Dogo-Kan

The communal bath here runs on piped-in Dogo onsen water, with a hot pool, a cooler one, a standing waterfall bath (which uses plain water), a reclining bath, an open-air bath and a sauna, in separate wings for men and women. There's also a foot bath lined with pebbles for a bit of reflexology. Nine rooms on the seventh floor come with their own garden-style open-air bath fed by the same spring water; some other rooms have an in-room bath that is not onsen water. The building was designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa (黒川紀章), pairing Edo-period tradition with a modern touch. The walk down to the communal bath passes through a lane meant to recall Dogo's old townscape before opening into a stone-and-wood bathing hall. Dogo itself ranks among Japan's oldest hot springs, with a mention as far back as the Nihon Shoki (日本書紀).