Ozu, Ehime: A Local’s Guide to Shikoku’s Castle Town

I grew up in Ozu, and southern Ehime is still where I go home to see family. Most visitors to Shikoku never hear of it, which is a shame, because it is one of the best-preserved castle towns in western Japan and very easy to reach from Matsuyama. This guide is built on current official information, checked in October 2026, so you can plan with confidence.

In this guide

• Why visit Ozu
• Getting to Ozu
• Getting around town
• Ozu Castle
• Garyu Sanso and Bansenso
• The old town: Ohanahan-dori and around
• Cormorant fishing and boats on the Hijikawa
• Hijikawa Arashi and the Nagahama red bridge
• Food and souvenirs
• Where to stay
• Events and seasons, 2026–2027
• Nearby: Uchiko, the pilgrimage and the coast
• Ozu through time
• Sample itineraries
• What a day in Ozu costs
• Practical information
• Families and accessibility
• Useful Japanese in Ozu
• Frequently asked questions
• Plan the rest of your trip

Why visit Ozu

Ozu sits in a basin where the Hijikawa River bends around the town, about an hour south-west of Matsuyama. Its castle was founded in the 14th century, and for most of the Edo period the town was the seat of the Ozu domain. Many of its streets still follow the Edo-period plan, with merchant storehouses on one side and former samurai houses on the other.

What makes Ozu special is how much is packed into a small, walkable area: a wooden castle keep rebuilt with old techniques, a Meiji-era villa that is a national Important Cultural Property, a red-brick bank from 1901, and a river that has its own seasonal spectacles. It is also quiet. Even on a busy weekend, it feels nothing like Kyoto or Matsuyama’s Dogo.

Ozu works as a half-day trip from Matsuyama, a full day combined with nearby Uchiko, or an overnight stay in one of the restored townhouses of the castle town.

Getting to Ozu

The station for Ozu is JR Iyo-Ozu, on the line between Matsuyama and Uwajima. The castle and old town are on the other side of the river from the station.

By train from Matsuyama

The limited express Uwakai is the easy option: 34 minutes, with 16 departures a day from Iyo-Ozu back toward Matsuyama, the first at 6:10 and the last at 22:11. Local trains take more than twice as long but cost only the base fare of ¥1,080. If you have a Japan Rail Pass or an ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass, both cover the Uwakai, including non-reserved limited express seats on the Shikoku pass. Since October 1, 2026, the ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass comes in two versions only: 3 days for ¥12,000 and 7 days for ¥20,000. You can buy the ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass on Klook before your trip.

From Matsuyama Airport, take the limousine bus to JR Matsuyama Station (about 15 minutes), then the train. Ozu’s official tourism site estimates about 1 hour 20 minutes in total.

The Iyonada Monogatari sightseeing train

For a special journey, JR Shikoku’s Iyonada Monogatari sightseeing train runs between Matsuyama and Iyo-Ozu (and Matsuyama and Yawatahama), with meals you can reserve. It runs on 63 days between October 2, 2026 and March 28, 2027, mainly on weekends. Cars 1 and 2 require a Green ticket, which rose from ¥1,700 to ¥2,500 on October 2, 2026, and a new booth for 3 to 4 people costs ¥9,000 per booth plus fares. Seats go on sale one month before at 10:00, and meal tickets must be booked by four days before.

From Kyushu by ferry

Ozu is closer to Kyushu than you might think. Ferries cross from Beppu to Yawatahama in 2 hours 50 minutes (Uwajima Unyu, six a day each way) and from Usuki to Yawatahama in about 2 hours 25 minutes (Uwajima Unyu and Kyuyo Orange Ferry). From October to December 2026, an adult second-class ticket costs ¥5,300 from Beppu and ¥4,200 from Usuki, including a ¥1,300 fuel surcharge. From Yawatahama Port, the Iyotetsu Nanyo bus reaches Ozu Honmachi in about 30 minutes, or take the train from JR Yawatahama.

Getting around town

The old town is compact and best explored on foot. The hub is Ozu Machi-no-Eki Asamoya, a visitor center with a shop, a restaurant, tourist information and free parking. From there it is about 5 minutes on foot to Garyu Sanso and about 11 minutes to Ozu Castle.

• From Iyo-Ozu Station: the city loop bus (East Ozu clockwise route) reaches Asamoya in about 6 minutes. You can also rent a bike at the station.
• Rental bikes: at the Iyo-Ozu Station tourist information, city or cross bikes cost ¥300 an hour or ¥1,000 a day, electric-assist bikes ¥400 an hour or ¥1,300 a day, and E-BIKEs ¥500 an hour or ¥1,800 a day (9:00–17:00, online booking recommended). The Ozu Tourist Information Center at Asamoya also rents Bromptons and E-bikes (¥500 an hour, ¥1,800 a day; bring ID).
• Luggage: the tourist information office at Asamoya stores bags for a flat ¥300 until 17:00, and lends umbrellas and wheelchairs free.
• By car: Ozu IC is about 10 minutes from Asamoya. The Kanko Daiichi car park (47 cars) and Asamoya (about 40 cars, 9:00–18:00) are free.

Ozu Castle

Ozu Castle stands on a low hill above a bend of the Hijikawa. It was founded in 1331 and greatly expanded by Todo Takatora, one of the great castle builders of his age. After the Meiji Restoration most of its buildings were pulled down, and the keep itself was dismantled in 1888. Some turrets survived, including the Kitchen Turret (Daidokoro-yagura) and the Koran Turret; the city counts four turrets as national Important Cultural Properties, and the grounds are a prefectural historic site. The castle is one of the “100 Fine Castles of Japan”.

A keep rebuilt the old way

The keep you see now was completed in September 2004 after nearly ten years of work, and it is the reason to come. Instead of the concrete reconstructions found at many Japanese castles, Ozu rebuilt its keep in wood. The builders worked from an Edo-period wooden model of the keep that had survived, photographs taken in the Meiji era before it was dismantled, and detailed castle plans, and all the timber was Japanese. The city describes it as the tallest wooden keep rebuilt in Japan since the war: four tiers and four floors, 19.15 meters high, built under a special exemption from modern building standards. Donations reached ¥528 million against a ¥500 million goal, and local people gave 577 cypress and cedar logs at least 40 cm across.

The castle is open every day from 9:00 to 17:00 (last admission 16:30). Children aged 5 and under with a guardian enter free, as do disability certificate holders and one companion. Fees were confirmed unchanged by the city in September 2026.

Ozu Castle Castle Stay

Since 2020, Ozu has offered an overnight stay inside the keep itself, marketed as Japan’s first castle-stay experience. It is sold by VMG, which runs the NIPPONIA HOTEL in the castle town, for one group a day of up to six people, on at most 30 nights a year. The price per person, for one night with dinner and breakfast and pick-up and drop-off from Matsuyama Airport or Matsuyama Station, depends on the group size:

Children cost less (elementary ¥66,000, preschool ¥44,000, age 3 and under free), and at least two adults are required. A second night is spent in a historic townhouse room in the castle town. Because the keep is wooden, stays are not offered in August or from December to February. Book at least one month ahead through the official Castle Stay site or VMG’s desk (0120-210-289, 11:00–20:00); a 10% deposit is due within a week of a provisional booking.

Garyu Sanso and Bansenso

If you only have time for one building in Ozu besides the castle, make it Garyu Sanso. This villa on a rocky bend of the Hijikawa is one of the most refined pieces of traditional architecture in Shikoku.

The story

The site was the estate of a retainer of Todo Takatora in the late 16th century, and the third lord of Ozu named it “Garyu” and planted cherries and maples there. The villa you see today was built by Kawachi Torajiro, a wax trader who made his fortune in Kobe in the Meiji era, starting around 1897. It took ten years of planning and four years of building, with about 9,000 workers and craftsmen from Kyoto and Ozu. Artisans of the Senke Jisshoku, the craftsmen who serve the Senke schools of tea, contributed carved transoms, metalwork and lacquer.

What to see

• Garyu-in: the main thatched building in shoin style.
• Furo-an: a tea house built out over the cliff above the Garyu pool of the river. Its ceiling of woven bamboo is said to catch moonlight reflected up from the water.
• The garden: designed to “borrow” the Hijikawa and Mt. Tomisu, known locally as Ozu Fuji, as its scenery.

Garyu-in, Furo-an and the library building were designated national Important Cultural Properties in 2016, and the garden and its surroundings became a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 2021. Garyu Sanso is open from 9:00 to 17:00 (last admission 16:30) with no regular closing day; admission is ¥550 for adults and ¥220 for children, or use the combined tickets above.

Bansenso

On a hill overlooking the river, Bansenso (the former Matsui house) is a villa completed in 1926 by Matsui Kunigoro, who finished a plan begun by his late brother. It is open all year from 9:00 to 17:00, costs ¥550 (child ¥220), and is included in the three-site ticket.

The old town: Ohanahan-dori and around

The old town, known as the Hinan district, keeps its Edo-period street layout. It is free to wander and best in the morning or late afternoon light.

• Ohanahan-dori: named after “Ohanahan”, the 1966 NHK morning drama filmed here. Merchant storehouses line the north side and former samurai houses the south.
• Ozu Machi-no-Eki Asamoya: the visitor center (shop and parking 9:00–18:00; tourist information 9:00–17:00, 0893-57-6655). Its restaurant, Bunyuya (11:30–14:00, closed Tuesdays), serves taimeshi and satsuma-jiru, and you can take away Ozu croquettes, hamo (pike conger) cutlets and Garyu craft beer.
• Ozu Akarenga-kan (Red Brick Hall): built in 1901 as the head office of the Ozu Commercial Bank, with brick walls under a Japanese tile roof. Free entry, 9:00–17:00, closed December 29–31. It sells local crafts such as Tobe ware and silk-cocoon goods.
• Pokopen Yokocho: a recreated 1950s–60s alley run by local shops in Ozu Honmachi 3-chome, open 10:00–15:00 on Sundays from the third Sunday of September to the end of June (except the second Sunday), and on the third Sunday only in July and August. Its small “Omoide Soko” museum costs ¥200.
• Also on the map: Ozu Shrine, Sukunahikona Shrine and the Ozu History Exploration Hall.

Once a month, the “Ozu Yoru made Ukai Bar” bar crawl lets you buy a ¥600 ticket for a drink and a snack at shops in the district that stay open until 20:00. Ask at Asamoya for the next date.

Cormorant fishing and boats on the Hijikawa

Ozu’s cormorant fishing (ukai) is counted among Japan’s three major cormorant-fishing traditions, along with the Nagara River in Gifu and the Mikuma River in Oita. Ozu uses the “awase ukai” style: the fishing boats, lit by bonfires, run alongside the roofed spectator boats so you watch the birds dive right beside you.

The 2026 season and prices

The 2026 season ran from June 1 to September 20 and has now ended; the 2027 dates had not been announced as of October 2026. As a guide to what to expect, these were the 2026 prices (tax included):

The cruise runs from about 18:30 to 20:30. Shared boats are booked online on the official ukai website, by the previous day, and boats are cancelled in rain or high water. There were no shared boats on the opening day or the fireworks night. In 2026 a new covered boat, “Seiryu No. 2”, with tables and chairs, joined the fleet. Charter guests get a free shuttle from Iyo-Ozu Station when booked through a restaurant.

Summer boat cruise

In summer, a short Ozu castle-town boat cruise (about 40 minutes, adult ¥1,200, child ¥500) runs six times a day on weekends and holidays, and daily during the Obon week. In 2026 it ran from July 18 to September 20. Tickets are sold on the day at the Ozu Tourist Information Center or Akarenga-kan.

Hijikawa Arashi and the Nagahama red bridge

The Hijikawa Arashi is Ozu’s most unusual sight. On clear mornings, cold air that has pooled overnight in the Ozu Basin flows down the Hijikawa, carrying fog with it, and pours out to sea at the river mouth in Nagahama, part of Ozu City on the coast. In big events the fog reaches several kilometers offshore, and winds of more than 10 meters per second have been measured near the Nagahama Ohashi bridge.

When and where to see it

• Season: roughly October to February.
• Conditions: after a calm, clear night, in the early morning.
• Where: the Hijikawa Arashi Observation Park on a hill near the river mouth gives the classic view of the fog spilling under the bridge.
• Forecasts: a local group publishes next-day forecasts online, which is the best way to decide whether to get up early.
• Getting there: Iyo-Nagahama Station is about 30 minutes from Iyo-Ozu by local train, and about an hour from Matsuyama; by car it is about 20 minutes from Ozu IC.

A city cultural-heritage booklet describes it as forming from night to early morning in autumn and winter, after calm, clear nights. To see it, you really need to stay overnight in Ozu or Nagahama, because the best fog comes early in the morning.

Nagahama Ohashi, the “Akahashi”

The red steel bridge at the river mouth, Nagahama Ohashi, is 232.3 meters long and was built between 1933 and 1935. It is a bascule bridge whose central span can be raised, and the city describes it as the only movable road bridge still operating in Japan. It was designated a national Important Cultural Property in 2014. The bridge has traditionally been raised for inspection on Sunday afternoons; check locally before you plan around it.

Food and souvenirs

Imotaki: a riverside autumn custom

Imotaki is Ozu’s signature autumn gathering: groups sit on the riverbank and cook a stew of taro and other ingredients, a custom that goes back to the Edo period. In 2026 the season ran from August 28 to mid-October. Registered restaurants arrange it for groups of five or more from about ¥3,300 per person; book by phone.

Taimeshi

You can eat taimeshi (sea bream rice) at Bunyuya in Asamoya. In southern Ehime, the version people mean is usually the Uwajima style, with raw sea bream and a raw-egg sauce poured over rice, rather than the Matsuyama style cooked with the rice. Growing up in Ozu, close to Uwajima, that was the taimeshi I knew at home. See our Matsuyama and Ehime guide for the difference.

Sweets and drinks to take home

• Shigure: an Edo-period steamed sweet of azuki beans with rice or mochi flour, soft and chewy. About ten makers in Ozu still make it.
• Gessomochi: from Murata Bunpuku, founded in 1624: smooth bean paste inside warabi mochi, dusted with green-soybean kinako. Sold frozen at the shop and at Asamoya.
• Tomanju: a hard, crisp traditional sweet in yuzu or brown-sugar flavors.
• Kurika no Utage: a chestnut sweet from Hiranoya (founded 1869), sold from October to mid-December.
• Sake: Yoro Shuzo, founded in 1921, is Ozu’s only sake brewery and uses Hijikawa groundwater.
• Craft beer: Garyu Brewing makes its beer in a red-brick warehouse from 1906; look for “Ozu Silk Ale” and “Nagahama Kiwi IPA”.
• Also: Ozu craft cola “Zoburu”, Kajita Shoten soy sauce, and kumiko woodwork, sold at Akarenga-kan.

Where to stay

NIPPONIA HOTEL Ozu Castle Town is the place to stay if you want the full castle-town experience. It is a “distributed” hotel: its rooms are spread across restored historic buildings in the old town, and it describes itself as Japan’s largest. It opened in July 2020 with 7 buildings and 11 rooms and had grown to 26 buildings and 31 rooms by its expansion in July 2023. Its restaurant, Luan, faces the castle keep and serves Ehime ingredients from the sea, mountains and river on local Tobe ware, and breakfast is served in another restored building, the former Izumiya annex.

Ozu’s tourism site also lists ryokan such as Tokiwa, Ryoen Tarui and Wataroku Ryokan, business hotels such as Oozu Plaza Hotel and Super Hotel, and smaller guesthouses and a hostel. If you prefer a bigger base, stay in Matsuyama and come for the day; Dogo Onsen is a good choice (see our Dogo Onsen guide). To compare options, check Ozu and Matsuyama hotels on Agoda.

Events and seasons, 2026–2027

On November 3, 2026, the “Gururin Ozu” community bus and some Uwajima Bus routes inside the city are free for the festival.

Nearby: Uchiko, the pilgrimage and the coast

• Uchiko: 15 minutes away by local train (¥330), Uchiko has a preserved street of wax merchants’ houses. Its famous kabuki theater, Uchiko-za, is closed for conservation work until around 2028. Our Uchiko guide has the details. Ozu and Uchiko together make an easy, full day from Matsuyama.
• Toyogahashi and the pilgrimage: on the east side of Ozu, Eitokuji at Toyogahashi bridge is Bekkaku Temple No. 8 of the Shikoku pilgrimage (open 7:00–17:00, free). The legend says Kobo Daishi spent a night under this bridge that felt as long as ten nights, and it is the origin of the custom that pilgrims do not tap their staffs on any bridge. The pilgrim route between Temples 43 and 44 passes through the Ozu and Uchiko area. See our Shikoku 88 pilgrimage guide.
• Nagahama: the river mouth for the Hijikawa Arashi and the red bascule bridge, 30 minutes by local train.
• Matsuyama and Dogo: 34 minutes north by limited express; see our Matsuyama guide.
• Uwajima: 46 minutes south by limited express, for an original castle keep, Japanese-style bullfighting and Uwajima taimeshi. See our Uwajima guide.

Ozu through time

Knowing a little history makes the town far more interesting to walk around. These are the key dates behind what you will see.

Sample itineraries

Half a day from Matsuyama

1. Uwakai from Matsuyama to Iyo-Ozu (34 minutes); loop bus or bike to Asamoya.
2. Garyu Sanso, then Ohanahan-dori and Akarenga-kan.
3. Ozu Castle (use the combined ticket), then lunch at Asamoya and the train back.

A full day with Uchiko

1. Morning in Uchiko’s old street.
2. Local train to Iyo-Ozu (15 minutes).
3. Afternoon: Garyu Sanso, Ozu Castle and the old town; dinner in Ozu or back in Matsuyama.

Overnight (October to February)

1. Afternoon arrival, castle and Garyu Sanso, a night at NIPPONIA HOTEL or a local ryokan.
2. Check the Hijikawa Arashi forecast the evening before.
3. Early morning: train or car to Nagahama and the observation park to see the fog.
4. Back to Ozu for breakfast, then on to Uwajima or Matsuyama.

Overnight in the cormorant season (June to September)

Spend the afternoon in the old town, take the evening ukai boat with dinner, and stay the night so you are not racing for the last train.

What a day in Ozu costs

Ozu is an inexpensive day out. Using the prices in this guide, here is what one adult might spend on a day trip from Matsuyama:

Add lunch and a few sweets to take home. With a rail pass, the train cost is already covered, which makes Ozu one of the best-value day trips from Matsuyama.

Practical information

• Ozu Tourist Information Center: inside Asamoya, 9:00–17:00, 0893-57-6655.
• Iyo-Ozu Station Tourist Information: 9:00–18:30, closed December 29–31, 0893-57-9161. It is a JNTO-recognized information center for foreign visitors, with Wi-Fi.
• Ozu Tourism Association: 0893-24-2664.
• Digital map: the city publishes a digital tourist map you can open on your phone.
• Guided walks: certified local guides lead “Ozu Rekishi Hana Kairo” history walks; ask at the tourist information center about English.
• Phone data: set up an eSIM before you arrive so maps and timetables work everywhere. Airalo’s Japan eSIM installs at home.
• Language: fewer people speak English than in big cities, and people are happy to help. Our essential Japanese phrases go a long way.

Useful Japanese in Ozu

Ozu is a small town, and a few words of Japanese are warmly received at shops, ticket desks and inns.

Families and accessibility

• Free entry: at Ozu Castle and Garyu Sanso, children aged 5 and under with a guardian enter free, as do disability certificate holders with one companion and Ozu residents aged 65 and over. Junior high students and younger pay the child price of ¥220.
• Wheelchairs and umbrellas: the tourist information office at Asamoya lends both free of charge.
• Children on the river: in 2026, cormorant-fishing shared boats cost ¥3,000 (¥5,000 with a meal) for ages 4 to elementary school, and the summer castle-town cruise ¥500 for children 4 and over.
• Something different for kids: Pokopen Yokocho’s 1950s-style alley and its small museum (¥100 for children) are a fun change from temples and castles.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ozu worth visiting? Yes, if you like castles, traditional architecture and quiet towns. Its wooden castle keep, rebuilt in 2004 with traditional methods, and the Meiji-era villa Garyu Sanso are among the finest sights in Shikoku, and you will not be fighting crowds.

How do I get from Matsuyama to Ozu? Take the JR limited express Uwakai to Iyo-Ozu: 34 minutes and ¥1,840 with a non-reserved seat. Local trains take about 1 hour 15 minutes for ¥1,080.

How much does Ozu Castle cost? ¥550 for adults and ¥220 for children, or ¥880 with Garyu Sanso and ¥1,100 with Garyu Sanso and Bansenso. Open daily 9:00–17:00.

Can you really stay overnight in Ozu Castle? Yes. The Castle Stay takes one group of up to six a day, on up to 30 nights a year, from ¥308,000 per person for six people to ¥660,000 per person for two, including meals and transfers from Matsuyama. It is not offered in August or from December to February.

When is the cormorant fishing in Ozu? In 2026 it ran from June 1 to September 20. The 2027 dates had not been announced as of October 2026.

When can I see the Hijikawa Arashi? Roughly October to February, early in the morning after a calm, clear night. Watch from the observation park near the river mouth in Nagahama, and check the local forecast the day before.

Is the ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass valid to Ozu? Yes. It covers JR Shikoku trains including the Uwakai limited express (non-reserved seats). Since October 2026 it is sold as a 3-day pass (¥12,000) or 7-day pass (¥20,000).

How long do I need in Ozu? Half a day covers the castle, Garyu Sanso and the old town. Stay overnight if you want the Hijikawa Arashi or the cormorant fishing.

Can I combine Ozu and Uchiko in one day? Yes. They are 15 minutes apart by local train, and both are on the line from Matsuyama.

What is Ozu famous for? Its wooden castle keep, rebuilt in 2004 with traditional methods; Garyu Sanso, a Meiji-era riverside villa; the old streets around Ohanahan-dori; summer cormorant fishing on the Hijikawa; and the Hijikawa Arashi, a river of fog that flows out to sea on clear mornings from about October to February.

Where can I leave my luggage in Ozu? The tourist information office at Ozu Machi-no-Eki Asamoya stores bags for a flat ¥300 until 17:00. Asamoya is about 6 minutes from Iyo-Ozu Station by the city loop bus.

Plan the rest of your trip

• Matsuyama and Ehime travel guide
• Dogo Onsen guide
• Uchiko guide
• Shikoku 88 pilgrimage guide
• Shimanami Kaido cycling guide
• Kochi travel guide
• Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it?
• Uwajima travel guide
• Shikoku itinerary: 5 to 7 days
• Imabari travel guide

Sources: Ozu City official site (castle, Garyu Sanso, Hijikawa Arashi, festivals, cultural properties); Ozu City official tourism site (VisitOzu: access, spots, events, food features, FAQ); Ozu City public relations bulletin (June 2026, cormorant fishing); Ozu cormorant fishing official site; Ozu Castle Castle Stay official site; NIPPONIA HOTEL Ozu Castle Town; Pokopen Yokocho; JR Shikoku timetables via route search; KSB news (Iyonada Monogatari); Uwajima Bus; Uwajima Unyu and Kyuyo Orange Ferry; Shikoku 88 Temples Reijokai; Travel Voice (checked October 2026). Prices and hours change; if you spot something out of date, please let us know.

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About the Author

Jack

I'm Jack, the writer behind Japan Real Guide. I'm from Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku and live in Osaka. Work takes me around Japan regularly, and I go home to Ehime often, so the guides here come from living in the country, not visiting it. Prices, ticket rules and opening hours are checked against official sources, and every guide shows when it was last updated.