Places of Interest

Marugame, overlooking the Inland Sea, has some of the most imposing castle walls in all Japan.

Uchiwa are flat fans made of stiff paper pasted onto a frame of split bamboo. There are several places where you can make your own uchiwa fan with help from experienced staff.

Taketsuru Masataka, known to his friends as Massan, was a brewer and distiller from Takehara. He’s known as the founder of Japan’s whisky industry and Nikka Whisky.

Matsue Castle stands on the shore of Lake Shinji near the Japan Sea coast, at the heart of Matsue’s central riverside district.

Located east of Matsue Castle, Matsue History Museum has the exterior of a samurai residence and offers a fine view of the castle.

Matsuno is a little township on a tributary of the Shimanto River. Surrounded by mountains, with a wide and shallow river running through it, Matsuno is a typical inland Shikoku town.

The largest city in Shikoku, Matsuyama has maintained its vitality and cultural traditions across the centuries.

Matsuyama Castle is a hilltop castle standing on the summit of Mt. Katsuyama, an imposing hill in the middle of Matsuyama.

The Matsuyama Spring Festival is held during the first weekend in April when the weather is usually just starting to get warm and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. There are numerous free events, that proceed with the enthusiastic participation of citizens and visitors alike.