Ehime Prefecture offers a wide range of travel experiences: Dogo Onsen is known for its long bathing history, the Shimanami Kaido for its island route, and the Shikoku Karst for its striking limestone landscape. The Ōyamazumi Shrine and taimeshi add cultural and culinary discoveries. These contrasts can help you identify the experiences that might shape your trip through Ehime.

Dogo Onsen: Bathing history in Matsuyama

In the Dogo Onsen area, there are public bathhouses and footbaths where you can bathe. This makes its long history tangible as a visitor experience: bathing is not just a historical reference, but a possible activity while you’re there. Dogo Onsen is in Matsuyama, Ehime, and is Japan’s oldest hot spring, with a history stretching back 3,000 years. Dogo gives you a distinct focus if you’re interested in historic hot spring towns.

The Shimanami Kaido: a route across islands

The Shimanami Kaido offers a very different way to explore. It runs between Imabari in Ehime and Onomichi in Hiroshima, connects six islands in the Seto Inland Sea, and is about 70 kilometers long. You can travel the route on foot or by bicycle using dedicated pedestrian paths. Unlike the bathing experience centered on Dogo Onsen, the focus here is on a route that links several islands. The Kaido offers a different kind of experience: crossing the island route, rather than bathing, takes center stage.

The Shikoku Karst and Ōyamazumi Shrine

The Shikoku Karst reveals yet another side of the prefecture. The geological formation was created by the erosion of limestone slopes; expansive grasslands, white limestone hills and cone-shaped depressions define the landscape. The karst extends across Ehime and Kōchi prefectures, so its landscape spans beyond Ehime’s borders. Unlike the Shimanami Kaido, the focus here is not a named connection between two endpoints, but the shape of the landscape itself.

The Ōyamazumi Shrine is the oldest shrine in Ehime. For travelers interested in history, it offers a different point of reference from Dogo Onsen: here, a shrine takes center stage; there, a hot spring with a 3,000-year history, public bathhouses and footbaths. Ehime offers different historical themes, each experienced in its own way.

Taimeshi: two versions of a rice dish

Taimeshi is Ehime’s signature rice dish featuring sea bream, served in two distinctly different versions: with a whole cooked fish or with raw sashimi. Comparing them draws attention to how the dish is prepared, not just to its shared name. If you’re interested in regional cuisine, taimeshi offers a specific culinary connection to Ehime.

Planning your trip

You can explore Ehime by public transport, including trains and buses, as well as by rental bicycle, rental car or sightseeing taxi. For specific plans, you can first decide which experiences matter most, then look into the best way to get around. The option you choose will depend on your plans.

Discover more destinations: Ōzu, Matsuyama, Futami, Ikata, Saijō, Niihama, Shikokuchuo, Uwajima, Imabari, Kumakogen, Seiyo.

For an overview of destinations across Japan: Japan.