Matsuyama City (松山市) is the capital of Ehime Prefecture and the largest city in Shikoku. It has a population of approximately 510,000 and faces the warm Seto Inland Sea.
Matsuyama City is home to tourist attractions such as Dogo Onsen, said to be the oldest hot spring in Japan, Matsuyama Castle, one of the 12 remaining castle towers, the Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum based on Ryotaro Shiba’s novel “Saka no Ue no Kumo,” and the Shiki Memorial Museum, which introduces the life and achievements of Shiki Masaoka.
Matsuyama City also produces the largest amount of mandarin oranges in Japan, and there are many sightseeing farms in the city where visitors can enjoy mandarin orange picking.
Attractions in Matsuyama
Getting there
By Air
- About 90 minutes from Tokyo (Haneda Airport) to Matsuyama Airport
- About 40 minutes from Matsuyama Airport to the city center by limousine bus
By Shinkansen and Limited Express Train
- About 3 hours 30 minutes from Tokyo Station to Okayama Station by Shinkansen
- About 2 hours 45 minutes from Okayama Station to Matsuyama Station by Limited Express Shiokaze
- Total travel time: About 6 hours 30 minutes
- Entire journey can be covered by JR Pass
By Ferry
- About 70 minutes from Hiroshima to Matsuyama Tourist Port
By Highway Bus
- About 12 hours from Tokyo
- About 5 to 5.5 hours from Osaka
- About 5.5 hours from Kyoto
For getting around Matsuyama city, trams and buses are convenient. A one-day pass (500 yen for adults, 250 yen for children) is economical.