Recommended for Foreigners! Discover the Charm of Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture

Matsuyama City, located in the Shikoku region, boasts a mild climate and has been a cradle of numerous literati throughout history, making it a city packed with Japan’s cultural and historical charm. This article delves into the allure of Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, exploring the city’s outline, facilities, culture, and cuisine from various perspectives.

Overview of Matsuyama City

Matsuyama City, situated in the northern part of Shikoku, is a bustling city with a population of about 510,000. Historically and culturally, it has produced many literary figures, including the famous haiku poet Masaoka Shiki, playing a pivotal role as a hub of regional culture.

The city is well-equipped with commercial facilities, educational institutions, and medical facilities, ensuring that all necessities for daily life are readily available. Matsuyama also features many parks and green spaces, creating an environment where nature and urban life harmonize beautifully. Key areas within the city include Dogo, Matsuyama City Station Front, and Ohkaido, each with its unique charm and vitality.

Climate of Matsuyama City

The climate in Matsuyama City is a warm Seto Inland Sea climate, with hot and humid summers and relatively mild winters. It is one of the more comfortable areas in Japan to live in due to its mild weather, with less precipitation and rare snowfall. However, there are occasionally cold days. Spring and autumn are pleasant, with stable weather. The frequency of typhoons passing through is less compared to Kochi and Tokushima on the Pacific side, but attention is still needed, especially from summer to autumn.

Transportation Infrastructure

Matsuyama City is a key transportation hub with Matsuyama Airport and Matsuyama Port offering access both domestically and internationally. Matsuyama Airport has direct flights to major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka, facilitating convenient travel for business and tourism. It also has daily flights to Seoul and Busan, although flights to Shanghai and Taipei are currently suspended.

There is no Shinkansen access directly to Matsuyama, requiring a transfer to express trains at Okayama Station. However, the city is served by numerous long-distance buses from major cities.

Additionally, Matsuyama is enhancing its transportation infrastructure and public transport services, making it easy for foreigners to live comfortably. Trams and buses allow for easy navigation around the city, with trams particularly popular among tourists for sightseeing.

Safety Information

Matsuyama City, the largest population center in the Shikoku region, maintains excellent public safety. Police stations and kōban (police boxes) are strategically placed throughout the city, ensuring safety around the clock. Community communication is also vibrant, with active crime prevention measures and regular updates on suspicious activities on the city’s website. These efforts contribute to Matsuyama’s reputation as a safe and secure place to live.

Major Commercial Facilities

There are numerous commercial facilities in Matsuyama City, offering ample opportunities for shopping and dining. Local specialty shops are popular among tourists. The large shopping center Emifull MASAKI provides a variety of shopping and dining options, being one of the largest in Shikoku. The Dogo area, known for its traditional souvenir shops and restaurants using local ingredients, is a must-visit spot for tourists.

Main Medical Institutions

Matsuyama City hosts numerous medical facilities, including university hospitals. Multilingual medical services are available, ensuring that foreigners can receive medical care comfortably. Major hospitals include Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Ehime Co-op Hospital, Matsuyama Municipal Hospital, and Ehime University Hospital.

Main Educational Institutions

Matsuyama City boasts a comprehensive range of educational institutions from kindergarten to university, catering to a wide age range. Ehime University is the largest comprehensive university in Shikoku, attracting a large student population. The Matsuyama City Educational Training Center provides high-quality education to local children through training for educators and research on school education.

Local Characteristics and Culture

While Matsuyama City is renowned as a city of literature, it also offers rich natural landscapes and historical scenes. It has produced notable literary figures such as Masaoka Shiki and Natsume Soseki, and its numerous museums reflect its literary heritage. The nostalgic charm of the Botchan Train, Iyo-kasuri textiles, and bamboo crafts are treasures of Matsuyama, rooted in a culture that cherishes its history.

The bountiful nature, including the Shigenobu and Ishite rivers and the Kounasen mountains, as well as the picturesque Kutsuna Islands, enriches the city’s environment. The Kutsuna Islands, a group of inhabited and uninhabited islands off Matsuyama, offer spectacular views of the sea and mountains, highlighting the diverse natural resources of Matsuyama.

Suitable Residents for Matsuyama City

Matsuyama City, blessed with both nature and a rich literary and artistic heritage, is an ideal place for those with certain hobbies and interests. If you enjoy cycling, you can explore the Shimanami Kaido, which connects Ehime to Hiroshima and offers delightful island hopping. For hiking enthusiasts, the Shikoku Pilgrimage provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in the lush nature of the region. Literature lovers can visit sites associated with famous writers and poets, while those interested in art and history can enjoy the city’s museums and the nostalgic Botchan Train.

Tourist Attractions in Matsuyama City

Matsuyama is home to Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama Castle, both major tourist attractions. Dogo Onsen, known as Japan’s oldest hot spring, is celebrated for its rich history and tradition. It is referenced in the ancient chronicles of Japan and has a myriad of legends, such as the white heron legend, enriching its historical context. Dogo Onsen Honkan, designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, remains an active public bathhouse, providing a unique blend of cultural heritage and relaxation.

Matsuyama Castle, located atop the 132-meter-high Katsuyama, is another must-visit spot, recognized for its beautiful night views as well as its historical significance. Both Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama Castle are central to Matsuyama’s appeal as a tourist destination, with the surrounding areas offering a variety of accommodations and dining options.

Food Culture

When it comes to Ehime Prefecture, where Matsuyama City is located, it is famous for its citrus fruits such as mandarin oranges. More than 30 types of citrus fruits are grown in the prefecture. In Matsuyama City, you can enjoy various citrus sweets such as juicy and exquisite mandarin orange gelato, ice cream, and jelly. The nationally famous “PON Juice” is also a product from Ehime. At Matsuyama Airport, there is a faucet that actually dispenses PON Juice, making the urban legend that “in Ehime, turning on the faucet produces PON Juice” a reality.

At Matsuyama Castle, which was introduced earlier, you can also enjoy citrus sweets. The tea shop “Shiroyama-so” at the entrance of the main keep offers “Ultimate Iyokan Soft Cream.” This soft cream, topped with iyokan fruit jelly, is a specialty that can only be enjoyed at Shiroyama-so. It is recommended to take a break and enjoy this soft cream while exploring Matsuyama Castle.

Ehime Prefecture, facing the Seto Inland Sea, is also blessed with seafood. The local dish “Tai-meshi” (sea bream rice) from the Hojo region in the northern part of Matsuyama City is especially famous nationwide. This hearty dish is made by cooking a whole sea bream with rice. The rice is carefully cooked with a rich broth made from sea bream and kombu, then the sea bream is flaked and mixed with the rice. There are many restaurants in Matsuyama City where you can enjoy tai-meshi, so be sure to try it.

Ehime Prefecture’s soul food, “Jakoten,” is another must-try. Jakoten is a type of fried fish cake made from minced fish such as horse mackerel. It is a staple ingredient in supermarkets throughout Ehime and an indispensable item on the dinner table.

Ehime Prefecture also has a variety of B-grade gourmet foods, which we would like to introduce:

“Matsuyama-zushi”: This is a type of chirashi sushi made with small fish such as esō and torahaze caught in the Seto Inland Sea, mixed with sweet vinegar.
“Mitsuhama-yaki”: A beloved dish in Matsuyama, Mitsuhama-yaki is an okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) with a thin batter, filled with udon or soba noodles and often uses beef. Unlike the Kansai region, where pork is commonly used, the combination of beef fat and beef creates a different and delicious taste.
“Nabeyaki Udon”: Udon is also commonly eaten in Ehime Prefecture, and nabeyaki udon is actually a soul food of Ehime. The famous restaurant “Nabeyaki Udon Asahi,” established in 1947, is a specialty store for nabeyaki udon. “Nabeyaki Tamago Udon” served in an aluminum pot, with a sweet broth made from dried sardines and kombu, has been loved by locals in Matsuyama for a long time.
Matsuyama City, with its diverse food culture, is particularly rich in restaurants offering dishes made with local ingredients and loved by locals, especially in the Dogo area. It can be said to be a gourmet paradise for foreign tourists.

Providing Information and Support for Foreigners

Matsuyama City offers information and support for foreigners. At the city’s tourist information centers, there are staff who speak foreign languages such as English and Chinese, providing strong support for foreign tourists. The tourist information centers at JR Matsuyama Station and the entrance to the Dogo Onsen shopping street are particularly designed for foreigners to obtain information.

In addition, there are tourist information centers at various places such as Matsuyama Castle Ropeway Station, Matsuyama Airport, and Matsuyama Tourist Port, making it easy to enjoy sightseeing by getting all the necessary information. Also, the number of stores that support multiple languages is increasing, making it safe for foreigners to live.

Introduction of Shops Handling Foreign Ingredients

Matsuyama City has shops that handle foreign ingredients. Here are some introductions:

Sleep Sunday Salon: This shop handles carefully selected ingredients and seasonings from both domestic and international sources. They sell products and seasonings from countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, as well as meticulously made domestic seasonings. There are also fair trade products, bringing together various items from around the world. There is a rental space at the back of the store that can be used for workshops. Although workshops are not yet in full swing, the owner plans to hold workshops focused on spices and fermented foods. You can enjoy an overseas atmosphere through ethnic cuisine.

Asakura: Asakura is a shop that imports and sells Italian ingredients. They occasionally hold lectures on “how to use olive oil to enhance the ingredients,” where you can learn in detail how to use olive oil and bring out the best in ingredients.

Jupiter: Opened in November 2023, Jupiter is the first coffee and imported food store in Ehime. They offer original in-house roasted coffee and imported foods from around the world. The spacious store is filled with a large variety of products from various countries, making you feel like you are traveling around the world.

Restaurants Where You Can Enjoy Foreign Cuisine

In Matsuyama, you can also enjoy foreign cuisine, allowing you to savor the nostalgic taste of your home country or experience the feeling of traveling abroad.

Romania: Named after Romania, this restaurant is run by a master who once lived in Romania. The recommended dish is “mamăligă,” a national dish loved by the locals.

Hanoi-Cafe: With Asian-taste interior, the restaurant creates an exotic atmosphere. The weekday lunch set, which includes staple Vietnamese dishes such as beef pho, green curry, and mixed rice along with a side dish of fresh spring rolls, is reasonably priced and highly recommended. After the meal, enjoying a Vietnamese coffee will make you feel like you have traveled to Vietnam.

Support from Local Governments for Foreigners

Matsuyama City and Ehime Prefecture provide support for foreigners moving to the area.

Support for Foreign Immigration: Matsuyama City provides subsidies to companies accepting foreign talent to support the development of foreign talent through skill qualification training and other courses. This includes Japanese language training and skill training fees.
Childcare Subsidies: While Matsuyama City does not offer specific direct childcare subsidies, many municipalities in Japan provide childcare support, including for foreign families. For example, the nationwide child allowance is available to foreign residents and is provided until the child graduates from junior high school, but an application is required.
Other Specific Activities: Matsuyama City has established consultation windows for the human rights of foreigners, offering multi-language support including English, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Spanish, Indonesian, Thai, and other languages. Additionally, the Ehime Prefecture International Exchange Center and Matsuyama International Exchange Center provide life consultation services for foreigners.

Introduction of Foreign Communities and Volunteer Organizations

“Matsuyama International Center (MIC)” aims for a “coexistent town of Matsuyama” and provides various services to ensure that people of all races, nationalities, and religions living in Matsuyama can live comfortably and pleasantly. Every January, they host the “Global Citizen Festival” to deepen the interaction between local citizens and foreign residents, allowing participants to experience various cultures, cuisines, and games from around the world. This is the largest international exchange event in Matsuyama, supported by volunteers. Other events held regularly include international exchange salons and junior international exchange salons. There is also support for exchange activities when participating in local events, making Matsuyama a city where foreigners can easily participate in community activities.

Conclusion

Ehime Prefecture’s Matsuyama City is an attractive city where nature, history, and culture blend together. With convenient transportation and a well-established living environment, Matsuyama is a highly appealing place for both long-term stays for foreigners and short-term travels. The charm of Matsuyama’s cityscape, culture, and gourmet food will surely leave unforgettable memories. Please consider visiting Matsuyama City to experience its many wonders.