Two places in western Japan come up constantly in conversations about animated films and real locations: Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama, and the harbour town of Tomonoura near Fukuyama. They are very different, and both reward a visit on their own terms.
Dogo Onsen: the bathhouse
Dogo claims to be among the oldest hot springs in Japan, with a written history stretching back well over a millennium. Its main bathhouse, a wooden warren of stairs and bathing halls topped by a small watchtower, dates from 1894 and is a designated Important Cultural Property. The building's silhouette — layered roofs, red glass, drum tower — is what fuels the film comparisons.
It remains a working public bath. You pay, you bathe, you can pay more for a tatami room and tea afterwards. Recent years have seen phased restoration work, so check what is open before travelling.
Dogo is often called an inspiration for an animated bathhouse. The studio has not confirmed it as a direct model. Treat it as a resemblance to enjoy rather than a fact to repeat.
Tomonoura: the harbour
Tomonoura is a small, working port on the Seto Inland Sea, with stone jetties, a historic lighthouse, and lanes barely wide enough for one car. It is known internationally partly because a Ghibli director reportedly spent time here before making a film set in a seaside town — a connection that is more widely documented than most.
What Tomonoura is actually like
Quiet. Genuinely quiet. Fishing boats, elderly residents, a couple of cafes, temple steps with island views. There is no attraction as such — the town is the attraction. Two hours of aimless walking is the correct itinerary.
Combining them
They are not close together. Tomonoura pairs with Hiroshima or Onomichi; Dogo pairs with a Shikoku trip. Attempting both in one loop makes sense only with several days and a rail pass.
See also Ginzan Onsen for a third bathhouse-adjacent town.