Hot water, old trolleys and a ferris wheel

Kenny and the Botchan Ressha.

Kenny and I changed hotels yesterday morning. We moved just a few miles across town, but the new hotel looks out over Dogo Onsen, a hot-spring spa that is supposed to date back 3000 years.
We checked in early, and then decided to head back across town.
Kenny has been tracking down sites and information related to two famous writers connected with the area - Natsume Soseki and Masaoka Shiki. (I'm reading Soseki's novel Botchan now. The onsen plays a part in this book, so that adds a little something to my reading.)
Yesterday, Kenny wanted to visit the home (or re-creation of the home) where Shiki lived. We set out from our new location near the onsen on the old-style trolley, named the Botchan Ressha. It is impossible to walk a block here without seeing something about these two writers. And of course the trolley also plays a part in Soseki's novel.

The conductor.

We found Shiki's modest house tucked between a small Zen temple and a cemetery.

Kenny tells me this is a tanuki. It's outside Shiki's house.

The house is also behind the Matsuyama Takashimaya department store, which features an enormous ferris wheel on the ninth floor roof. I've been a little obsessed with all the ferris wheels we've seen from train during this trip, and as we passed the store we found an ad that seemed to imply the ferris wheel was operating.

The ferris wheel from Shiki's house.

From the ferris wheel, with the castle in the distance.

Kenny decided to pass on the ferris wheel, so I went up alone, enjoyed a slow circle around, and seemed to be nearly level with the castle at the highest point.
We came back to the area near the onsen for lunch and then took a little break.
By 5:30 in the afternoon it was time to go to the onsen. I changed into to the yukata, or cotton kimono provided by the hotel, and Kenny and I walked across the street.
There are a few levels of service available at the onsen. We could have paid less than the equivalent of ten dollars for the more public baths, but we choose the more private bath and a tatami room with tea and snacks.
This was my second visit to an onsen, and it is sort of a little production. In this case, we were taken to our lounging room, and then we each headed down the stairs to the separate baths for men and women. I put my robe and glasses in the locker, cleaned up in the washing area, and eased my way into the hot water. This is mineral water, from someplace deep and volcanic, so it's not exactly the same as taking a hot bath. I stayed in the water until I felt nearly overcome by the heat, and then made my way back to our tatami room. We were taken on a tour of the emperor's private bath (no longer used) and then back to our room, where we were served sweet rice balls and tea.
Out on the street, and in the shopping arcade that begins near the entry to the onsen, many people, of all ages, where strolling around in their cotton kimonos and enjoying the warm evening.
Sushi for dinner and an early night.