Ehime Prefecture Travel Guide & City Directory

Last reviewed: October 23, 2026 · Prices are approximate and for orientation only.

Overview of Ehime Prefecture (愛媛県)

Ehime Prefecture (愛媛県) is located in the Shikoku region of Japan, with its prefectural capital at Matsuyama. Key sights and travel highlights across the prefecture include Dogo Onsen Honkan (3,000-year-old bathhouse that inspired Spirited Away) & hilltop Matsuyama Castle, the Shimanami Kaido cycling terminus at Imabari, and preserved Edo wax-merchant streets of Uchiko & Ozu.

How to get to Ehime Prefecture

2h 40m from Okayama Station on the JR Shiokaze Limited Express (stopping at Imabari), or 1h 25m flight from Tokyo Haneda. Use our Shinkansen Fare & Route Calculator and JR Pass Value Helper to compare rail tickets and regional passes.

Signature local food in Ehime

When visiting cities across Ehime, look out for these regional specialties at station restaurants, markets, and local izakaya:

• Tai-meshi (sea bream rice—steamed whole in Matsuyama or raw sashimi over rice with egg in Uwajima)
• Jakoten (fried whole-fish cakes)
• Ehime mikan & citrus juices (literally on tap!)
• Imabari yakitori (seared on flat iron plates)

Best time to visit Ehime

March–May and September–November for cycling the Shimanami Kaido into Imabari and strolling Dogo Onsen in a cotton yukata.

All 11 cities & municipalities in Ehime Prefecture

Click any city below for its individual travel guide, demographics, rail access, food specialties, and nearby stops: