Ehime Prefecture
Shikoku
Region
Matsuyama
Prefectural Capital
1,430,000
Population
Matsuyama
Airport
Iyo Province
Feudal name
Temples 40 to 65
Shikoku pilgrimage temples
Imabari, Iyo, Matsuyama (capital), Niihama, Ozu, Saijo, Seiyo, Uwajima
Main cities
Introduction
Traditional festivals, mikan orchards, and historic Matsuyama.
Ehime Prefecture, located in northwestern Shikoku, is known for its scenic coastline on the Seto Inland Sea, historic Matsuyama city with its famous castle and Dōgo Onsen, and rich cultural heritage including the Shikoku Pilgrimage and unique Shinto festivals. It is a top producer of mikan citrus fruit, boasts diverse industries such as agriculture, shipbuilding, and sake brewing, and promotes itself as a “Cycling Paradise”
Ehime Prefecture can be reached from Honshu by road via the Shimanami Kaidō, by ferry from Hiroshima, and by air. There are also ferry links to Kyushu. The prefectural capital of Ehime is Matsuyama.
As part of the Ohenro Shikoku Pilgrimage, Ehime is the third prefecture that pilgrims visit. Each of the prefectures has been assigned a symbolic phase — Ehime represents the idea of Attaining Enlightenment.
The industry of Ehime has long been based on agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Related industries are pottery, tiles, paper, textiles, pearls and shipbuilding. Ehime vies with Wakayama Prefecture as Japan’s top producer of mikan citrus fruit. In early summer, every part of Ehime is redolent of the slightly acerbic, soapy scent of citrus flowers.
Ehime is home to a number of distinctive Shinto festivals. The southern part of Ehime has a traditional interest in bulls. Bull ‘sumo’ is held in Uwajima, and there’s also a festival celebrating ushioni ‘bull devils’. Seiyo has a mud festival involving the bulls once used for plowing rice fields. In Matsuyama and Saijo, people dress up in koikuchi, a kind of motley pajama outfit, and enjoy running huge festival juggernauts up and down the streets and into rivers. They also take huge omikoshi ‘god boxes’ and smash them together, or throw them down the steps of Shinto shrines. Ehime has an active sake brewing industry, which is constantly developing innovative products using local strains of rice.
The prefecture bills itself as the Cycling Paradise, with routes and facilities provided to welcome bicycle lovers from around the world.
Learn more about Matsuyama
Best of Ehime
Discover our carefully crafted selection of attractions and hidden gems that showcase the breathtaking beauty and distinctive heritage of Ehime Prefecture.
Garyū Sansō
An elaborate “mountain hermitage” created by a wealthy trader in Ōzu during the Meiji PeriodMatsuyama Castle
Matsuyama Castle is a hilltop castle standing on the summit of Mt. Katsuyama, an imposing hill in the…Shimanami Kaidō
The Shimanami Kaidō is a chain of islands across the Seto Inland Sea, joined by a series of…
Our Ehime Tours
Explore our popular multiday private tours of Ehime below. More options are available in the Multiday Tour section. Dates are flexible, and prices reflect the sample itineraries shown. Customizations are welcome, just ask for a quote.
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