Dogo Onsen (hot spring) in Matsuyama City, Ehime is a very popular spa area among both Japanese and foreigners.
There are so man

Traditional Japanese-style architecture, built 80 years ago and located near “Asuka-no-yu”.

It is a 2-minute walk from “Asuka-no-yu,” opened in 2018, to “DOUGOYA,” located at the head of the slope.

The wooden architecture, built in the beginning of the Showa period (1926-1989), has a history of 80 years.
The elegant sukiya style gate welcomes you.

The owner of the guest house is very cosmopolitan.

The owner of “DOUGOYA,” Hisatsugu Shimizu is also a clerk at his guesthouse.
His hometown is Hiroshima City, and he used to be a Japanese teacher in America.
He wanted to live in America, but as it was very difficult for him to get a visa,he had to come back to his hometown.
He then opened a guesthouse where people could enjoy cultural exchange in Miyajima(Hiroshima).

He owned a western-style guesthouse with beds.
He gradually realized he wanted to manage a traditional Japanese-style lodging while hosting people from outside of Japan.
Then, someone introduced him to this building, which had not been in use since 2010.
He fell in love with its majestic Japanese-style architecture, and immediately decided to move here.

Japanese food, tatami, futons…, you will be embraced by this fully Japanese-style inn.

After the renovation was finished, the guesthouse “DOUGOYA” opened in 2013.
You can relax at the “kotatsu” (Japanese foot warmer with a low dining table and a quilt) in the winter time.
You can have a Japanese-style breakfast with white rice and miso soup as an option.
Shimizu acts up to his principle, “Japanese-style guesthouse.”

All rooms come with tatami flooring, and this room is for the dormitory.
The pictures of the peacock feathers on the “fusuma” (sliding doors used to partition off rooms) is by MON (Kotaro Oyama), who also produced the wall painting at NIKE headquarters in America.

Some artists who take active part in the international art scene visit and stay here in order to create art works.

Feel the touch and sense of artists

The artwork in the living room was created by the live painting duo “DOPPEL,” a collaboration between MON and BAKIBAKI (Kohei Yamao), and is known as a work with unique geometrical patterns.

The motif of art is the Seven Deities of Good Fortune.
The outline of the drawing was finished without any corrections as 100 audience members were watching.
The impact and presence of the art is so powerful, and makes you feel that these deities will almost start moving.
This art is obviously very Instagramable.

A work by MAMI, who is a world-famous calligrapher, is displayed in the corridor!
“It doesn’t matter if I like or know about art very much,” Shimizu said.
“Once, I met one local artist and was moved by his strong lifestyle. That encounter was a beginning, and I started inviting artists to do performances here.”

You will feel happy with the hot spring and service.

You can enjoy a hot spring when you stay here, and it is a rare facility for guesthouse.
Some people, who don’t wish to be seen naked in a public bath, can experience a hot spring here as you can reserve the bathroom for exclusive use!

The service and conversations with Mr. Shimizu are very heart-warming and make you feel happy, just like the refreshment you feel after relaxing in a hot spring in Dogo!
The Japanese-style hospitality, with a hot spring, is just like a “ryokan (Japanese-style hotel).”
“DOUGOYA” is a guesthouse with leading-edge art, a unique clerk, and the essences of a Japanese-style ryokan.
You can enjoy a special time in the hot spring town of Dogo, right here!

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DOUGOYA
ADDRESS／6-38, Tako-cho, Dogo, Matsuyama-shi, Ehime
Phone／089-934-0661
Accommodation charge／Refer the website from URL below
Parking lot／Please use the coin-operated parking around
Nearest station/IYOTETSU Dogo Onsen Station
http://www.dougoya.com（Japanese）
http://www.dougoya.com/en（English）

Photographs and text by Eri Hatano