllables of well-known poets
which are exhibited in a gallery of the haiku.
Another interesting attraction seen here at Dogo
Onsen Honkan is a room filled with photos of the
famous writer Soseki Natsume who impressions of
this area is immortalized in his novel, Botchan.
There is even a little Botchan tourist train
that runs through Matsuyama today.
There are currently
nineteen rooms found here at Yamatoya Besso
whereby all are named after flowers and these
rooms are spacious suites of two to three
adjoining rooms with private bathrooms. Guests
staying at this famous spa inn can expect a
kaiseki dinner, whose origins are from the noble
courts of Kyoto, of several delicious courses
and breakfast, which are served in the huge
guests' room, whereby the food include the
freshest produce of the season. At the guests
convenience, more and more ryokan are becoming
more flexible with the timing and presentation
of these meals where guests are allowed to
specify the time for dinner and meals can be
taken in a separate dining room. Your spa
experience at this onsen ryokan is surely to be
memorable due to the detailed attention and
excellent services by the hostess. There are two
indoor male and female spring baths here at
Yamatoya Besso which are joined to the open-air
baths. For a truly Japanese tradition, ladies
are given a choice of beautiful choice of cotton
kimono designs. At this famous onsen resort, the
welfare of its guests is always very well taken
care of and it even goes to the extend of making
sure that the outpouring of bath-side beer is
adequate and the offering of ionized drinking
water post-bath to its guests. This place is
definitely a good example to show foreign
visitors the unique rituals of a night spent at
a great Japanese inn whereby these onsen ryokan
are dwellings of peace and retreats from the
anxiety of the wider world.
Located at :
2-27 Sagiya-cho, Dogo,
Matsuyama-shi,
Ehime-ken
790-0836,
Japan.
Telephone :
81 (0)89 931 7771
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