Day two of a two-day, one-night cycling tour by former professional road racer Yoshimitsu Tsuji, exploring Ehime Prefecture’s cycling-based digital stamp rally and photo contest, ‘Shimahime Ride’.
We present the beautiful Seto Inland Sea, a historical exploration of Matsuyama, and gourmet reports.
★ indicates a registered spot for Shimahime Ride.
Contents
- Starting from Imabari City
- Matsuyama City: A Journey Through Sea and History
- ★Roadside Station Kazahaya no Sato Fuwari
- Café Train
- Views overlooking Gogoshima Island
- ★Mikan Park Baishinji
- ★Café & Bar Sun and Moon
- Botchan Mechanical Clock
- ★Dōgo Onsen Annex Asuka no Yu / Dōgo Onsen Main Building
- ★Bansuiso
- ★Sōseki Coffee Shop Aishōtei
- ★Clouds Above the Hill Museum
- Ehime Prefectural Government Office
- ★JR Matsuyama Station Tourist Information Centre
- ★Matsuyama Airport
- Shimahime Ride: Savour Scenery, History and Culinary Delights
- Course Introduction
- Summary
Starting from Imabari City
Breakfast at JR Clement Inn Imabari
Day two of cycling begins with breakfast at our accommodation, JR Clement Inn Imabari.
We enjoy a satisfying menu featuring the popular original three-colour rice bowl, alongside salads and dishes made with local ingredients.
Once ready, we set off on our cycle from the cycling terminal, ‘i.i.imabari! Cycle Station’.
★Noma Horse Highland
A short ride south along National Route 196 brings you to Noma Horse Highland, where you can interact with the Noma horse, Japan’s smallest native breed.
Within the grounds, three grazing fields have been established where you can observe Noma horses, standing under 120cm tall, at close quarters.
Quietly observe the horses as they eat their breakfast.
Hoshinoura Seaside Park
Return to National Route 196; when the sea comes into view, you’ll find Hoshinoura Seaside Park.
The place name Hoshinoura derives from a legend stating, ‘Long ago, the god of stars descended from the heavens upon this spot.’ Beyond the beautiful sea, you can see the distinctive shipbuilding yards characteristic of Imabari.
Within the park stands a pyramid-shaped monument, creating a beautiful contrast between the blue sky and the green lawns.
Matsuyama City: A Journey Through Sea and History
★Roadside Station Kazahaya no Sato Fuwari
From Hoshinoura Seaside Park, take National Route 196 along the coast to reach Roadside Station Kazahaya no Sato Fuwari.
Nestled in a naturally rich location surrounded by mountains and sea, it offers a diverse range of local produce including freshly picked vegetables, seafood, handmade side dishes, and pickles. The popular “taps serving mikan juice” are also available.
Across the national highway lies Kazahaya Nagahama Beach, renowned for its clear blue sea and beautiful white sandy shore.
At the end of the promenade, stone monuments and benches offer sweeping views of the sea. It is said you can witness beautiful sunsets here at dusk.
The palm trees lining the coast lend a subtropical atmosphere.
Café Train
Continuing south along the national highway, you’ll find the ‘Cafe Train’ appearing by the sea.
Enjoy delicious coffee while gazing at the beautiful sea from the nostalgic, luxury train-like interior (carriage windows).
They also offer set meals, so this became my second breakfast of the day.
Views overlooking Gogoshima Island
Cycling along Prefectural Roads 347 to 39 takes you along the coastal road overlooking Gogoshima Island.
Gogoshima is the closest island to Matsuyama, accessible by ferry from Takahama Port in about 10 minutes. It is renowned for its beautiful beaches and as a producer of premium mandarins.
This island also features several spots along the “Shimahime Ride” route.
★Mikan Park Baishinji
Continuing south along Prefectural Route 39 brings you to Mikan Park Baishinji, featuring large depictions of Mikan, Ehime Prefecture’s promotional mascot.
Opened in 2019, this facility aims to be a fun place for people both within and outside the prefecture to learn about Mikyan and citrus fruits. The first floor sells souvenirs and merchandise, while the second floor café offers citrus sweets.
Scan the QR code next to the till to collect a stamp.
From the second floor, you can look out over the Iyotetsu ‘Baishinji Station’ and the sea.
★Café & Bar Sun and Moon
Journey to the town of Mitsuhama, once the “gateway to the sea” for Matsuyama and the heart of the local economy.
Among several renovated port town houses, Café & Bar Sun and Moon offers lunch within a Meiji-era traditional dwelling.
This lavish lunch features not only a main dish surrounded by numerous side dishes, but also includes Ehime’s famous “sea bream rice”.
Botchan Mechanical Clock
Ride approximately 10km east from Matsuyama City Centre to Dōgo Onsen.
Iyo Railway’s Dōgo Onsen Station features a beautiful Western-style exterior, restored from the original station building constructed in 1911.
Near Dōgo Onsen Station stands the ‘Botchan Mechanical Clock’, created in 1994 as part of the centenary commemorative project for the reconstruction of the Dōgo Onsen Main Bathhouse.
At designated times, characters from the novel ‘Botchan’ come to life, moving to music. The mechanical clock operates hourly from 8:00 to 22:00, and every half-hour during special periods.
★Dōgo Onsen Annex Asuka no Yu / Dōgo Onsen Main Building
Beyond the nostalgic Dōgo Shopping Street, where new shops stand alongside traditional ones, lies the Dōgo Onsen Annex Asuka no Yu. This “new bathhouse” concept features bathhouses incorporating architectural styles from the Asuka period.
The “Wind Chime Corridor”, decorated with approximately 100 wind chimes adorned with Man’yōshū poetry strips, was on display. (On display until 7 August 2025)
Then there is the Dōgo Onsen Main Building, one of Japan’s oldest hot springs boasting a history of approximately 3,000 years.
The three-storey wooden building, reconstructed in 1894, is designated a National Important Cultural Property.
Simply strolling around its surroundings allows one to feel its history.
★Bansuiso
From Dōgo Onsen, ride towards the Ehime Prefectural Government offices to reach Bansuiso.
Bansuiso is a French Renaissance-style Western-style mansion built as the villa of Baron Hisamatsu Sadakoto, a descendant of the former feudal lord of Matsuyama Domain.
The interior, designated a National Important Cultural Property, has reportedly been used as a film location, exuding a quiet and solemn atmosphere.
★Sōseki Coffee Shop Aishōtei
Step into the garden-like grounds within Bansuisō to find Sōseki Coffee Shop Aishōtei.
‘Aishōtei’ where Natsume Sōseki first lodged upon his posting to Matsuyama once stood on this very site. The familiar ‘Aishotei’ of Natsume Sōseki can now be enjoyed as Sōseki Coffee Shop Aishotei, serving coffee and sweets.
Aishotei is home to resident cats ‘Botchan’ and ‘Madonchan’. We met ‘Madonchan’, named after the Madonna character from the novel Botchan. A very tranquil atmosphere pervades the shop.
★Clouds Above the Hill Museum
Clouds Above the Hill Museum showcases the footsteps of the protagonist from Matsuyama depicted in Ryotaro Shiba’s novel “Clouds Above the Hill”, alongside exhibits concerning the Meiji era.
The museum’s design is by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando. The “pillarless aerial staircase” visible from the free-to-enter double-height second-floor atrium is a sight to behold.
A café and library lounge are also available on the second floor.
The slope connecting the third and fourth floors displays the entire serialized novel “Clouds Above the Hill”, which ran in the Sankei Shimbun (evening edition) for approximately four and a half years from 1968, spanning 1,296 installments, covering an entire wall.
Through the glass, visitors can admire the beautiful architecture of Bansuiso.
Ehime Prefectural Government Office
Stopping by the Ehime Prefectural Government Office, head to the “Shikoku Cycle Tour Start” monument in front of the main building, the “Shikoku Cycle Tour 0km Monument”.
A sacred spot for cyclists visiting to take commemorative photos at the start and finish of their Shikoku cycle tour. Take a commemorative photo here, imbued with the thought, ‘One day, I’ll cycle around Shikoku!’
★JR Matsuyama Station Tourist Information Centre
Heading west from the Prefectural Government Office brings you to the new JR Matsuyama Station building, completed in September 2024 as the gateway to Matsuyama.
Drop by the Tourist Information Centre to gather information and discover spots in Matsuyama City we haven’t yet visited, planning your next return trip.
★Matsuyama Airport
Approximately 5km west of JR Matsuyama Station lies Matsuyama Airport, marking the end of our two-day cycle tour.
At the eastern end of the first floor of the Matsuyama Airport Terminal Building, a cycle station is installed, equipped with two cycle stands and an air pump, enabling you to prepare your bicycle for transport.
At the information desk within the same building, you can borrow maintenance tools. Additionally, they offer a service to temporarily store (for a fee) cardboard boxes for packing bicycles and bicycle transport bags until your departure for your return journey.
Shimahime Ride: Savour Scenery, History and Culinary Delights
The two-day, one-night Shimahime Ride began amidst rural landscapes and the pristine waters of Uchinuki, progressing to scenes of the Seto Inland Sea’s azure waters. We explored Imabari Castle, Dōgo Onsen, sites connected to Natsume Sōseki, and the history of Shiba Ryōtarō, while also indulging in local fruits and gourmet cuisine.
The daily route is around 60km with no steep hills, making it an excellent area for a cycling tour.
Do come to Ehime Prefecture, explore numerous spots on the “Shimahime Ride”, take plenty of photos, and enjoy yourself.
The “Imabari Yakitori” we ate in Imabari City was absolutely superb. Be sure to take “Dark Mikyan” along as your travel companion too!!
Course Introduction
Distance: 68.9km Elevation Gain (Up): 368m
Nomauma Highland
Roadside Station Kazahaya no Sato Kazawari
Cafe Train Bayside
Mican Park Baishinji
CAFE & BAR Taiyou to Tsuki
Botchan Karakuri Clock
Dogo Onsen Annex Asuka no Yu
Dogo Onsen Main Building
Bansuisou
Sōseki Coffee Shop Aishotei
Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum
Ehime Prefectural Office Main Building
Summary
Ehime Prefecture is remarkably accessible: from the Kansai region via ferry to Toyo Port, and from the capital region by plane to Matsuyama Airport.
Even during summer cycling, the abundance of waterfront and coastal routes, coupled with plentiful cold drinks and sweet treats, helps temper the heat somewhat. Autumn undoubtedly offers different scenery, and the range of delicious local produce is likely to expand. The mild climate even in winter makes cycling enjoyable.
Experience the diverse charms of Ehime Prefecture through cycling adventures during the “Shimahime Ride” programme, running until March 2026.
Advertiser: Ehime Prefecture Tourism, Sports, and Culture Department, Tourism Exchange Bureau, Cycling New Culture Promotion Division
Photography and Writing: Yasushi Hanada (TABIRIN Editorial Department)
