Enjoy Epic Natural and Cultural Scenery! 7 Classic Tourist Spots in Ehime

Ehime has something to offer year-round, but spring is the most recommended season thanks to its many famous cherry blossom spots.
Every April, Matsuyama Castle hosts the spring tradition “Matsuyama Spring Festival,” drawing crowds who come to admire the cherry blossoms.
The scenery at Dogo Park, where countless cherry blossoms bloom in full force, is also not to be missed.
Why not visit Ehime in spring, when the season is painted in cherry blossoms?

Ehime has Matsuyama Airport, so you can get there from Tokyo or Osaka (which also have airports) in about 1 hour.
It also has international flights, making it easy to access from overseas.

Matsuyama Castle is a symbol of Matsuyama City and is also famous as an impregnable castle.
It has 21 Important Cultural Properties, including the main keep, and plenty of highlights such as the keep, Ichino-mon Gate, and Shichiku-mon Gate.
Inside the main keep, valuable historical materials are also on display.

Uwajima Castle was built in 1601 on a hilltop at an elevation of 80 m by the famed castle builder and warlord Todo Takatora.
Later, starting in 1661, the Uwajima Domain lord Date Munetoshi carried out major renovations over about 11 years. It is one of the 12 original surviving castle keeps in Japan and is also designated as a National Important Cultural Property.

The giant Ferris wheel “Kururin” has a 45 m diameter and reaches a height of 85 m at its highest point from the ground, and it has become a new symbol of Matsuyama.
During the day, you can look out over Matsuyama City and see Matsuyama Castle towering in the city center, the clusters of hot spring inns in Dogo Onsen, and the Iyo-nada Sea from inside the Ferris wheel.
At night, you can also enjoy the illuminations, and the Ferris wheel offers panoramic views of the city’s nightscape.

The “Shimanami Kaido” is an approx. 60 km route connecting Honshu and Shikoku.
It links Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture with Imabari City in Ehime Prefecture, and you can cross six islands floating in the Seto Inland Sea via bridges.
It consists of the Nishi-Seto Expressway, Ikuchijima Road, and Oshima Road.

Ryotaro Shiba’s novel Saka no Ue no Kumo features three protagonists from Matsuyama: “Saneyuki Akiyama,” “Yoshifuru Akiyama,” and “Shiki Masaoka.”
The Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum was built around this novel.
The museum has one basement level and four stories above ground, designed by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando with careful attention to the history and nature around Matsuyama Castle.

Mt. Ishizuchi is one of Japan’s Seven Sacred Mountains and is known as a mountain of spiritual worship.
The name “Mt. Ishizuchi” refers to the range that includes Tengu-dake, the highest peak in western Japan, Misen where Ishizuchi Shrine’s mountaintop sanctuary stands, and the southern peak. There are many hiking routes, from courses for experienced climbers and hikers to paths that are perfect for beginners.

This karakuri clock was built in 1994 in Hojoen, in front of the “Dogo Onsen” streetcar stop, as part of the centennial project commemorating the construction of Dogo Onsen Honkan. It performs in time with the clock’s music every hour from 8 am to 10 pm (every 30 minutes on weekends and holidays, in March, April, August, and November, during Golden Week, and during the year-end and New Year holidays), giving a festive welcome to visitors to Dogo Onsen.

With so many great attractions, Ehime also makes the journey itself part of the experience.
The view of the Iyo-nada Sea from JR Shimonada Station is spectacular.
The scenery is so beautiful that sightseeing trains even stop for a few minutes so passengers can enjoy it—definitely not to be missed.
Plus, a train modeled after a steam locomotive that ran for 67 years is sure to make the ride even more exciting.

A historic Japanese restaurant founded in 1635. You can enjoy local dishes made with generous amounts of regional ingredients such as fresh red sea bream, Iyo Wagyu beef, and Hime Pork.
The signature tai meshi uses only exceptionally fresh sea bream purchased that day. There are two styles of tai meshi—Uwajima tai meshi <served with sashimi on top> and Matsuyama tai meshi <cooked with sea bream>—and both are available here.

“Kadoya” opened in 1955 in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture, as a local diner. Kadoya Okaido Branch is one of its locations in Matsuyama City. In a great location with easy access to Matsuyama Castle, Dogo Onsen, and downtown Matsuyama, it serves local cuisine with a focus on “seasonal feel,” “ingredients,” and “sense of being there.”
When you visit, the first thing you’ll want to try is “Uwajima tai meshi,” one of Ehime’s 대표 local specialties.

Tanimoto Kamaboko is a long-established kamaboko shop founded in 1916.
A popular item is “jako-ten,” now a classic, simple souvenir from Ehime.
Jako-ten is a type of fried fish cake made by grinding small fish caught in nearby waters—bones and skin included—shaping it flat in a wooden frame, and frying it in canola oil.
Because the bones and skin are used as ingredients, it’s also rich in nutrients such as calcium. It has a soft springy texture, a distinctive flavor, and an addictive crunch from small bones.

Iyotetsu Takashimaya offers a wide range of seasonal items, from trend fashion to “depachika” sweets (department store basement food hall treats).
Made up of the Main Building and South Building, the Main Building is a station building integrated with Matsuyama-shi Station.

Emifull MASAKI is a large commercial facility in Masaki Town, Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture.
One of Shikoku’s largest shopping malls, it features over 200 unique shops, from fashion and goods to dining and a movie theater.
A major renovation from fall 2020 to spring 2021 added popular stores and brought even more new appeal, and it continues to evolve.

Dogo Shopping Street, also known as “Dogo Haikara-dori,” is adjacent to the Dogo Onsen Honkan building. It’s an L-shaped arcade stretching approx. 250 m, linking the last stop of Iyotetsu’s streetcar line, Dogo Onsen Station, with Dogo Onsen Honkan.
Many souvenir shops and restaurants line the street, and after enjoying Dogo Onsen, it’s a classic hot spring town pleasure to stroll around in a yukata.

Grand opened in 2019 on a hill in the heart of the Dogo Onsen hot spring town, with an outstanding location overlooking Dogo Onsen Honkan.
Not only does it balance the relaxation of a hot spring inn with the comfort of a hotel, it’s also a cutting-edge hotel that uses clean energy as its main energy source, based on the concept of a “people- and eco-friendly hotel.”

Founded around 1627, in the Edo period.
Dogo Onsen Funaya is a long-established hot spring ryokan that hosted many writers and famous figures, including Matsuyama-linked author Natsume Soseki and haiku poet Shiki Masaoka.
Its 58 guest rooms come in a variety of styles, including special sukiya-style rooms, Japanese-style rooms, Japanese-western rooms, and western rooms.
It offers a comfortable stay.

Located in the center of the hot spring town near Dogo Onsen Honkan, this hot spring inn was the first in Dogo Onsen to feature an open-air bath.
The signature open-air bath is on the top (10th) floor, with views of Matsuyama Castle and Mt. Ishizuchi, among others.
At night, you can enjoy bathing while looking up at a sky full of stars.
Also, the women’s bath offers an open-air rose bath on Saturdays and Sundays from 5 pm to 10 pm.