Meet your guide and driver at the port who transfer you to Dogo Onsen Area - the oldest and also one of the most famous hot springs in Japan. Blessed with elegant bathhouse and various wooden ryokan, this onsen attracts countless visitors, even the Imperial Family. Besides hot springs, a stroll along the area provides the chance to admire Japanese-style temples, shrines, Dogo Park, and Masaoka Shiki Museum.
Continue to Ishiteji Temple, which marks number 51 among 88 Shikoku pilgrimage temples. The road to reach the temple is lined up by two sides of shops. Inside the temple’s ground, there are some halls and temple buildings along with the three-storied pagoda. Welcomed by a national treasure – Niomon Gate, set your foot in the treasure house inside the main hall exhibiting many artifacts.
Next, visit Matsuyama Castle - a member in 12 Japan’s original castles and also the most complex and interesting one. Although the original five stories were destroyed by lightning, three of them still remain nowadays, serving as a large exhibition for Matsuyama’s history and feudalism. From late March to early April, over 200 cherry blossom trees fully bloom making the castle ground an ideal hanami spot.
Afterwards, head to The Shiki Museum, designed as a replica of Masaoka Shiki’s former house, who is a famous poet born in Matsuyama. Inside the museum, his photos, writings, and items are displayed. Standing on the grounds of a temple, visitors can witness one of the oldest extant stream trams exhibited next to the museum.
The final stop is Iyo Kasuri Gallery, where you can learn about Kasuri, a kind of Japanese traditional textile weaving, under the guidance of local artists. Half museum and half shop, enjoy your free time admiring people dyeing and weaving to make interesting fabrics, and also pick up some idyllic souvenirs for your family and friends. The trip ends with a return back to port at a nice time.
