Introduction to Ehime Prefecture
Ehime Prefecture, on the northwestern coast of Shikoku Island, is a destination that packs an extraordinary range of experiences into a relatively compact area. It is home to Japan’s oldest hot spring resort, one of the country’s most dramatically situated hilltop castles, a beautiful castle town with deep literary and historical connections, and one end of the world-famous Shimanami Kaido — perhaps the most scenic cycling route in all of Japan.
As the largest city on Shikoku’s northern coast, Matsuyama serves as the natural gateway to the island and provides an excellent base for exploring both the urban delights of the prefectural capital and the wild, beautiful landscapes of the surrounding region.
Matsuyama Castle: The Mountain Fortress
Matsuyama Castle stands atop the 132-meter summit of Mt. Katsuyama in the very center of Matsuyama City, and it is one of Japan’s twelve original castles — surviving fortifications from the feudal era that have never been destroyed and rebuilt. The castle’s elevated position provides sweeping 360-degree views over the city, the Seto Inland Sea, and the mountains of Shikoku, making the summit visit as rewarding for its panoramas as for its historic architecture.
The castle complex is reached either by a pleasant 20-minute walk through wooded mountain paths or by a ropeway and lift service that ascends from the city below. The main keep dates to 1642 and has been continuously maintained since then. The interior museum contains excellent displays of castle history, feudal armor, and weapons from the Matsuyama domain.
The castle is particularly magnificent during cherry blossom season in late March and early April, when hundreds of trees on the mountain slopes and within the castle grounds burst into bloom, creating one of Shikoku’s finest hanami (flower viewing) scenes. Night illuminations of the castle against the dark city below are held on select evenings throughout the year.
Dogo Onsen: Japan’s Oldest Hot Spring
Dogo Onsen is widely believed to be Japan’s oldest hot spring resort, with references to its healing waters appearing in ancient texts dating back over 3,000 years, including the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), one of the country’s oldest written records. The resort has attracted visitors — including emperors, poets, literary figures, and pilgrims — for millennia, making it one of the most historically layered bathing destinations in the world.
The centerpiece of Dogo Onsen is the extraordinary Dogo Onsen Honkan, a three-story wooden building in the shinden-zukuri architectural style, constructed in 1894 and designated as one of Japan’s Important Cultural Properties. With its distinctive crow (karasu) weathervane atop a dramatic rooftop tower, the Honkan is one of the most recognizable and beloved architectural landmarks in Japan. The author Natsume Soseki, who lived in Matsuyama for a year and bathed regularly at Dogo, immortalized the onsen in his novel “Botchan,” and the building is said to have inspired the bathhouse in Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away.”
The Honkan underwent extensive renovation works beginning in 2019, with restoration continuing in phases that allow partial public access. The adjacent Asuka-no-Yu, a newer bathhouse designed with modern facilities, operates fully during the renovation period. The onsen town surrounding the Honkan is a delightful collection of traditional shopping streets, Japanese sweet shops, sake vendors, and ryokan that preserves the atmosphere of a Meiji-era spa resort.
Ozu: The Little Kyoto of Ehime
Ozu, a small city about an hour southwest of Matsuyama, is known as the “Little Kyoto of Iyo Province” and contains one of Shikoku’s finest collections of traditional architecture and cultural heritage. The city’s highlight is Ozu Castle, reconstructed in 2004 using traditional construction techniques — wooden joints, hand-mixed plaster walls, and hand-made roof tiles — creating a castle that looks and feels authentically ancient despite its recent construction.
The castle sits above the Hijikawa River, and the riverside townscape of traditional merchant houses, including the beautifully restored Garyu Sanso villa, creates one of Shikoku’s most atmospheric historic districts. Ozu is also famous for its ukai (cormorant fishing) tradition — from June through September, fishermen on traditional boats guide trained cormorants to catch fish in the river while spectators watch from boats lit by wood-burning fires, an evocative sight that has been practiced for over 400 years.
Shimanami Kaido: Japan’s Greatest Cycling Route
The Shimanami Kaido is a 70-kilometer cycling route that crosses six islands between Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture and Imabari in Ehime Prefecture, linking them via a series of stunning suspension bridges over the Seto Inland Sea. It is internationally recognized as one of the world’s great cycling experiences and Japan’s only long-distance cycling route across open ocean.
The route passes through a landscape of extraordinary beauty — small island communities where citrus groves scent the air, fishing harbors where time moves slowly, sea views in every direction, and the engineering spectacle of the great suspension bridges themselves. The Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, composed of three separate spans totaling 4.1 kilometers, is the longest series of suspension bridges in the world and its approach by bicycle provides an unforgettable experience.
The route is well-served by bicycle rental facilities at each end and on each island, and blue line markings on the road surface guide cyclists the entire length. The crossing can be done in a single long day by fit cyclists, or spread comfortably over two to three days with overnight stays in guesthouses on the islands. Hikers and pedestrians can also use pedestrian walkways on the bridges and reach the route by public ferry.
Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage
Ehime Prefecture contains 26 of the 88 temples on the famous Shikoku Ohenro pilgrimage circuit associated with the Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi (Kukai). The pilgrimage route through Ehime passes through some of the island’s most dramatic mountain scenery, and even non-pilgrims will encounter white-robed henro (pilgrims) walking the ancient path throughout the prefecture — a moving reminder of Japan’s deep Buddhist traditions.
Getting to Ehime
Matsuyama Airport offers flights to Tokyo (approximately 1.5 hours), Osaka, and other major cities. By train, the Shiokaze limited express connects Matsuyama to Okayama (served by Shinkansen) in approximately 2.5 hours. The Shimanami Kaido connects Ehime to Hiroshima Prefecture by road, with highway buses also running between Matsuyama and Hiroshima.
Where to Stay in Ehime
Dogo Onsen is the most atmospheric accommodation district, with numerous traditional ryokan offering onsen baths and kaiseki meals within walking distance of the historic Honkan. Matsuyama City offers full-range modern hotels. Cycling-oriented guesthouses and small inns on the Shimanami Kaido islands provide simple but welcoming bases for island-hopping cyclists.
Final Thoughts
Ehime Prefecture offers a remarkable collection of experiences: Japan’s oldest hot spring steeped in literary legend, one of the country’s finest original castles, the world’s greatest sea-crossing cycling route, and a charming castle town with cormorant fishing on its river. For those crossing Shikoku, Matsuyama and its surrounding prefecture reward every hour of exploration.