During our 10-day, 9-night self-guided trip to Shikoku, we explored many attractions around Matsuyama City. On the fifth night, we stayed at Toyoko INN Matsuyama Ichibancho. The rental car was parked in the hotel’s paid storage parking lot earlier in the afternoon. After having dinner at Matsuya Matsuyama Okaido, we returned to the hotel to … Read more
After spending the whole day exploring Matsuyama City, it was time for dinner. It had been a long time since I last ate at Matsuya in Japan—around five years ago, before the pandemic. I decided to visit the Matsuyama Okaido branch of Matsuya and enjoy a big bowl of rice paired with grilled beef. To … Read more
After visiting Matsuyama Castle, one of Japan’s 100 Famous Castles, and the French-style architecture of Bansuisou, the SAKA NO UE NO KUMO MUSEUM is located right next to it. Here, you can not only admire the triangular-shaped building designed by Tadao Ando, both its exterior and internal structure, but also immerse yourself in the novel … Read more
After visiting Matsuyama Castle, one of Japan’s Top 100 Castles and a designated Important Cultural Property, our next stops are the nearby Bansuiso Villa and the Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum. The area is bustling with shops to explore. Taking a turn onto the main street, we even passed by the Matsuyama Mitsukoshi Department … Read more
During our 3-day, 2-night stay in Matsuyama City, Ehime, Shikoku, we visited Matsuyama Castle, one of Japan’s Top 100 Castles and one of the 12 original castle keeps. Around noon, we left the Tsubakikan Hotel and drove to Toyoko INN Matsuyama Ichibancho. After parking and unloading our luggage at Toyoko INN, we temporarily stored our … Read more
In Matsuyama City, Shikoku, we planned a three-day, two-night stay. On the morning of the fifth day, after having breakfast at Hotel Tsubakikan, we checked out and left our luggage in the car. Since the paid parking lot allowed parking until 1 PM, we decided to take the Botchan Train to Matsuyama City for some … Read more
In the afternoon, we took a stroll through the hot spring streets of the Dogo Onsen area. After dining at the Tsubaki-kan Hotel and enjoying the Matsuyama Suigun Taiko drum performance in the evening, we decided to explore the nighttime scenery here. The daytime crowd was too overwhelming, and since we wouldn’t have time to … Read more
With the spirit of a tourist, we strolled through the Dogo Onsen Shopping Street, enjoyed the punctual show of the Botchan Karakuri Clock, and prepared for our next destination: the Dogo Onsen Sky Walk. It’s about a leisurely 10-minute walk from here. From the elevated vantage point, you can enjoy a full view of the … Read more
In the morning, we departed from the New Iya Onsen Kazurabashi Hotel in Tokushima, visited Besshi Copper Mine and the Towel Museum in Imabari, and planned to stay the night at the Tsubakikan Hotel near Dogo Onsen Station in Matsuyama, Shikoku. In the afternoon, we quickly drove to Dogo Onsen and parked at Tsubakikan Hotel … Read more
On the morning of the fourth day of our 10-day, 9-night self-driving trip in Shikoku, we started the day at the Mine Topia Besshi, where we rode a small train and tried a rock crusher experience. Afterward, we continued toward Matsuyama in Shikoku. On the way, we passed through Imabari City, which is famous for … Read more