A cute Japanese girl Koharu-chan guided me around Dogo by rickshaw😊 | Matsuyama, Ehime

A cute Japanese girl Koharu-chan guided me around Dogo by rickshaw😊 | Matsuyama, Ehime

Me: Okay, let’s get started. She: Yeah, let’s do it. She: Please watch your step and ride on rickshaw. Me: Thank you. She: I’ll put a blanket on you. Me: This rickshaw is beautiful. She: Yeah, it’s because the boss takes good care of it. She: Thank you for coming for a ride today.

She: I’m “Koharu”. I’ll do my best today. She: Okay, I’ll lift it up. Please lean back. She: I’ll lift it up. She: Then, let’s depart. She: We’re off! She: Thank you for coming for a ride today. Me: Thank you too. She: Are you here to sightsee? Me: Yeah.

She: Where did you come from? Me: I’m from Asakusa, Tokyo. She: Wow. You came from the urban city. Thank you. Me: Is it OK if I call you “Koharu-chan”? She: Yeah, sure. Me: Have you ever been to Tokyo?

She: Yeah, I went to Tokyo when I participated in a national tournament for my college club. I also found a rickshaw in Tokyo at that time. Me: You made it to the national tournament? That’s amazing. She: Thank you. She: I’m on the cheerleading club. Me: Oh, I see.

Me: Are you a college student? She: Yeah, I’m a sophomore in college. Me: Wow, you are young. She: Yeah, I’m 19. Me: Are you 19 years old? Wow, so young. She: Today I’ll guide you through the “Shiki-san Course. This course is a tour around “Dogo” area. Me: Thank you.

Me: What kind of area is Dogo? She: Matsuyama City has a castle town centering on Matsuyama Castle. She: A little distance away from the castle town is Dogo Hot Springs. The scenery and shopping streets around Dogo Onsen are sightseeing spots, and this area is Dogo.

Me: Yeah, there are many inns and hot springs in this area. She: That’s right. Me: There are also plenty of facilities for tourists to enjoy after their visit to the hot springs.

She: Yeah, there are a lot of tourists in this area wearing Yukata and walking around the shopping street after enjoying the hot springs. Me: I like this town, it has a very nice atmosphere. She: Yeah, I agree. She: Oh, a karakuri clock performance has started. Me: Oh, yeah.

She: I want to show that clock to the viewers. She: It’s a distance from here, can you see it? Me: Viewers, there is a karakuri clock(mechanism clock) over there. She: I think the performance of the karakuri clock has just started because I can see the Madonna doll. Me: Yeah.

Me: It’s a performance of dancing mechanical dolls, right? She: That’s right. She: That clock building is a two-tiered structure, but it transforms into a four-tiered structure when the performance begins. She: And the doll of a character from the novel called “Botchan” starts to dance.

She: That performance starts every 30 minutes. It just started. She: But our destination is on this side, so we will depart. Me: Yeah. She: Matsuyama is an area where Haiku poetry is very popular, and there are many such monuments in the city.

Me: Matsuyama is the birthplace of many famous writers and poets, right? She: Yeah, so many. She: “Shiki Masaoka”, a famous Japanese poet, was born in Matsuyama. Also, the writer “Soseki Natsume” was also a teacher in Matsuyama. She: Soseki Natsume wrote a novel “Botchan” set in Matsuyama. This novel is very famous in Japan.

She: Literature has taken root in this town. Me: Yeah, a number of famous Japanese literary works have their roots in Matsuyama. She: That’s right. She: But not much is known about that.

She: In this “Shiki-san course”, I will first introduce you about Shiki Masaoka. Do you know about him? Me: Yeah. I know him. She: The Shiki Memorial Museum is located there. There are many materials on display in that museum that will help you learn more about Shiki Masaoka.

Me: Could you simply explain to foreign viewers why Shiki Masaoka is famous in Japan? She: Let’s see… Shiki Masaoka was a person who became famous as a master of haiku. Me: Yeah, that’s right. She: Shiki Masaoka was born in Matsuyama. She: Therefore, haiku is popular in Matsuyama.

She: So haiku monuments are placed at various locations in Matsuyama City. She: Have you ever found a haiku post? Me: No, I never found it. She: Haiku post boxes are located at sightseeing spots and on trains in Matsuyama City.

She: Pencil and paper are placed on the haiku post boxes. Tourists can write their haiku on the paper and post them in the post boxes. She: The haiku that are posted in those post boxes are transported to that Shiki Memorial Museum.

She: Do you know Haiku Koshien? Me: Oh, I don’t know much about it. She: In Matsuyama, an event called Haiku Koshien is held. She: In that event, high school students from all over Japan gather to compete with each other on the quality of their haiku.

She: In Matsuyama, various haiku events such as this one are held. She: Actually, Matsuyama elementary and junior high school students are required to write 100 haiku for school assignments during the summer vacation. Me: Really? Wow. She: In Tokyo, that can’t happen, right? Me: Yeah, that never happens in Tokyo.

She: I did that for a school assignment. She: So the last day of summer vacation was very busy. She: Therefore, haiku has taken root in the life of Matsuyama citizens. Me: Oh, I see. She: Inside the museum, Shiki Masaoka’s writing room has been recreated and his tools are on display.

She: Also, Shiki Masaoka became famous for other things besides haiku. Me: Oh, really? She: He became famous in some sport. Do you know what sport it is? Me: Yeah, I know the answer to that one. She: Please answer the name of that sport. Me: Baseball. She: You’re correct. How did you know?

Me: I read a baseball comic book a long time ago that featured this story. She: Oh, I see. She: Shiki Masaoka was also a baseball Hall of Famer. She: He had studied abroad when he was young.

She: He got his first experience of baseball while studying abroad. This is because the sport of baseball did not yet exist in Japan at that time. She: He returned to Japan and popularized baseball in Japan. She: Baseball is a very popular sport in Japan today.

She: This is thanks of him. I was surprised when I learned about this. Me: Yeah. She: Baseball is “yakyu” in Japanese. It is written “Ya(no)” and “kyu (boru)” in kanji. Me: Yeah, that’s right. She: The name “Shiki” of Masaoka Shiki is a pseudonym. She: His real name is “Noboru”. Me: Oh, really?

She: His name is the same as the Japanese word for baseball. I was excited when I found this out. Me: Wow. That’s interesting. She: Yeah, very interesting. She: His real name is Noboru. She: This Shiki Memorial Museum is dedicated to haiku. At another location is the Noboru Museum.

She: The Noboru Museum is located a little farther from here, next to the baseball field. She: The Noboru Museum introduces the history of Shiki Masaoka and the spread of baseball in Matsuyama. Me: Is that baseball field you mean “Botchan Stadium”? She: Yeah, I mean Botchan Stadium.

She: That museum is located next to the baseball field. She: Later we will pass by a bronze statue of Shiki Masaoka wearing a baseball uniform and holding a baseball bat. I will introduce it then. She: I introduced you about Shiki Masaoka. Me: Thank you. She: Now, please look to the right a little.

She: Over there is “Dogo Park”. She: At the entrance to the park, there is a sign board that reads “Ruins of Yuzuki Castle, a National Historic Site”. She: In the past, there used to be a castle built there. Me: Oh, I see. She: Therefore, there is a moat around this park.

She: The grounds of this park are so vast that Matsuyama citizens often take walks in this park. She: After the castle was torn down, a zoo was built on that place. Me: Oh, I see.

She: However, the zoo was relocated to an area called Tobe because of the many complaints from nearby residents due to animal smells and animal noises. She: Do you know Tobe Zoo? Me: Oh, yeah, I know it. She: The Tobe Zoo is famous for its white bear named Peace.

She: This white bear named Peace was the first white bear that Tobe Zoo succeeded in artificially nursing in Japan. Me: Wow. She: I would like to encourage tourists to visit that zoo, but it is located far from here. Me: Oh, yeah.

She: Okay, let’s go for a drive along this Dogo Park. Me: Yeah. She: In spring, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom in this park. Me: Oh, I see. She: The park is filled with paper lanterns, food stalls, and ground sheets, allowing visitors to enjoy a Japanese “Hanami” (cherry blossom viewing) experience.

Me: That’s good. She: I also stopped by this park on my way home from this job to enjoy the Hanami. She: This is the only roadway on this Shiki-san course where rickshaws are allowed to run on the roadway. She: I’m careful not to be honked at by cars on the roadway.

She: We’ll turn left. Me: Why did you start this job? She: Actually, I didn’t have any particular reason. I started because it looked interesting. Me: Oh, I see. Me: How do you feel about this job? She: I enjoy it very much.

She: Many college girls want to work part-time in cute cafes and trendy restaurants. She: But I was not interested in those part-time jobs. She: I enjoy this job because I get to talk to a lot of tourists and guide them through the city.

She: And since I am interested in the tourism industry, I would like to use this experience in my job search. Me: That’s nice. She: Now, I will show you a very special view from here.

She: This is the only spot in the Dogo area where Matsuyama Castle can be seen. Me: Oh, it’s true. I can see Matsuyama Castle in far away. Me: I’ll zoom in. Viewers, can you see the castle? She: It looks small from here.

She: To get to Matsuyama Castle, take a train from Dogo Onsen Station to Okaido Station, about five stops away by train. She: Since the castle is located on top of a mountain, visitors can take a ropeway to the castle’s main building.

She: This view spot was discovered by chance by the my boss and me. Me: It’s a great view spot. She: That machine always recognizes me as a car. She: This is the moat I mentioned earlier.

She: This moat is still filled with water in the present day. The moat at Matsuyama Castle is more magnificent. Me: This moat is great too. She: Yeah. She: Oh, a car gave way to us. Thanks.

She: This is a photographic signboard of Dogo Onsen(Hot Springs). That building is under construction now, so tourists cannot see this exterior. Me: Viewers, there is this building where we departed place today. But the building is currently under construction and is covered by a colorful curtain. She: Yeah, this is Dogo Onsen.

She: This photograph is a shot of the hot spring building from the back. She: The green roofed building is still visible today because it is not covered by a curtain. Me: Oh, you mean the building on the right. She: Yeah.

She: All other buildings are covered by curtains. There is a red building in the center, and inside that building is a large Taiko drum, a specialty of Dogo Onsen. She: Currently, the sound of the Taiko drums can be heard, but the Taiko drums cannot be seen.

She: When construction is finished, tourists will be able to see all the buildings again. Me: Can tourists currently bathe in the hot springs at Dogo Onsen? She: Yeah, they can. She: The number of people allowed to bathe is limited, so tourists must receive a numbered ticket and wait their turn.

Me: Okay, I understand. She: There are so many tourists who come here without knowing that Dogo Onsen is under construction. She: We are always in front of Dogo Onsen, so tourists often ask us “Where is Dogo Onsen?”. She: We point to the colorful curtains and answer that “This is Dogo Onsen”. Me: Yeah.

She: They look very sad when they know this. She: So we tell them that they can bathe in the Dogo Onsen. She: Originally, the second floor of Dogo Onsen was a place for people to relax after bathing in the hot spring.

She: That place is also not open to visitors until the construction is finished. She: That curtain is scheduled to be removed this February. Me: This February? Isn’t it next February? She: Oh, you’re correct. It’s next February. Me: I understand.

She: It makes a good sight when this rickshaw stops in front of the buildings of Dogo Onsen, which are not covered by curtains. She: But it is a pity that we cannot show that scene to tourists now. Me: Yeah.

Me: Viewers, if you like, next year you can check out when the construction is finished and come here for a rickshaw ride. She: Yeah. We are looking forward to seeing you. She: But it’s only a few more months before we can see Dogo Onsen covered by curtains. Me: Ah, yeah.

She: It is said that the construction of Dogo Onsen currently underway is a once-in-a-century project. Me: Wow. She: So it’s a rare experience to we can see the construction of Dogo Onsen. Me: Yeah. She: It’s a rare construction for a limited time.

She: This is where the cleanup after the festival is taking place right now. The Matsuyama Autumn Festival was held over the past few days. She: Are there any festivals in Tokyo where “Omikoshi(portable shrine)” is used? Me: Sanja Festival held in Asakusa uses “Omikoshi” (portable shrines). She: Oh, I see.

She: Are there be many Omikoshi at that festival? Me: Yeah. She: Do that festival have any Omikoshi fights? Me: No, they don’t do it. She: At the this festival, Omikoshi collide with each other at this point. She: Two Omikoshi are prepared here and collide with each other.

Me: Two Omikoshi fighting? She: Yeah, it’s a fight. Me: Wow. She: I can’t say it out loud, but a lot of ambulances are called to this festival. She: This morning a Omikoshi fights took place around 7:00 AM.

She: Today a man wearing a festival costume came for a rickshaw ride. He said “I’ve been fighting”. She: Now the cleanup of the remains of that festival is underway. She: Today, the town’s children also carried the Omikoshi. It was a cute sight.

She: Okay, I’ll show you the second guide spot. Please look here. She: This is Dogo Onsen Station. She: Are there streetcars in Tokyo? Me: Yeah, there are streetcars in Tokyo. But they don’t operate over such a wide area as in Matsuyama.

She: Oh, I see. In Matsuyama, many citizens use streetcars to commute to work or school. She: Tokyo has subways and bullet trains, right? Me: Yeah. She: I’m so jealous. Because Matsuyama doesn’t have them. She: Matsuyama has only local trains and streetcars. Me: Oh, I see.

She: Over there, a streetcar is stopping. Me: Yeah. She: The streetcar route map of Matsuyama looks like the shape of the number 6. Me: Oh, is that so? She: Huh? Is my hand facing the correct? Me: Yeah, you’re correct.

She: The part of my middle finger is the first and last station, here at Dogo Onsen Station. She: In the center of the circle part of 6 is Matsuyama Castle. Me: Oh, I see.

She: Since this station is the first and last station, it has a station building, which is unusual for a streetcars station. Me: It’s a stylish building. She: Yeah, it’s a stylish and cute building.

Me: This Starbucks is very stylish inside. She: Yeah, that’s right. This used to be a souvenir shop until a few years ago, but a Starbucks recently opened here. She: Coincidentally, the building was originally green, which matched the color of the Starbucks. Me: Oh, I see.

She: It’s a stylish and cute station building. Me: Yeah, I agree. She: This Starbucks has a brick cash register counter. I heard it was the store’s special feature. Me: Oh, it’s true. It’s brick. She: Each Starbucks location has its own unique store design. The Starbucks in Dogo is brick.

She: I like this store design. Me: Yeah. She: That lamp post design is also my favorite. Me: Oh, that’s nice. She: There are several of those lamp posts around here. Those are cute designs. She: The landscape of this area recreates the retro atmosphere of Meiji-era Japan. Me: Yeah.

She: The streetcars in Matsuyama are operated by a railroad company called “Iyo Railway”. She: Iyo Railway uses orange and white as the company’s image colors. She: The bodies of many streetcars are designed in orange and white. This represents something. What do you think it is? Me: Mandarin oranges. She: You’re correct.

She: Tangerines are a specialty of Ehime Prefecture. For this reason, it was also used in the design of the streetcar body. She: I’ll ask you one more question. Orange and white are used in the streetcar design. What do you think the white color represents? Me: Well… She: Look, it’s an orange streetcar.

Me: I think the white represents Matsuyama Castle? She: Oh, incorrect. Me: I don’t know the answer. She: Hint, “some part of a mandarin orange”. Me: Mandarin orange’s pith. She: Oh, many people answer that. She: The correct answer is the mandarin orange flower. Me: Oh, the mandarin orange flowers are white? She: Yeah.

She: This character is “Mican”. It is a very popular Ehime character based on the mandarin orange. Me: Cute. She: The original “Mican” has a body and a tail with a white flower. My “Mican” has only a face. Me: Oh, I see.

She: Mandarin orange and white flowers are the image colors of Iyo Railway. She: On weekdays, a steam locomotive called “Botchan Train” stops here. This train looks quite different from a streetcar. She: But on holidays, it runs only three times a day. It looks like it has just departed.

Me: So it’s running in Matsuyama City now? She: Yeah, that train is running somewhere in Matsuyama right now. She: I wanted to show it to your viewers. She: Please include a image of that train in this video. Me: Okay. I’ll try to search for an image I can use.

She: This is where we usually take photos of our customers on rickshaws. She: I think this is a good place to take photos. She: Yeah. She: A blue sky, station building, and rickshaw in the frame together make a good photo. She: Okay, I’ll show you the next spot. Me: Yeah.

She: We’ll move near the Karakuri Clock. She: There is also a bronze statue of Shiki Masaoka wearing a baseball uniform here. She: There is a bronze statue of Masaoka Shiki under the tree. Can you see it? She: That is Shiki Masaoka. Me: Yeah. She: He’s holding a baseball bat.

Me: Thank you for showing that. She: Yeah. She: I have more to show you. She: There is an amazing shrine called “Isaniwa Shrine”. She: It’s a little far from here, can you see that shrine? She: Oh, you may not be able to see it hidden by the stone lantern.

Me: Oh, I can see it. She: The stone steps of that shrine are very long. The Isaniwa Shrine is at the end of the stone steps. Me: Yeah, there’s a shrine. She: Now, a festival is being held at that shrine. It has a lively atmosphere.

She: That shrine is dedicated to the deity of academics. If visitors visit that shrine, I’m sure they’ll become smarter. She: The deity of that shrine is said to be good at mathematics. She: During the New Year’s period, that stone steps are lined with long lines of worshippers.

Me: It looks like a tough walk up that stone steps. She: Yeah, it’s very strenuous. She: In the shrine’s grounds, “Zenzai (Japanese sweet made from soy bean paste)” is sold. It’s my favorite. She: Actually, before a college club game, I visited that shrine with my college club mates and we won that game.

Me: Wow. She: That shrine has strong blessings. Me: Wow. She: Oh, that karakuri clock light came on. I think it will start working soon. She: It is now time for the performance of the karakuri clock.

Me: Does that karakuri clock do a performance every 30 minutes on weekends? She: Yeah, that’s right. And on weekdays, it performs every hour. She: That karakuri clock was built 29 years ago. She: 29 years ago was just the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Dogo Onsen. Me: Oh, I see.

She: Oh, it’s starting. She: The shape of the clock transforms, and a Taiko drum comes out from inside. That represents the Taiko drum inside the building of Dogo Onsen. Me: Oh, I see. She: The clock has flipped and the Madonna has appeared. Me: Yeah.

She: Many characters from the novel “Bo-chan” written by Soseki Natsume will appear from that karakuri clock. Me: Oh, I see. She: It’s going to transform even more. She: From inside, a scene of a hot spring will appear. Me: Oh, there are many naked men. She: Yeah, that’s right.

She: The clock building has been transformed to 4 floors. Me: The clock building is now bigger. She: Yeah, please pay even more attention after this. She: The main character “Botchan” is appears. She: The man wearing the blue Hakama is “Botchan”.

She: Look, a rickshaw even made an appearance, look at the 2nd floor. Me: Oh, it’s true. I found a rickshaw. She: Actually, there is a secret character in the hot springs at the bottom.

She: There is a man with a short moustache in the hot spring. Actually, that man is Soseki Natsume. Me: Oh, really? She: I can’t see him yet. Me: Let’s find Soseki Natsume. She: Yeah. She: Maybe we can find him soon. She: Huh? I can’t find him easily.

She: Oh, the next man is Soseki Natsume. She: Look, that man has a short moustache. Me: Oh, it’s true. There is a man who has a short moustache. She: He is Soseki Natsume. Me: Yeah. She: This is the performance of the that karakuri clock. Me: Thank you for the explanation.

She: Can you guess what kind of bird is on top of the karakuri clock? Me: Let’s see… a heron? She: Yeah, you’re right. She: That bird is a white heron.

She: It is said that about 3,000 years ago, an heron with an injured leg flew to Dogo and soaked its leg in the hot spring water, which healed the injured leg. She: This bridge has a painting of an heron soaking its legs in a hot spring.

She: Because of this legend, the heron is the symbol of Dogo. She: There are also heron objets on the buildings of Dogo Onsen and Asuka-no-Yu, which we are now going to visit. She: There is a footbath for tourists next to the karakuri clock. Anyone can use that footbath for free.

She: That footbath uses the same hot spring as Dogo Onsen. Me: Wow. She: Viewers, you should try that footbath. Me: Yeah. She: Okay, we’ll enter the shopping arcade. She: An art event is being held here right now. It’s rainbow colored. Me: Wow. She: This rainbow lasts a long distance.

She: There is a face cutout board here. Me: Yeah. Me: There are a lot of food stores in this shopping arcade, aren’t there? She: Yeah, all good food. She: At the restaurant on the right, tai-meshi (red snapper rice), a local dish of Ehime Prefecture, is popular.

Me: I like tai-meshi. She: Yeah, it’s so good. She: Did you eat it today? Me: Yeah, I ate. She: Which type of tai-meshi did you eat? Me: I had Uwajima tai-meshi, which is my favorite.

She: Uwajima tai-meshi is rice topped with rice and sashimi of sea bream, served with a raw egg and Japanese sauce. She: There is another type of tai meshi. It is Matsuyama tai meshi. She: Matsuyama tai-meshi is made by cooking sea bream and rice together.

Me: Sounds delicious. She: Yeah, both types of tai-mei are delicious. She: I prefer Matsuyama tai-meshi. Me: Oh, yeah. She: Rice cooked with sea bream is very delicious. Me: Viewers, if you have a chance to come to Matsuyama, you should try tai-meshi. She: Yeah.

She: There is an interesting store in this alley. It’s a shooting store. Me: Wow. She: There are several interesting stores in the alleys of Dogo, so you should enjoy exploring them. She: The Tobe area, where the Tobe Zoo mentioned earlier is located, is home to the traditional craft of Tobe pottery.

She: This is a store for Tobe pottery. Me: Oh, Tobe pottery. She: Yeah. She: Tobe pottery is white pottery with dark blue patterns painted on it. Me: Oh, I see. She: This is a cute pudding store. She: Many new stores have recently opened in the Dogo area.

She: Especially, there are more and more stores with cute looking sweets. Because those are popular among young people. She: The store I would most recommend is this “Tsuboya”. She: Do you know about Botchan dango? Me: Oh, I don’t know it, so please tell me.

She: Botchan dumplings are what I think are the most delicious dumplings in Ehime. She: Please look at that picture. He is Soseki Natsume. Me: Oh, yeah. She: Novel manuscripts are also on display. Me: Oh, it’s true.

She: This store was the based on the dumpling shop that appeared in the novel ” Botchan”. It is also the birthplace of Ehime’s Botchan dumpling. Me: Oh, I see. She: My boss and I compared various dumplings in Ehime and found that this store’s Botchan dumplings were the most delicious. Me: Wow.

She: In the Dogo area, there has long been a custom of eating “Yuzarashi dumpling” which is a rice cake with sweetened red bean paste. She: Soseki Natsume loved those dumplings, and Yuzarashi dumplings appear in his novel “Botchan”. Me: Oh, I see.

She: That store began selling ” Botchan dumplings” after the dumplings appeared in the novel “Botchan”. Me: I see. She: Tsuboya has the most delicious anko (sweet red bean paste). Me: Good. She: The texture of the dumpling dough is also wonderful, so I often go buy it and recommend it to those around me.

Me: So you like it very much? She: Yeah, very much. She: We arrived at “Asuka-no-yu”. She: If you search for Dogo Onsen on Instagram, you will find many photos of this colorful floor. Me: This is also a hot spring facility, right? She: Yeah, that’s right.

She: There are 3 buildings, the main building, an annex, and Tsubaki no Yu, all of which are hot spring facilities. She: This Asuka-no-yu is a hot spring facility that was built about 5 years ago. Asuka-no-yu was built as an annex to Dogo Onsen.

She: This Asuka-no-yu is a recommended hot spring facility for tourists. Because it is fully equipped with amenities. Me: Oh, that’s great. She: Yeah. She: The buildings of Asuka-no-Yu are made to resemble structures from the Asuka period. The building is characterized by its red and white coloring. Me: Oh, I see.

Me: It’s a nice looking building. She: Yeah. It’s beautiful. She: Projection mapping performances are held every hour in the building. She: It plays images of phoenixes flying around, etc. Me: Wow. She: There is also an open-air bath here. Me: Oh, that’s nice.

She: On the second floor, there are private rooms and a large guest room so you can spend a relaxing time after taking a bath. She: In the building, traditional crafts and works of art are on display, so you can enjoy viewing them.

She: The yukata that the person on that balcony is wearing is one that can be rented in this building. Me: Oh, that’s nice. She: The view from that balcony is beautiful.

She: Since that an art event is held now, this place, the curtains covering the buildings of Dogo Onsen, and the shopping arcade are decorated with colorful designs. She: Do you know Mika Ninagawa? Me: Yeah, she’s a famous artist. She: This is her art work. Me: Wow.

She: At night, those lanterns are lit up and it’s really beautiful. Me: Oh, I see. She: We usually take photos of our customers here as well. Me: Oh, I see. She: Okay, we’ll move to the front of the Dogo Onsen building. Me: Yeah.

She: Did you like Dogo? Me: Yeah, Dogo is very nice. Me: Since all sightseeing spots in Dogo are located near the station, I can enjoy sightseeing comfortably without the tiredness of moving around. She: Exactly. I’m glad you said that.

She: I think people will enjoy sightseeing more once the building construction of Dogo Onsen is finished. Me: Yeah. She: Recently, there are many foreign tourists. Me: Can you guide foreign tourists in English? She: Well… I can guide them with my gesture, flow and energetic. Me: So viewers can ride on your rickshaw?

She: Of course! I’ll learn English more so please come for a ride on our rickshaw. She: I look forward to seeing viewers. She: When the construction of the Dogo Onsen building is finished, the entrance to the Dogo Onsen building will be located at the exit of this shopping arcade.

Me: Viewers, originally, there is the Dogo Onsen building that we saw in the picture earlier just ahead. She: Yeah, that’s right. She: Now it’s possible to enter the Dogo Onsen building through the back entrance. She: Lastly, I’ll introduce Dogo Onsen. Me: Yeah.

She: I mentioned earlier that a karakuri clock was built 29 years ago to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Dogo Onsen. She: In other words, this Dogo Onsen has been in operation for 129 years. Me: Wow. She: It’s a hot spring with a long history.

She: Time has passed since the legend of the heron about 3,000 years ago, and this hot spring facility was built. She: This building was designated as a National Important Cultural Property. She: Now renovation construction is underway in order to preserve this building for many years to come.

She: The design of this curtain is an artwork called “Nekkei”. It represents the energy of a welling hot spring. She: I feel an atmosphere full of energy. Me: Yeah, I agree. She: It looks like a lot of colorful paper stuck on, but it’s a picture.

She: This is the work of a famous artist from Uwajima. Me: Oh, I see. She: Since it is a uniquely designed work of art, these days many tourists take photos of this.

She: When the construction of the building of Dogo Onsen is finished, I think tourists should come here again for take photos of the building. She: Usually, we take photos of our customers riding on rickshaws here.

Me: I had a great time today. She: Thank you for saying so. I had a great time too. She: Thank you for coming for a ride today. I’ll park the rickshaw here. Me: Yeah, thank you too. Me: Thank you for helping me shoot today. She: Thank you too.

She: Viewers, I’ll be waiting for you in Dogo. Me: Yeah. See you again.

I took a rickshaw ride in Dogo driven by a very cute girl driver, Koharu-chan!
Koharu-chan is a rickshaw driver working at “Rikisha honten” in the Dogo area of Matsuyama, Ehime.😊
Dogo area is a town of hot springs popular among tourists. And it is also an area with roots in Japanese literature.
Koharu-chan is a rickshaw driver who is a sophomore in college.
With her cute smile, she guided me around the town of Dogo. 😊
If you have a chance to visit Dogo, try her rickshaw ride. ^^

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Started channel memberships.
I would be happy if you would become a channel member and support me to continue producing videos for this channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxng_l4NNruu68l574IdJ8g/join
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▼Koharu-chan’s Instagram▼
　koha_rikisha
　https://www.instagram.com/koha_rikisha/

▼The rickshaw I rode on▼
Rikisha honten：
・Website
　https://rikisha.net/

・Instagram
　rikishamandogo
　https://www.instagram.com/rikishamandogo/

▼The store that Koharu-chan introduced to me▼
・Tsuboya kashiho
　https://tsuboya-kashiho.com/

Thank you for seeing through to the end!
I will continue to show you the charms of Japan, so please give me a high rating and subscribe to our channel if you like😊

#rickshaw
#人力車
#dogo
#matsuyama
#cute_japanese_girl
#japanese_street_foods
#japan_travel_vlog
#japan_2023
#dating_in_japan
#Osaka
#Asakusa
#Tokyo
#Trip
#japanese_travel
#인력거

I have done my best to translate the title, description, and subtitles, but I apologize for any errors in the content.
*This video was filmed with the permission of Ebisuya.

▼Main Camera : DJI POCKET 2
　https://amzn.to/3tuLKnq