Ehime Travel Guide for Japanese Learners
One of Japan's oldest hot springs and a hilltop castle at Matsuyama.
Ehime's Dōgo Onsen is among the oldest bathhouses in Japan. Matsuyama has a fine original castle, and the Shimanami Kaidō cycling route is world-class.
History & background
Ehime's (愛媛) Dōgo Onsen (道後温泉) appears in Japan's oldest texts as a bathing place of legend, and its 1894 wooden bathhouse helped inspire the bathhouse in 'Spirited Away'. Matsuyama (松山) keeps a fine original castle.
What to see
- Dōgo Onsen Honkan
- Matsuyama Castle
- Shimanami Kaidō cycling route
- Uchiko's wax-merchant town
What to eat
Citrus (mikan) and taimeshi (sea-bream rice).
Getting there & when to go
Getting there: Matsuyama is reached by air from Tokyo/Osaka or by train/bus across Shikoku.
Best time: Spring–autumn for cycling the Shimanami Kaidō; any season for the onsen.
When to go — season by season
Spring through autumn are ideal for cycling the Shimanami Kaidō (しまなみ海道); the onsen and castle are good year-round, and citrus ripens in winter.
A suggested visit
Soak at Dōgo Onsen, ride the hilltop ropeway to Matsuyama Castle, then dedicate a day to cycling part of the Shimanami Kaidō across the Inland Sea bridges toward Hiroshima.
The Shimanami Kaidō links Ehime to Hiroshima by a chain of bridges — rent a bike one-way.
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