This is the itinerary for my Shikoku road trip through Ehime and Kagawa prefecture that I did in spring! If you want to get off the beaten path and delve deeper into Japanese history and culture, this itinerary is a great fit for you. My time here was absolutely beautiful and I had an amazing time. I would recommend to add 1-2 days if you can to make the most out of your time here! I found 4 days in total a bit short and would recommend 6-7 days if you can spare the time. I hope you enjoy Shikoku as much as I did!
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Arrive at Matsuyama Station. I chose Matsuyama as my base as I desperately wanted to ride the Shikoku Sightseeing Train Iyonada Monogatari that offers a scenic ride between Matsuyama and Yawatahama Station (see day 2) Make sure to book early, as seats are reservation only. There used to be an online ticket system but it is currently paused. Go to your nearest JR Station to enquire about making a reservation.
Matsuyama is a really cute and quirky city along the Seto Inland Sea. It is super walkable and has lots of interesting places, cute cafés and a lot of history to explore.
1
2.9 km (1.8 mi)
11 min
2
320 m (0.2 mi)
1 min
3
34.1 km (21.2 mi)
46 min
Around 3-4pm (depending on the season) I recommend you head out of the city to Shimonada Station to catch the sunset. Conveniently there is a schedule printed of the times at Matsuyama Station. If you have a car, I would highly recommend it as the train line only runs every 2 hours in one direction.
Don't be discouraged, if you arrive by train, if the whole platform is crowded: Everyone wants to take a picture of the train in the station. From my experience, most people left shortly afterwards and the ones who stayed formed an orderly queue so everyone got to take their sunset pictures on time.
By train, the ride back to Matsuyama takes about 45mins. Make sure to check the schedule ahead! Yosan line is only serviced by one train on one track going back and forth, meaning that only one train comes every 2 hours.
You can also conveniently stop here on your way back from your day trip in Ozu if you don't intend to stay overnight there (see Day 2 for more information)
4
34.2 km (21.2 mi)
55 min
If Shimonada Station is too far out of the way for you, a good alternative is Baishinji Station in Matsuyama. From Matsuyama Station you can walk a few minutes to Otemachi Station.
From there, take the Iyo-Testudo-Takahama-Line for 15mins until you reach Baishinji Station. It lacks the special atmosphere of Shimonada Station, but it is another station overlooking the ocean.
5
9.5 km (5.9 mi)
25 min
6
In the evening, make your way to Dogo Onsen. It takes 30mins to reach Dogo Onsen Station. It is cute by day but absolutely stunning at night! It is open until 11:30pm so perfect to soak in the hot onsen water after an eventful day. Dogo Onsen is 100% tattoo-friendly too! This is a public onsen, which means you are bathing with other visitors. There is no private onsen as far as I am aware of.
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