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MATSUYAMA

Articles about Matsuyama and Ehime, Shikoku – Dogo Onsen, Matsuyama Castle, food, and where to stay.

Dogo Onsen Matsuyama Japan ancient castle tower scenic

Dogo Onsen Guide: Japan’s Oldest Hot Spring in Matsuyama (2026)

Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, is one of the most extraordinary places to bathe in all of Japan. With a documented history stretching back over 3,000 years — ancient chronicles record imperial family members bathing here as far back as the 6th century BC — it is widely regarded as the oldest operating hot spring in the country. The main bathhouse, Dogo Onsen Honkan, is a magnificent example of Meiji-period wooden architecture completed in 1894, with three tiled turrets, wooden latticework, and an elegant complexity of design that has made it one of Japan’s most photographed buildings. Many believe […]

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Best food in Matsuyama Japan — seafood and local specialties overview

Best Food in Matsuyama: Seafood, Chicken Nanban & Local Eats

Matsuyama doesn’t get nearly enough credit as a food destination. The capital of Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, it’s usually known internationally for Dogo Onsen (Japan’s oldest hot spring, said to be over 3,000 years old) and Matsuyama Castle, one of Japan’s twelve original castles. But food lovers who spend time here quickly discover a city with a remarkably distinct culinary identity — one built around the exceptional seafood of the Seto Inland Sea, the year-round abundance of citrus fruit, and a deeply local food culture that takes enormous pride in dishes that haven’t made it into any […]

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Matsuyama Travel Guide: Dogo Onsen onsen bath experience Ehime Japan

Matsuyama Travel Guide: Castle, Onsen and Dogo’s Ancient Baths

Matsuyama sits in the northwest corner of Shikoku, and it earns a place on every serious Japan itinerary for a combination that is genuinely rare: a perfectly preserved hilltop castle that has never been reconstructed, an ancient hot-spring town whose wooden bathhouses are believed to be among the oldest in Japan, and a relaxed coastal city character that rewards slow exploration far more than a rushed day trip. Matsuyama is Shikoku’s largest city by population, but it manages the unlikely feat of feeling unhurried — the tram that winds through the city centre, the stone steps leading up to the […]

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