3 Best Sights in Shikoku, Japan

Tell people you're heading to Matsuyama, and Dogo Onsen will be the first place they recommend. These hot springs have been the city's top attraction for the last millennium. Japan's oldest written text mentions it as a favorite of gods, emperors, and peasants alike, and it's still in daily use by locals and visitors. The main wooden building at present-day Dogo dates from 1894 and looks like a fairy tale castle; albeit one with scaffolding until exterior and interior renovations are completed (expected some time in 2022).

At this writing, you can access only the Kami-no-Yu baths, but once renovation work is complete, you'll once again (for additional fees) be able to try all the other baths there and enjoy tea and sweets after a good soak. As an alternative, there's always the swanky Asuka-no-Yu annex that opened nearby in 2017. Built in a traditional style, it offers an experience similar to Dogo Onsen, with several baths, tatami chill-out areas, the chance to don a lightweight yukata robe, and refreshments. All baths at both facilities are separated by gender. Remember proper onsen etiquette: wash and rinse yourself (and your towel) before getting into the bath (without your towel).

This public bath complex is like your average friendly Japanese town bathhouse, except for one thing: the extremely salty water. One or two of the baths in the multi-bath bathing area are salted with Hakata salt from the factory next door. Islanders believe salt baths help draw out impurities and beautify your skin, but if self-pickling is not your thing you can always take a dip in the non-saltwater indoor or outdoor baths.

Two minutes on foot from Miyanoura Port is Japan's funkiest public bath (yu means “hot water”). Created by artist Shinro Ohtake, the bathhouse contains, among other things, an aircraft cockpit, the bottom of a ship, and an elephant statue sourced from a museum of erotica. Towels, shampoo, and soap are for sale inside; the pools themselves are gender-segregated.