DOGO ONSEN STATION (MATSUYAMA)

Old-fashioned station evokes Soseki's era

Photos by Naoko Yamagishi, Special to the Daily Yomiuri

By Ryuji Yanagisawa

Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

As the streetcar slowly turned left, an elegant two-story building caught my eye through the shaking glass of the car window.

The slate roof with steel decorations and tall window frames painted light green, identified it as a Western-style building. In fact, it was Dogo streetcar station, a symbol of the famed Dogo hot spring that dates back to the "Chronicles of Japan," written in 720.

In his novel "Botchan" (Little Master), Soseki Natsume had nothing good to say about Matsuyama after being posted there as a middle school English teacher, saying "There is nothing worth seeing here compared with Tokyo (except for the hot spring)." The station, however, had a character like none in Tokyo.

The current station building was rebuilt in 1986 and is identical to the original one, built in the late Meiji period (1868-1912), which had become outmoded.

Initially, Iyo Railway Co. had planned to turn the old station into a terminal building with a hotel and shopping facilities. Local shops opposed the plan and urged the company to preserve the appearance of the original building.

"This is the symbol of Dogo," said Kazuo Hachisuga, 55, president of the local shop owners association and owner of a coffee shop in front of the station. Born and raised in Dogo, Hachisuga recalls using the station for all his travels.

"That's why I feel attached to this station. This is a treasure that must be protected by all the people of Dogo," Hachisuga said.

The streetcar, with a stylish red line running the length of its deep-green body, puffed out white smoke from a small chimney as it moved along. The "Botchan train," which resembles steam locomotives from the time when Soseki moved to Matsuyama, began running three years ago. It resembles a toy train in an amusement park and runs on the same track as the orange streetcar. It was the train described as a "moving matchbox" in the story of Botchan.

The most famed tourist attraction in Dogo is the Dogo Onsen main building, which closely resembles a castle. However, a new type of hot spring — footbaths built in such places as the station square and the neighboring ryokans — has begun catching up with it in terms of popularity. The 10 footbaths all are unique — one has the traditional rock structure of a hot spring, while another sells boiled eggs cooked in its waters. Adding to the fun, and making them accessible to all, is the fact that all the footbaths are free.

The Meiji-era station was the gateway to a new type of fun.