Matsuyama City
Japan's oldest hot spring, a castle, and mikan oranges — the town 'Botchan' loved.
Soak in 3,000 Years at Dogo Onsen Honkan
Dogo Onsen is said to be Japan's oldest hot spring — legend tells of an egret healing its injured leg in the waters. Its symbol, the wooden Honkan bathhouse, is a national important cultural property and appears in Natsume Soseki's novel 'Botchan.'
Bathe as guests have since the Edo period in the 'Tama-no-yu' and 'Kami-no-yu' baths, tour the imperial-only Yushinden rooms, and see the small room Soseki used. Strolling the arcade afterward in a yukata is classic onsen-town life.
Above the town, Matsuyama Castle — one of twelve keeps surviving from the Edo period — watches over the city. Ride the ropeway or chairlift up for views that reach the Seto Inland Sea.
Tai-Meshi and Botchan Dango: Matsuyama's Honest Flavors
Uwajima tai-meshi is the local soul food: raw sea bream slices folded into egg and sauce over rice — a hearty fisherman's bowl. Two rival styles, Hojo and Uwajima, make for a tasty comparison.
The signature sweet is Botchan dango, a three-colored dumpling named for Soseki's novel: matcha, egg, and red bean. Eating one fresh from the onsen is a Matsuyama tradition.
Ehime is Japan's citrus kingdom — mikan juice tastings, iyokan, and premium varieties like setoka. There's even a famous spot where mikan juice flows from a tap.