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Matsuyama
Prefecture capital and Core city in Shikoku, Japan

Matsuyama

Matsuyama is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, in Japan and is also Shikoku's largest city.

Plan a trip to Matsuyama→From Hiroshima

As of 1 October 2022, the city had an estimated population of 494,100 in 243,541 households and a population density of 1,200 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 429.35 square kilometres (165.77 sq mi).

Get in

Getting to Matsuyama

  1. 01
    Matsuyama Airport

    Nonstop service from major airports such as Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya Komaki, Osaka Itami, Fukuoka, and Okinawa.

See

Worth seeing

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. 01
    Akiyama Brothers Birthplace
  2. 02
    Bansuiso

    This French-style building was constructed in 1922 for the former lord of Matsuyama Castle, Hisamatsu Sadakoto (久松定謨).

  3. 03
    Botchan Gizmo Clock

    Admirers of the aforementioned Botchan may enjoy watching the Gizmo Clock beside Dōgo Onsen Station at the mouth of the shopping arcade when it chimes every hour and half hour.

  4. 04
    Dōgo Park & Yuzuki Castle Ruins
  5. 05
    Isaniwa Shrine

    Sitting upon Dōgo Hill and accessible by car or climbing 135 stone steps, this important cultural asset is one of three great examples of Shinto Hachiman-zukuri (God of War) architecture in Japan.

  6. 06
    Iyo Kasuri Folk Craft Museum
Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    Dōgo Onsen Honkan

    Dōgo Onsen is the oldest and most famous onsen in Japan, with a history stretching back over 3,000 years.

  2. 02
    Ehime Children's Castle
  3. 03
    Zazen Meditation

    Zazen, "seated meditation", is a form of Buddhist meditation used to empty the mind and simply exist in the moment.

  4. 04
    Matsuyama Putt Golf
Eat

Where to eat

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).

How locals move

Getting around Matsuyama the local way

  • Get inFerry services connect Matsuyama with various locations on Honshu and Kyushu.
  • Get inIshizaki Ferry and Setonaikai Kisen operate daily to and from Hiroshima, with some boats stopping in Kure (呉).
  • Get inSlower ferries depart on different schedules between 06:25 and 19:50 (10 per day), reaching Hiroshima in about 2½ hours at a cost of ¥3500 each way.
  • Get inKokura Ferry runs an overnight service to Kokura in Kitakyushu, leaving at 21:55 and arriving at 05:00 the next day (you may stay on board until 07:00).
  • Get inYou need to fill out a short form before boarding the ferry.
  • Get inSunflower runs a ferry service from Beppu to Osaka which stops in Matsuyama along the way.
  • Get inThe ferry leaves Matsuyama at 22:55 and arrives in Osaka at 07:35 the next day.
  • Get inThe ferry service from Osaka to Beppu does not call at Matsuyama.

From Wikivoyage: Matsuyama, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Didier Descouens (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.