Matsuyama is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture and the largest city in Shikoku. Its name means “pine mountain”. Matsuyama is a bustling city that has maintained its vitality despite the long recession in Japan that has hollowed out many other cities. Matsuyama has benefited from the ..
The city of Saijo sits on a plain facing the Seto Inland Sea, with the imposing Mt. Ishizuchi behind it. Saijo is sandwiched between Imabari and Niihama along the coast of the Inland Sea. Like it’s neighbor Imabari, Saijo is basically an industrial city that has experienced hollowing out rece..
Toon City, pronounced Tō-on, is a city in name only. There’s no built-up center to it at all, which may seem strange to people who are used to the conventional meanings of words. But in Japan, if enough people live in a given area, it’s called a city, even if it has none of the normal ch..
Matsuyama isn't usually known for its ramen. If you ask the locals, they aren't really able to say what Matsuyama’s unique regional spin on the noodle dish is. Considering the relative scarcity of ramen shops, I jump at the op..
On the banks of the Isshite river sits an unexpected, vintage train car. The bikes parked outside and the cheerful, if somewhat peeling, blue and yellow paint alert the traveler that this is no accident site. Wildflowers, plant pots, and hand painted..
No more than one minute’s walk from Mitsu train station in the North-West of Matsuyama, is a tiny, rustic, no-nonsense okonomiyaki joint with a sassy obaachan chef of local renown. Featured in the Matsuyama 2016 Okonomiyaki rally, this is the r..
This business hotel is located in the vicinity of Uwajima Castle, but can be reached on foot from Uwajima Station as well. It provides everything one needs for a comfortable stay at a reasonable price. I stayed here on the seventh night of my Shikoku..
Shikoku Henro pilgrims looking for a place to stay near remote temples 44 and 45 won’t be presented with many options. Furuiwayaso is about the only hotel in the vicinit. It’s classified as kokumin shukusha, an inexpensive type of lodging..
Just a few blocks from the seafront castle of Imabari, the Imabari Kokusai Hotel is one of the city's better places to bed down for the night. You can't miss it - the hotel's main tower looms large on the Imabari skyline and it's a ve..
Every March, Dogo Onsen is dressed up in lanterns and red pinstripes to celebrate its cultural history and provide a platform for the local community to get together. The onsen itself is saturated in folklore and has ties to Studio Ghibli, novelist ..
These days, outside of Harajuku, Japan’s cosplayers seem scarcer than they once were in the 1990s. It’s been suggested that this may be due to the rise of “utility” or “normcore” fashion. So these sort of gathering..
Shikoku is home to many talented craftspeople. Some of Shikoku’s most famous and enduring crafts include Awagami (Tokushima washi paper), Tobeyaki (Tobe’s distinctive blue pottery), and Iyo-Kasuri (hand-woven, blue patterned fabric). The..
