Matsuyama Travel Guide, Japan

Matsuyama is the largest city on the island of Shikoku, one of the four largest islands of Japan. Shikoku is famous for its 88 temples, eight of which are located in or near Matsuyama. The city is a great starting point for discovering Japanese culture. Tourists can enjoy a hot dip in an onsen, or hot spring, stay at a traditional ryokan inn, visit shrines and a medieval castle and even attend a festival or two. Matsuyama’s name, “Pine Tree Mountain” says all about the city’s beautiful surroundings. If you want to get a taste of genuine Japanese life in a quieter setting than the large metropolises, Matsuyama is the right holiday destination for you. Start planning your holiday in Japan with the help of this Matsuyama Travel Guide.

Matsuyama Travel Guide - Transport

Matsuyama International airport is quite large, but it’s rather difficult to find any flights from continents other than Asia. The airport offers frequent links to Shanghai and Seoul, but if your point of departure is in a more remote part of the globe, you should try to catch a flight to Tokyo, Osaka or Nagoya. There are regular domestic flights from major Japanese airports to Matsuyama.

If you are already in Japan, you can also reach Matsuyama by train. You can take the shinkansen to Matsuyama, but depending on your departure station, you might have to change a few trains until you reach your destination. The most scenic way of getting to Matsuyama is by ferry. Several ferry companies offer transport to Matsuyama from various ports on the other three islands. Once you are in Matsuyama, you can explore the city center on foot, but if you’re not keen on walking too much you should buy a transport card that offers a discount on buses, trains and even certain taxis.

Matsuyama Travel Guide - Accommodation

Matsuyama Youth Hostel is not exactly luxury accommodation, but it is affordable and great for backpackers. Besides the usual utilities, the owners of the place will read your aura and attempt to teach you to bend spoons for a small fee. The Dogo Onsen, the oldest hot spring in Japan is surrounded by ryokans of varying degrees of comfort and affordability. At Eco Dogo you can rent a dormitory style room and bring your sleeping bag if you’d like to save some money, or rent a furnished Japanese style room if you feel like spoiling yourself.

If you’re looking for a top-notch hotel, this Matsuyama Travel Guide recommends Funaya, a ryokan close to Dogo Onsen, where you can relish the best of Japanese hospitality, including some delicious local dishes.