Matsuyama

Stretching 70 kilometers across the Seto Inland Sea, the Shimanami Kaido is a cyclist’s dream — a ribbon of road and soaring suspension bridges that leap from island to island, linking Honshu to Shikoku. The route’s crown jewels are the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge, the world’s longest suspension bridge structure, and the Tatara Bridge, whose elegant white cables frame vistas of turquoise water and citrus groves. Riding here feels less like transport and more like pilgrimage: you’ll glide past fishing harbors scented with brine, climb gentle grades to panoramic lookouts, and pause at roadside stalls offering freshly squeezed mikan juice. The path is impeccably maintained, with dedicated lanes separated from traffic, making it accessible to casual riders and seasoned tourists alike. Whether you tackle the full crossing in a day or savor a single segment at sunset, the Shimanami Kaido delivers a rare blend of engineering grandeur and intimate coastal charm.

A three-tiered wooden palace of cypress and glass rising from the heart of Matsuyama, Dogo Onsen Honkan has welcomed bathers for over a millennium—emperors, poets, and the inspiration for the bathhouse in Spirited Away. Its labyrinthine interior unfolds like a secret: the Kami-no-Yu (Bath of the Gods) on the first floor hums with the murmur of locals, while the Tama-no-Yu (Bath of the Spirits) upstairs, reserved for private rental, preserves the lacquered cedar tubs once used by the imperial family. Steam curls through the latticed windows, carrying the mineral scent of alkaline waters that have flowed unchanged since the 8th century. At night, the building glows like a lantern, its red balustrades reflected in the canal below, and the rhythmic tap of geta sandals on the stone approach signals the evening ritual of yukata-clad strollers heading for a soak.

Crowning Mount Katsuyama, Matsuyama Castle is one of only twelve original tenshu (main keeps) surviving in Japan, its dark timber walls and layered roofs rising above a sea of cherry trees. Approached via a steep, stone‑walled path or a graceful ropeway, the castle reveals a labyrinth of defensive corridors, hidden chambers, and strategic arrow slits that speak to the ingenuity of Edo-period military architecture. From the top floor’s panoramic windows, the Seto Inland Sea glitters to the west while the city’s tiled rooftops sprawl below — a vista that has scarcely changed since the samurai era. In spring, the castle grounds explode into a cloud of pink blossoms, transforming the fortress into a poetic tableau of transience and endurance.