10-day self-guided trip in Shikoku – staying at Hotel Tsubakikan on the fourth night

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Day 4

In the afternoon of the fourth day, we arrived at Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama. Of course, we had to stay for a night! After parking our car at Hotel Tsubakikan (paid parking), we didn’t unload our luggage right away. Instead, we explored the surrounding shopping streets and the area around the iconic Dogo Onsen Main Building. By evening, we checked in, went upstairs, and placed our luggage in the room.

When we returned from strolling around Dogo Onsen, the parking lot was nearly full. Thankfully, we had parked earlier. The hotel lobby surprised us with its spaciousness – the first floor alone has a ceiling height equivalent to about four floors.

We stayed in Room 322 on the third floor. The Japanese-style room was recently renovated and felt very new. Walking on the tatami mats was comfortable, and sleeping on them at night was wonderful. By the window, there was a small seating area for relaxation and chatting.

The bathroom and toilet were in separate spaces. Surprisingly, the bathroom was so well-hidden that we didn’t even notice it until the next day since our family enjoyed the large public bath instead.

As a welcoming treat, we received traditional Japanese snacks, a lovely feature of staying in Japanese-style accommodations. However, post-pandemic, many hotels no longer provide loose-leaf green tea, offering tea bags instead, which don’t quite match the flavor of freshly brewed loose-leaf tea.

In the afternoon, we took a dip in the public bath. Since there were few people, we enjoyed both the indoor and outdoor baths comfortably. Dinner time soon followed, and we headed downstairs. The hallways, carpeted in red, featured floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a view of the first-floor lobby.

In the lobby, there was a station where you could try freshly squeezed local orange juice directly from a tap – a signature product of the area. A small cup was just enough to savor its unique flavor.

Dinner was a buffet with a wide variety of dishes. It had been a long time since we enjoyed such an extensive selection at a hotel, including multiple ice cream flavors, even unlimited Haagen-Dazs!

After a short rest, at around 8 PM, we attended the Matsuyama Waterwheel Taiko Drum Performance. Sitting in the front row, we were immersed in the powerful sound of the first drumbeat – a truly electrifying experience. No wonder the lobby was designed with high ceilings; the taiko drum sounds filled the entire space.

Day 5

After a restful night at Hotel Tsubakikan , we enjoyed a lavish breakfast. Since I missed the curry rice during dinner, I made sure to grab a bowl of white rice topped with curry sauce in the morning.

The breakfast included both Western and Chinese-style dishes. With a nine-compartment tray to sample a little bit of everything, we could try a variety of options before going back for favorites. Both dinner and breakfast were so abundant that I wished I had a bigger stomach to enjoy it all!😅