Ehime, whose name in Japanese can be translated as “lovely princess”, is a land of mountains and coastal towns, whose Mediterranean climate brings out the best in fresh produce. These days, it is being discovered by travelers for its pleasant lifestyle. It is a world away from Tokyo but is now even more accessible thanks to attractive fares from both low-cost and full-service airlines.
Despite a fantastic train system, the plane is actually the quickest way to get to Ehime. ANA and JAL offer the Experience Japan and Yokoso Japan Air passes respectively to international passengers, with a minimum of one sector from just a little over ¥10,000. It takes less than 230 minutes from Tokyo Station to Matsuyama Station, even with two airport buses to Haneda Airport and from Matsuyama Airport. You should budget for another ¥1,000 inclusive of train transfers to Haneda and the bus transfer from Matsuyama Airport.
Recently a number of low-cost airlines, such as Jetstar airlines have started flying from Tokyo to Matsuyama. These fares usually start from ¥5000, though they have special discounted fares from time to time, which are available to all passengers. While you need to factor in additional time and cost when traveling from Narita instead of Haneda Airport, the overall cost is still a lot cheaper than flying with a full-service airline from Haneda. Another advantage of flying from Narita is that it could be more convenient if you have an international connection to and from Narita. If you are flying from Shanghai or Seoul there are two direct flights each week to Matsuyama. Peach Airlines also started flying from Osaka Kansai to Matsuyama from just ¥3,500 with two daily flights.
The fastest train from Tokyo takes just over 400 minutes on the Shinkansen bullet train, with a change in Okayama. The standard cost is ¥19,680 so if you hold a Japan Rail Pass, you would save money compared with the standard cost for a return trip.
If your idea of saving time is traveling overnight, there are rail or bus options as well. The Sunrise Seto departs from Tokyo at 20:00 each evening, arriving in Okayama the next morning, with the next connecting train arriving at Matsuyama at just after 10:00 am. Japan Railway Pass holders only have to pay the accommodation surcharge. A bus on the other hand would take just over 12 hours. You need to reserve in advance for either option.
Lastly, you can also drive, and if you have a group of four, you can get there for less than the Air pass. You will need to factor in road tolls and gasoline prices, but it could be cheaper than the plane or bus and will provide opportunities to view areas off the beaten path.
