A closer look
There is nothing quite like relaxing in a steaming pool of mineral water while knowing a literal emperor has a secret, vastly superior bathtub right down the hall. With over a thousand years of history, this labyrinthine wooden structure in Matsuyama is one of Japan's oldest operating bathhouses. The winding staircases and chaotic architectural extensions were so visually arresting that Hayao Miyazaki used them as the direct visual foundation for the spirit bathhouse in the legendary animated film 'Spirited Away.'
