Ehime · Capital · Core city

Matsuyama

松山市まつやましMatsuyama-shi

Castle, hot spring and haiku in Shikoku's largest city

Matsuyama is the capital of Ehime Prefecture and the largest city in Shikoku, built around a castle on a hill in the centre of the Dōgo plain. It is known for Dōgo Onsen, one of Japan's oldest hot springs, its original castle keep, the henro temple Ishite-ji and its literary links to Masaoka Shiki and Natsume Sōseki.

Overview

Matsuyama spreads across the Dōgo plain between the Ishizuchi foothills and the Inland Sea. At its centre rises Mount Katsu, a 132-metre hill crowned by Matsuyama Castle, whose keep is one of Japan's twelve originals; a ropeway and chairlift climb to the castle from the shopping district of Ōkaidō, and the view reaches to the islands of the Inland Sea.

A few kilometres east, tram lines end at Dōgo Onsen, a hot spring mentioned in Japan's oldest chronicles. Its main bathhouse, the three-storey wooden Honkan of 1894, with a watchtower drum that sounds the hours, is one of the country's most famous public baths and is said to have inspired the bathhouse in Spirited Away. Nearby stand Ishite-ji, Temple 51 of the henro, with a National Treasure gate, and the hillside Isaniwa Shrine.

Matsuyama is also a city of literature. Masaoka Shiki, who modernised haiku, was born here, and Natsume Sōseki taught at the middle school in 1895 before writing Botchan, which is set in the town. Haiku post boxes around the city invite visitors to submit poems. Trams still run along its streets, one of the few tram networks left in Shikoku.

Landmarks

Matsuyama Castle
松山城Matsuyama-jō
A hilltop castle with an original keep of 1854 and many original turrets and gates, reached by ropeway, chairlift or on foot.
Dōgo Onsen Honkan
道後温泉本館Dōgo Onsen Honkan
A three-storey wooden bathhouse of 1894 with a drum tower and a private imperial bath; an Important Cultural Property.
Ishite-ji
石手寺Ishite-ji
Henro Temple 51, with a Niō gate of 1318 designated a National Treasure and cave passages behind the halls.
Isaniwa Shrine
伊佐爾波神社Isaniwa Jinja
A lacquered shrine in the rare hachiman-zukuri style at the top of a long flight of steps above Dōgo.
Bansuisō
萬翠荘Bansuisō
A French-style villa of 1922 built for a descendant of the Matsuyama lords, an Important Cultural Property.
Shiki Memorial Museum
松山市立子規記念博物館Matsuyama Shiritsu Shiki Kinen Hakubutsukan
A museum of Masaoka Shiki and Matsuyama's literary history near Dōgo Onsen.
Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum
坂の上の雲ミュージアムSaka no Ue no Kumo Myūjiamu
A museum by Andō Tadao on Shiki and the Akiyama brothers, based on Shiba Ryōtarō's novel.
Taisan-ji
太山寺Taisan-ji
Henro Temple 52, whose main hall of 1305 is a National Treasure.

Districts

Ōkaidō and Gintengai
大街道・銀天街Ōkaidō, Gintengai
The covered shopping arcades at the foot of the castle hill.
Dōgo
道後Dōgo
The hot-spring district with the Honkan, a covered shopping street and ryokan.
Castle hill
城山Shiroyama
Mount Katsu with the castle, the Ninomaru garden and the Bansuisō villa below.
Mitsuhama and Takahama
三津浜・高浜Mitsuhama, Takahama
The old port and the ferry terminal for Hiroshima and the islands.
Nakajima islands
中島Nakajima
Citrus-growing islands in the Inland Sea, part of the city since 2005.

History

Dōgo was the seat of the Kōno clan, rulers of Iyo in the medieval period. After Sekigahara, Katō Yoshiaki began Matsuyama Castle on Mount Katsu in 1602 and moved his seat there, naming the new town Matsuyama. From 1635 the Hisamatsu branch of the Matsudaira ruled until 1871; after a lightning fire, the keep was rebuilt and completed in 1854.

Matsuyama became a city in 1889. The Iyo Railway, Shikoku's first, opened here in 1888, and in 1904–1905 the city held Russian prisoners of war, who were treated with notable humanity. An air raid in July 1945 destroyed much of the centre, though the castle keep survived. The city became a core city in 2000.

1602
Katō Yoshiaki begins building Matsuyama Castle on Mount Katsu.
1635
Matsudaira Sadayuki becomes lord; his line rules until 1871.
1854
The present castle keep is completed after a fire caused by lightning.
1888
The Iyo Railway opens, the first railway in Shikoku.
1889
Matsuyama is incorporated as a city.
1894
The Dōgo Onsen Honkan main building is completed.
1895
Natsume Sōseki teaches at the Matsuyama middle school and lodges with Masaoka Shiki.
1904–1905
Russian prisoners from the Russo-Japanese War are held in Matsuyama.
1945
An air raid in July destroys much of the city.
2000
Matsuyama becomes a core city.

Culture

Matsuyama calls itself the city of haiku and of Botchan. Haiku post boxes, a national high-school haiku championship and Shiki's former house keep the poetry tradition alive, while Dōgo trades on Sōseki's novel with Botchan-themed sweets, souvenirs and a clock tower of mechanical figures. The autumn festival, when portable shrines clash in front of Dōgo Onsen, shows the city's rougher side.

Festivals

Matsuyama Autumn Festival
松山秋祭りMatsuyama Aki Matsuri
From 5 to 7 October; on the first morning dozens of portable shrines are rammed together in front of Dōgo Onsen.
Dōgo Onsen Festival
道後温泉まつりDōgo Onsen Matsuri
A spring festival in March celebrating the hot spring with parades and performances.
Matsuyama Festival
松山まつりMatsuyama Matsuri
A summer festival in August with the Yakyū-ken dance parade through the centre.

Food

Matsuyama tai-meshi
鯛めしTai-meshi
A whole sea bream cooked in the rice pot, the Chūyo style of tai-meshi.
Nabeyaki udon
鍋焼きうどんNabeyaki udon
Soft udon in sweet broth served in an aluminium pot, a Matsuyama comfort food.
Botchan dango
坊っちゃん団子Botchan dango
Three-coloured skewered sweets named after Sōseki's hero.
Taruto
タルトTaruto
A sponge roll with yuzu-flavoured bean paste.
Ehime citrus
柑橘Kankitsu
Mikan and other varieties sold in shops and markets throughout the city.

Getting around

Iyotetsu trams run from JR Matsuyama Station and Matsuyama-shi Station to the castle area and Dōgo Onsen, with a loop line around the centre.
Limited express trains link JR Matsuyama Station with Okayama and Takamatsu.
Matsuyama Airport is about 20 minutes by bus from the centre.
Ferries and high-speed boats leave Matsuyama Kankō Port in Takahama for Hiroshima and Kure.

Day trips

Uchiko
内子Uchiko
A preserved wax-merchant town with a kabuki theatre, about 25 minutes by limited express.
Imabari and the Shimanami Kaido
今治・しまなみ海道Imabari, Shimanami Kaidō
Towels, castle and island bridges, about 40 minutes by train.
Tobe
砥部Tobe
Porcelain workshops and kilns south of the city.
Ishizuchi-san
石鎚山Ishizuchi-san
Western Japan's highest peak, reached via Saijō or the Omogo side.
Hiroshima
広島Hiroshima
Across the Inland Sea by high-speed boat in about an hour and a quarter.

Other cities in the prefecture

CityImabariImabari-shiBridges, shipyards and the islands of the sea clans TownUchikoUchiko-chōThe town that grew rich on candle wax

Frequently asked questions

Can you bathe at Dōgo Onsen Honkan?

Yes. The historic Honkan is a working public bath, and the modern annexes Asuka-no-yu and Tsubaki-no-yu nearby also draw on the same springs.

Is Matsuyama Castle original?

Yes. Its keep, completed in 1854, is one of Japan's twelve surviving original keeps, and many turrets and gates are also original.

How do you get from Matsuyama to Hiroshima?

By high-speed boat from Matsuyama Kankō Port, about an hour and a quarter, or by ferry, which takes longer.

What is Botchan?

A 1906 novel by Natsume Sōseki about a hot-headed young teacher from Tokyo in a provincial town modelled on Matsuyama; its characters are everywhere in Dōgo.

Sources

1.松山市公式ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 松山市
2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
3.国指定文化財等データベース (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁
4.四国八十八ヶ所霊場会 (opens in a new tab) — 四国八十八ヶ所霊場会
5.Matsuyama (opens in a new tab) — JNTO