Dōgo Onsen Dōgo Onsen Dōgo Onsen is one of the oldest onsen hot springs in Japan, with a history stretching back over 1000 years. The springs are mentioned in the Man'yōshū (written c. 759) and, according to legend, Prince Shōtoku (574–622) used to partake of the waters. Dōgo Onsen was the favorite retreat of writer Natsume Sōseki (1867–1916) when he was working near Matsuyama as a teacher in what was at the time rural Shikoku. In Soseki's loosely autobiographical novel "Botchan", the eponymous main character is a frequent visitor to the springs, the only place he likes in the area. Dogo Onsen
Onsen hiragana character ゆ ("yu"), understandable to younger children, is used. Traditionally, onsens were located outdoors, although a large number of inns have now built indoor bathing facilities as well. Nowadays, as most households have their own bath, the number of traditional public baths has decreased, but the number of sightseeing hot spring towns has increased (most notable ones including Kinosaki Onsen, , and ). Onsens by definition use naturally hot water from geothermally heated springs. Onsens are different from sentō, indoor public bath houses where the baths are filled with heated tap water. Traditionally, men and women bathed together at