Honestly, most people landing in Japan just do the "Golden Route." They hit Tokyo, pivot to Kyoto, maybe squeeze in Osaka, and call it a day. But if you’re actually looking for the soul of the country without the suffocating crowds of Fushimi Inari, you need to look at Matsuyama City in Ehime Prefecture. It’s tucked away on Shikoku island. It’s the kind of place where the streetcars look like they’re from the 1920s because, well, some of them basically are.
Matsuyama isn't a "hidden gem"—that's a tired cliché—but it is criminally underrated by Western travelers. It’s the largest city on Shikoku, yet it feels surprisingly breathable. You’ve got a feudal castle sitting right in the middle of the city, one of the oldest hot springs in human history, and a literary legacy that makes every Japanese high schooler recognize the name. It’s a weirdly perfect mix of high-brow history and very relaxed, salt-of-the-earth Shikoku vibes.
The Dogo Onsen Reality Check
Let’s talk about Dogo Onsen. You’ve probably seen the pictures. It looks like the bathhouse from Spirited Away. Hayao Miyazaki’s team at Studio Ghibli famously used it as a reference point. The main building, the Honkan, has been standing since 1894, and it’s a labyrinth of narrow wooden corridors and steep stairs.
But here’s what most guides don’t tell you: it’s not just a museum. People actually bathe there. Every single day. It’s a functioning community hub. Recently, they finished a massive multi-year renovation to earthquake-proof the thing, so the scaffolding is finally down. If you go, don't just stare at the outside. Buy a ticket for the "Tama-no-yu" bath. It’s small. It’s hot. It feels like you’re scrubbing off the 21st century.
Just down the street, you’ll find the Asuka-no-Yu annex. It’s newer, built in 2017, and it’s basically a love letter to Ehime’s traditional crafts. They’ve got these massive mural installations using Washi paper and Gilding techniques. It’s less "gritty history" and more "art gallery you can be naked in." Both are worth it, but for different reasons.
A Castle That Didn't Get Blown Up
Most Japanese castles are "reconstructions." That’s a polite way of saying they are concrete boxes built in the 1960s with elevators inside because the original burned down in WWII or the Meiji Restoration. Matsuyama Castle is different. It’s one of only twelve "original" surviving castles in Japan.
When you stand at the top of the keep, you’re standing on wood that has survived centuries. To get there, you can hike, but most people take the chairlift. It’s literally just a single moving chair with no seatbelt or safety bar. It’s a bit sketchy in the best way possible. You dangle your legs over the trees as you ascend the hill. Once you’re at the top, the view of the Seto Inland Sea is staggering. On a clear day, you can see the islands dotting the water like green breadcrumbs.
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The defensive architecture here is actually pretty genius. The paths are designed to funnel invaders into "killing zones" where archers could pick them off from multiple angles. It’s beautiful, but it’s also a very efficient machine for 17th-century warfare.
Soseki, Shiki, and the Literary Ghost of Matsuyama
You can’t walk ten feet in Matsuyama without seeing something related to the novel Botchan. It was written by Natsume Soseki, basically the Charles Dickens of Japan. He lived in Matsuyama for a bit as a teacher, hated it at first, and then wrote a satirical masterpiece about it.
The city leaned into it. They have a "Botchan Train"—a diesel-powered replica of the old steam locomotives—clattering through the streets. Then there’s Masaoka Shiki. He’s the father of modern Haiku. He was born here. There’s a specific kind of quiet pride the locals have regarding their literary history. It gives the city a slightly intellectual, pensive atmosphere that you don't get in the neon-soaked districts of Shinjuku or Dotonbori.
If you’re into poetry, the Shiki Memorial Museum is actually quite moving. It details his struggle with tuberculosis and his obsession with capturing the fleeting nature of life in seventeen syllables. It’s heavy, but it explains why the city feels the way it does.
The Food: It’s All About the Oranges and the Sea Bream
Ehime Prefecture is the "Citrus Kingdom." No joke. They grow over 40 varieties of Mikan (mandarin oranges). There’s a long-running urban legend that houses in Matsuyama have a third faucet that pours orange juice instead of water. While that’s mostly a myth, you can find "juice faucets" at the airport and various souvenir shops. Try the Beni Madonna variety if you’re there in winter. It’s expensive, but the texture is basically jelly. It’ll ruin regular oranges for you forever.
Then there’s Taimeshi (Sea Bream Rice). There are two competing styles in Ehime, and Matsuyama is the battleground.
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- The Matsuyama style involves cooking the whole fish with the rice in a clay pot. The flavor of the sea bream seeps into every grain.
- The Uwajima style (from the south of the prefecture) uses raw slices of sea bream soaked in a soy-based sauce with raw egg and sashimi, poured over hot rice.
Try both. Don't pick a side too early. The raw version is more decadent, but the cooked version has a comforting, smoky depth that hits different on a rainy afternoon.
Exploring the Seto Inland Sea
Matsuyama is a gateway. If you head to the Takahama port, you can jump on a ferry to the various islands of the Seto Inland Sea. Gogoshima is just a 10-minute boat ride away. It’s a place of citrus groves and tiny fishing villages. It’s the kind of place where people leave their keys in the ignition because everyone knows everyone.
Riding a bike around Gogoshima is the peak Matsuyama experience. You’ve got the salty breeze, the smell of orange blossoms, and the rhythmic thrum of boat engines in the distance. It’s a stark contrast to the hectic pace of Japan’s megalopolises. It’s slow. Really slow.
Why Matsuyama Matters in 2026
We’re seeing a massive shift in how people visit Japan. The "overtourism" in Kyoto is a real problem. Residents are frustrated, and the "magic" is getting harder to find between the selfie sticks. Matsuyama offers an alternative that doesn't feel like a consolation prize. It’s a primary destination that happens to be quiet.
The city is also surprisingly accessible. You can fly from Haneda to Matsuyama Airport in about 90 minutes, or take the Shinkansen to Okayama and then the "Shiokaze" limited express train across the Great Seto Bridge. That train ride alone is worth the price of admission. You’re flying over the ocean on a giant steel bridge, looking down at whirlpools and tiny islands.
Practical Steps for Your Trip
If you're planning to head to Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, don't just wing it. A little strategy goes a long way.
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1. Timing is everything.
Spring (late March to early April) is beautiful for the cherry blossoms at the castle, but it’s crowded. My pick? Go in November. The weather is crisp, the mikan oranges are in peak season, and the autumn colors on Mount Ishizuchi (a short trip away) are world-class.
2. Get the "Iyotetsu" Pass.
The city’s tram system is owned by Iyotetsu. You can get a 1, 2, or 3-day pass that covers the trams, the buses, and even the ferry to some islands. It’s cheap and saves you from fumbling with coins every time you get off the vintage streetcars.
3. Stay in Dogo, but eat in Okaido.
Stay at a Ryokan (traditional inn) in the Dogo Onsen area so you can walk to the baths in your yukata robe. But for dinner, take the tram to the Okaido arcade. That’s where the locals eat. The Izakayas there serve better food at half the price of the tourist-heavy spots near the hot springs.
4. Pack light.
Shikoku is mountainous. If you plan on doing the "Shimanami Kaido" (the famous island-hopping bike route that starts or ends near Matsuyama), you don't want to be hauling a massive suitcase. Use the Japanese Takkyubin luggage forwarding service to send your bags ahead to your next hotel.
Matsuyama isn't a place you go to check items off a bucket list. It’s a place you go to breathe. It’s where the history feels lived-in and the hospitality feels genuine rather than performed. Whether you're soaking in a 1,000-year-old spring or eating an orange that costs five dollars, you’re experiencing a version of Japan that still feels like a secret, even though it’s been there all along.