Takeo in Saga Pref. is a hot spring town with a history of 1300 years. A lot of important figures in history visited the town to enjoy hot spring bathing. At the entrance of the spa area, there stands Takeo-onsen Romon (the tower gate) built in the shape of Ryugujo (a castle in the sea in a fairly tale). The gate is painted in vermilion, which reminds us of a shrine, and it was built without nails. It was designated as an Important Cultural Property by the national government on July 22, 2005. Walking straight along the main street in the spa area, you will see Takeo Onsen Shinkan (public bathhouse). It is also a beautiful vermilion building roofed with kawara tiles. The hot water is alkalescent simple thermal, achromatic transparent, and has no smell. As it is rich in radium emanation, it is good for fatigue recovery, gastrointestinal diseases, and nerve pain. Inside the public bathhouse, the “Rules for Taking a Bath” written by Hideyoshi Toyotomi is displayed. Also the famed swordsman Miyamoto Musashi and Dr. Siebold visited the house and bathed.