Ehime Prefecture

Domestic flight from Tokyo Haneda to Matsuyama Airport (90 min, 30-min bus). From Hiroshima: ferry from Hiroshima Port to Matsuyama (75 min) or full Shimanami Kaido cycling. From Okayama: JR Limited Express Shiokaze (3 hours).

Full 70km Imabari-to-Onomichi route is 5-7 hours one-way for fit cyclists. Half route (Imabari to Setoda) takes 3-4 hours. Bike rentals at major bridge stops with one-way drop-off available.

Yes — both for the 3,000-year history and the architectural significance. The 1894 Honkan reopened in 2024 after restoration. ¥420 for the basic bath; ¥920 includes the Tama-no-Yu (private bath above Botchan's room).

Matsuyama Castle (one of twelve original keeps), Dogo Onsen (Japan's oldest), the Shimanami Kaido cycling route, the Botchan tram (literary heritage), and citrus fruits — Ehime grows half of Japan's iyokan and mikan.

One day for Matsuyama (castle, Dogo Onsen, Ishiteji). Two days adds half the Shimanami Kaido cycling route. Three days lets you reach Uwajima or Ozu in the south, or do the full bike route to Hiroshima Prefecture.

The blue-and-white Tobe pottery town south of Matsuyama, the carriage-and-cormorant town of Ozu in the southwest, and the seven Kamijima Islands south of Imabari with their citrus farms and sea-cycling routes.

Beyond the obvious draws, Garyu Sanso, Taga-jinja reward travelers willing to step off the main route — local pace, fewer crowds, and a closer feel for the everyday rhythms of the region.