Takeo Onsen Romon Gate
武雄温泉楼門
A vermilion gate in dragon-palace style, designed by Tatsuno Kingo, the architect of Tokyo Station, without a single iron nail. It is the emblem of Takeo Onsen, a hot spring with a history of about 1,300 years.
Takeo Onsen has a history of roughly 1,300 years, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Miyamoto Musashi and Siebold all came here to bathe. The gate and the new building, completed in 1915, were designed by Tatsuno Kingo. The vermilion-lacquered balance-style gate was built without iron nails and is an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The new building preserves Taisho-era tiled bathing pools, which can be visited for a fee (closed on Wednesdays). The public baths inside the gate, Motoyu and Horaiyu, can be enjoyed on the same day for about 500 yen. It's a 15-minute walk from Takeo Onsen Station on the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen.
Opening hours
Entrance gate open all day; Genyu bath approx. 06:30–24:00
Nearby sights
- Takeo Shrine & Great Camphor Tree
- Takeo City Library
- Mifuneyama Rakuen
- Ureshino Onsen & Toyotamahime Shrine
- Hasami Ware (Nakaoyama & Nishinohara)
- Todoroki Falls Park
- Arita Uchiyama & Tozan Shrine
- Okawachiyama, Imari