Last Updated: May 25, 2025

Matsuyama City

The Amazing Capital of Ehime Prefecture

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

Despite living there for most of my adult life, Tokyo can be overwhelming. While you can find pockets of peace scattered throughout the prefecture (yes, Tokyo is a prefecture), the urban chaos is something I often feel the need to escape. Luckily, this isn’t hard to do given the vast variety of hidden gems all over Japan. Today, we’re going to take a look at one such place — Matsuyama City. Officially the biggest urban center on the island of Shikoku, this compact city is a treasure trove of sightseeing spots.

Despite being the largest city on Shikoku, Matsuyama has a Goldilocks-like vibe to it. Though it is the Ehime prefectural capital, Matsuyama is neither too big nor too small. This “just right” size and slow pace of life make it perfect for exploring during your visit to Japan. What’s more, Matsuyama boasts a wide variety of allures that appeal to all sorts of demographics. There’s something for the history buffs and hot spring aficionados, as well as the die-hard foodies too.

Matsuyama City is most famous for being home to Dogo Onsen. Considered to be one of Japan’s oldest hot springs, this section of the city is located on Matsuyama’s northeastern outskirts and is home to the first public bathhouse in Japan to be registered…