Matsuyama offers a range of cultural highlights for a trip: Dogo Onsen represents bathing traditions, the Shiki Memorial Museum focuses on literature, and Matsuyama Castle tells the story of the castle town. When choosing accommodation, you can start by deciding which of these themes you want to shape your stay.

Dogo Onsen and its bathing history

Dogo Onsen Honkan is the landmark of Dogo Onsen. The hot spring is said to have a history of around 3,000 years and is considered Japan’s oldest hot spring. In December 1994, the building became the first public bathhouse in Japan to be designated an Important Cultural Property. Preservation and repair work on the Honkan began in January 2019 and was completed in December 2024.

South of the Honkan, on Mount Kanyama, is Dogo Onsen Sora no Sanpo-michi. Its facilities include a footbath, a pavilion, benches and changing rooms. The footbath is usually available year-round. This makes it possible to combine the history of bathing with another aspect of a visit: spending time outdoors and taking a break at the available rest facilities.

Literature and museums

The Shiki Memorial Museum is a literature museum that aims to introduce people to Matsuyama’s history and literature through the work of Masaoka Shiki. Its collection includes around 70,000 original items and books; this number may change. The permanent exhibition reopened on July 3, 2024, following a redesign. It includes four touchscreen or video panels, eight quiz areas, a large monitor with an AR function and a section on the museum’s masterpieces.

The Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum explores another literary theme. It presents traces of the novel’s three main characters and content about the Meiji period. The museum is also the core facility of a Matsuyama field museum concept, which sees the city as a museum without a roof. Visitors interested in literature can therefore explore it from different angles: the Shiki Memorial Museum focuses on Masaoka Shiki’s work and Matsuyama’s history, while the Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum brings together the novel’s characters and the Meiji period.

Castle, building history and architecture

Construction of Matsuyama Castle began in 1602 and took about a quarter of a century. The castle is one of the twelve surviving castle towers in Japan built before the Edo period; the present castle tower was rebuilt in 1854. These two dates refer to different stages: the start of construction of the castle and the later rebuilding of the present tower. Matsuyama continues its history as a castle town, with business and administrative districts extending around the castle in the city center.

The ruins of Yuzuki Castle in Dogo Park offer another way to learn about history. The castle stood for about 250 years, from the early 14th to the late 16th century. Moats and earthen ramparts remain, while samurai residences and earthen walls have been reconstructed. Items found during excavations are also on display. At Isaniwa Shrine, the building’s history is closely connected to the present main building: Matsudaira Sadamasa, Matsuyama’s third feudal lord, had it rebuilt after a successful yabusame performance; it was completed in 1667. The building is one of Japan’s three major Hachiman-zukuri structures and was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1967.

Traditions and getting around

The Kairen boat dance is performed during the Kashima Shrine’s spring and autumn festivals. It is designated an intangible folk cultural property of Ehime Prefecture. The Hojo Museum of History and Nature (Kashima-ru) complements this cultural perspective with a permanent exhibition on the nature and history of the Hojo region.

Trams and road connections are also relevant for getting around Matsuyama. Orange trams run through the center and also serve as a means of transport for local residents. From JR Matsuyama Station, take the city tram towards Dogo Onsen to Ōkaidō to reach the ropeway entrance to Matsuyama Castle; from there, it is about a five-minute walk. Connections and journey times may change, so check your route before setting out.

The Gintengai and Ōkaidō shopping streets together stretch for more than one kilometer and continue towards Ropeway Street. This street is about 500 meters long, and the Shinonome-guchi ropeway station for Matsuyama Castle is located along it. The Botchan Ressha adds to the area’s transport history: it was modeled on a steam locomotive that ran in the city for a total of 67 years from 1888. Its name comes from the main character in Natsume Sōseki’s novel “Botchan”; the reconstructed vehicle is a diesel train. The route description lists weekends and public holidays as operating days. If you are planning a ride, check the current timetable.

Discover more destinations: Imabari, Saijō, Seiyo, Shikokuchuo, Ōzu, Ikata, Uwajima, Futami

For the regional travel overview: Ehime Prefecture.