A Landmark Bathhouse in Imabari
The Imabari Radium Onsen Main Building (今治ラヂウム温泉本館) is a reinforced-concrete public bathhouse of the late Taisho era (1919 to 1926) in Kyoeicho, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 29, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey reinforced-concrete building with a building area of 408 square metres, a tower and a chimney; registration number 38-0115.
A Bathhouse with a Tower and Domes
The Imabari Radium Onsen Main Building is a reinforced-concrete public bathhouse in the centre of Imabari (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency records a renovation in 1988.
From the middle of the flat-roofed main block rises a tower that sets a hexagonal plan on top of a pentagonal one, and at the back the men's and women's baths stand side by side under octagonal domes (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency calls the exterior highly unusual.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency describes it as a precious landmark that has survived from before the war in Imabari, a city damaged in wartime, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the tower of stacked pentagonal and hexagonal plans and the octagonal domes over the baths at the back (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The way the tower and chimney rise from the flat-roofed block is clearest if you see both the front and the rear.
Visiting
The building is owned by Radium Onsen Co., Ltd. (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on opening hours or visits was found.
Q&A
- When was the Imabari Radium Onsen Main Building built?
- In the late Taisho era, between 1919 and 1926, with renovation in 1988 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is Imabari Radium Onsen?
- In Kyoeicho, in the centre of Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture.
- What should I look for?
- The tower of stacked pentagonal and hexagonal plans and the domed baths at the back.
- What kind of building is it?
- A two-storey reinforced-concrete public bathhouse with a tower and a chimney.
- When was the Imabari Radium Onsen Main Building registered?
- On November 29, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Imabari Radium Onsen Main Building (今治ラヂウム温泉本館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-2-8 Kyoeicho, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/11/29 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 2 storeys, 408 m², with tower and chimney |
| Owner | Radium Onsen Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | No official information on opening or visits |
References
- Imabari Radium Onsen Main Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011425
Last verified: 2026.10.19