Ehime Prefecture · Japan
Where to stay in Matsuyama
Matsuyama is a city in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, home to about 507,000 people. This guide covers 1 hotel in Matsuyama.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 1
- Nearest airport
- MYJ6 km · Matsuyama Airport
- Currency
- JPYyen
- Time zone
- Asia/Tokyo
- Language
- Japanese
About
About Matsuyama
Matsuyama is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, in Japan and is also Shikoku's largest city. As of 1 October 2022, the city had an estimated population of 494,100 in 243,541 households and a population density of 1,200 persons per km2.
With a population of 510,000 (2019), Matsuyama is the largest city on Shikoku, though still noticeably sleepier than cities of comparable size on the Japanese mainland. The city is in a river basin formed by the flow of the Ishite and Shigenobu rivers, and nestled between the Ishizuchi mountain range to the south and Takanawa Mountains to the north. The center of town is Matsuyama-shi Station (松山市駅, "Shieki" for short), south of Matsuyama Castle, which serves as a hub for local trams, buses, and the private Iyotetsu train line. JR Matsuyama Station is a short walk west.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Matsuyama
See
While having read Sōseki's novels or Shiki's haiku is by no means essential to enjoy most of these sites, it will probably represent the difference between whether you find them evocative pieces of history or just a pleasant collection of Meiji-era buildings.
- Akiyama Brothers Birthplace
- Bansuiso
- Botchan Gizmo Clock
- Dōgo Park & Yuzuki Castle Ruins
- Isaniwa Shrine
- Iyo Kasuri Folk Craft Museum
- Kōshinan Historic Park
- Matsuyama Castle
- Matsuyama Central Park
- Museum of Art, Ehime
- Ninomaru Historical Garden
- Russian Soldiers' Cemetery
Do
- Dōgo Onsen Honkan
- Kami no Yu 1F
- Kami no Yu 2F
- Tama no Yu 2F
- Tama no Yu Private Room 3F
- Ehime Children's Castle
- Haiku Monument Tour
- Koto Lessons
- Zazen Meditation
- Matsuyama Putt Golf
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Matsuyama
1 place to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay |
|---|
| Toyoko Inn Matsuyama Ichibancho hotel |
Where to stay
More hotels in Matsuyama
19 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Setouchi Retreat Aonagi | 10.4 km | |
| ANA Crowne Plaza Matsuyama | 1979 | 0.3 km |
| Tokyo Dai-ichi Hotel Matsuyama | 0.5 km | |
| 道後プリンスホテル | 2.5 km | |
| Candeo Hotels Matsuyama Okaido | 0.5 km | |
| Chaharu | 2.4 km | |
| Daiwa Roynet Hotel Matsuyama | 0.6 km | |
| Dogo Hotel Mielparque Matsuyama | 2.5 km | |
| Dogo Miyu | 2.4 km | |
| Dogo Onsen Yachiyo | 2.4 km | |
| Dormy Inn Matsuyama Natural Hot Spring Dormy Inn | 0.4 km | |
| Funaya | 2.4 km | |
| Hotel Fine Garden Matsuyama | 3.8 km | |
| Hotel Mystays Matsuyama | 0.7 km | |
| Hotel Patio Dogo | 2.4 km | |
| Ryokan Dougoya | 2.4 km | |
| Terminal Hotel Matsuyama | 1.3 km | |
| Yamatoya Besso | 2.3 km | |
| 花ゆづき | 2.5 km |
All 20 hotels in Matsuyama, with their history and operators
When to go
The best time to visit Matsuyama
Matsuyama has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; June is the wettest, with about 289 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Matsuyama: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Matsuyama Airport (MYJ), about 6.2 km from the city centre in a straight line; Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport (IWK, 59 km) and Hiroshima Airport (HIJ, 68 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
If you plan on staying for an extended period of time (or believe you will spend more than ¥2000 on transportation), you may want to buy an IC Card at Shieki, which gives 10% discounts on all Iyotetsu transportation (including taxis). Traveling on foot is an entirely viable way of getting around downtown at a comfortable pace. Trams (streetcars) have a flat fare, ¥200 per trip (December 2023) or ¥100 for children. A one-day pass costs ¥400 (November 2014). There is no transfer discount.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
MYJ · Matsuyama Airport
IWK · Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport
HIJ · Hiroshima Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Matsuyama
Eat
Matsuyama is a great place to indulge a sweet tooth. Botchan dango (坊ちゃん団子) headline every sweet shop in town. They're skewered rice dumplings covered in bean paste dyed with green tea, eggs, and azuki beans. This soft, sweet snack was popularized by Sōseki, who had such a weakness for them that he included the treats in Botchan. Another local favorite are the cute little tarts (タルト). Originally derived from Nagasaki's Castella cake in the 1600s, the Matsuyama variety replaces jam with azuki bean paste, and rolls up the cake.
Drink
The drinking district is fairly well-concentrated; the streets around the Okaido Arcade are the place to begin a bar crawl.
Stay safe
Matsuyama is a safe city, even by Japanese standards. Theft has never been an issue at Dōgo Onsen, but there are coin lockers (¥100) if you have valuables to store.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Matsuyama: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Matsuyama?
Matsuyama has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; June is the wettest, with about 289 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Matsuyama?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Matsuyama Airport (MYJ), about 6.2 km from the city centre in a straight line; Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport (IWK, 59 km) and Hiroshima Airport (HIJ, 68 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Matsuyama?
yen (JPY).
Nearby
Destinations near Matsuyama
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.