Taking the waters

Today we moved onto a city called Matsuyama, home to the Dogo Onsen, one of the oldest and most famous hot spring baths in Japan. People come from all over to bathe there for supposed medicinal benefit and to relax. Every morning, a drum is beaten in a small pavilion on the roof at 6.30am to signal that the bath is open. There is a carved white heron on the roof because legend has it that a wounded white heron once bathed in the waters as if it knew of their healing powers.

It was a lovely place with a really relaxed atmosphere. People wear traditional 'yakuta' robes in the baths, but it's also acceptable to wear them in the streets nearby as well, or to and fro the baths and local hotels. It's obviously a big treat to come to the baths as this shot of enthusiastic visitors shows. The Japanese love their group shots!