Matsuyama (松山), meaning "pine mountain", is the homely capital of Ehime prefecture. Quite provincial yet hospitable to travelers, and a hub of business and shopping amongst the lazy calm of the countryside, Matsuyama has much to offer in the way of curious literary and cultural assets.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
With a population of 510,000 (2019), Matsuyama is the largest city on Shikoku, though still noticeably sleepier than cities of comparable size on the Japanese mainland. The city is in a river basin formed by the flow of the Ishite and Shigenobu rivers, and nestled between the Ishizuchi mountain range to the south and Takanawa Mountains to the north. The center of town is Matsuyama-shi Station (松山市駅, "Shieki" for short), south of Matsuyama Castle, which serves as a hub for local trams, buses, and the private Iyotetsu train line.
If you plan on staying for an extended period of time (or believe you will spend more than ¥2000 on transportation), you may want to buy an IC Card at Shieki, which gives 10% discounts on all Iyotetsu transportation (including taxis). Traveling on foot is an entirely viable way of getting around downtown at a comfortable pace. Trams (streetcars) have a flat fare, ¥200 per trip (December 2023) or ¥100 for children. A one-day pass costs ¥400 (November 2014). There is no transfer discount. Of the lines that run around the city, route # 5 is the most useful for travelers, as it runs between the JR Matsuyama station and Dogo Onsen, passing Matsuyama Castle and the Okaido shopping arcade.
While having read Sōseki's novels or Shiki's haiku is by no means essential to enjoy most of these sites, it will probably represent the difference between whether you find them evocative pieces of history or just a pleasant collection of Meiji-era buildings. 1 Akiyama Brothers Birthplace (秋山兄弟生誕地 Akiyama Kyōdai Seitanchi), 2-3-6 Kachimachi, ☏ +81 89-943-2747. Tu-Su 10:00-17:00, closed 28 Dec-3 Jan. Born to a lower class branch of the Matsuyama samurai clan, these two brothers became military heroes of Japan. Yoshifuru, the eldest, is credited as the father of the Japanese cavalry, while Saneyuki excelled in naval tactics. Yoshifuru traveled to France to study cavalry techniques in 1887.
1 Dōgo Onsen Honkan (道後温泉本館), 5-6 Yunomachi, Dōgo, ☏ +81 89-943-8342. Grab your towel and go bathing! Dōgo Onsen is the oldest and most famous onsen in Japan, with a history stretching back over 3,000 years. Quite a few legends surround these waters. One says that the springs of Dōgo were discovered when, during the age of the gods, a heron placed his injured leg into hot water streaming out of a rock and was miraculously healed. Another claims that when an ill god bathed in the hot spring, the god recovered and danced for joy. The heron motif is everywhere inside the building.
Matsuyama is a great place to indulge a sweet tooth. Botchan dango (坊ちゃん団子) headline every sweet shop in town. They're skewered rice dumplings covered in bean paste dyed with green tea, eggs, and azuki beans. This soft, sweet snack was popularized by Sōseki, who had such a weakness for them that he included the treats in Botchan. Another local favorite are the cute little tarts (タルト). Originally derived from Nagasaki's Castella cake in the 1600s, the Matsuyama variety replaces jam with azuki bean paste, and rolls up the cake. For a healthier sweet, citrus fruits come in a multitude of species, including iyokan (grapefruit-like) and dekopon (huge, orange and puckered).
The drinking district is fairly well-concentrated; the streets around the Okaido Arcade are the place to begin a bar crawl. Dōgo Brewery (道後ビール水口酒造), 3-23 Dōgo Kitachō, ☏ +81 89-924-6616. 08:30-17:00. Local breweries are a rare find in Japan, so it's no surprise that locals take so much pride in Minakuchi Shuzō. At the end of your complimentary tour of the tiny facility, and after you've tasted each of their signature brands — the crisp Sōseki Stout, hardy Madonna Alt and mild Botchan Kölsch — you can try asking the manager what the secret is to the smooth, clean taste, but you won't get much of an answer.
Matsuyama is a safe city, even by Japanese standards. Theft has never been an issue at Dōgo Onsen, but there are coin lockers (¥100) if you have valuables to store.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, Matsuyama typically sees ~31°C daytime highs and 10 rainy days.
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