Welcome to Ehime Prefecture
Occupying the west of Shikoku and formerly known as Iyo, Ehime Prefecture (愛媛県) is home to Shikoku's largest city, Matsuyama, and has the greatest number of the 88 pilgrimage temples – 27, to be precise. Like Tosa (Kōchi Prefecture), the southern part of the prefecture has always been considered wild and remote; by the time pilgrims arrive in Matsuyama, they know that the hard work has been done and they are well on their way to completing their goal. To pilgrims, Ehime is known as Bodai-no-dōjō, the 'place for attainment of wisdom'. There are large clusters of temples around Matsuyama and Imabari, at the southern end of the Shimanami Kaidō bridge system, which links Shikoku with Honshū and makes for a spectacular bike ride.
Top experiences in Ehime Prefecture
Travel guides
Starting at $38.99
Ehime Prefecture activities
Making Original Sake in a village of Japanese nostalgia, Uchiko
【SCHEDULE】 ◆Day 1From your home or the last staying place・・・〈Individual Payment〉・・・9:00 Meeting at Chiyonokame (Sake brewing house)（※7:50 on the days when the process of koji mold work is held twice a day）・・・9:20 Sake making（ 8:10 on the days when the process of Koji mold work is held twice a day）・・・11:00 Lunch at the restaurant（Please pay the cost of meal for yourself）・・・13:00 Making Sake label with gilding Washi paper・・・〈Transferring by Taxi. The fee is included〉・・・15:00 Check-in at the accommodation・・・18:00 Mingle with the craftspeople from the Sake brewery/dinner (catered)・・・Staying at the night◆Day2The accommodation・・・〈Transferring by Taxi. The fee is included〉・・・9:00 Meeting at Chiyonokame (sake brewing house)（※7:50 on the days when the process of koji mold work is held twice a day）・・・9:20 Sake making（ 8:10 on the days when the process of koji mold work is held twice a day）・・・12:00 The tour ends・・・〈Individual Payment〉・・・ To your home or the next destination【DETAILS】Uchiko, the town at the middle east of Ehime Prefecture, has a beautiful Japanese scene where lots of houses and warehouses from the Edo Era (1603-1867) still remain. In the town there are old structures which people renovated or reconstruct to inns, the theater called "Uchikoza" originally built in early 1900s, and so on.In this tour, you will stay at Uchiko for two days and learn the techniques of Sake-making and Japanese paper-making, to bring your original bottle of Japanese Sake to your home. Sake-making can be experienced at Chiyonokame-shuzo Inc. established 300 years ago. For the label of the Sake, you will make Japanese Washi paper by yourself at Tenjin Sanshi, a mill to manufacture Ozu Washi with a history of about 1,200 years.If you choose a tour with one day experience of Sake-making, you can make two Sake cups from Uchiko Cedar. You will find that tasting a pleasing combination with aroma of Sake and Cedar is one of the best way to drink Sake.After checking in at the inn, why not enjoy the ambience of Japanese nostalgic town in the short winter evening? A joyful time to converse with the craftspeople over the Sake awaits you. The memorabilia of the trip will be a personal bottle of Japanese Sake kept in a wooden box especially prepared for this tour. Required the lower temperature to keep the high quality, Sake is made only from December to March next year. And on December 3 and 12, the special work for Sake-making, the process of mixing Koji mold with steamed rice, can be experienced twice a day. (The starting time of sake-making differs on other tours). Enjoy the exclusive Japanese winter days with the locals of Uchiko.
Japan Hike, Bike & Kayak
There's so much to discover in the Land of the Rising Sun. So we've taken our favourite must-see highlights and major cultural touchstones like Kyoto and Hiroshima, combined them with visits to lesser known areas, and packed everything into a 13-day itinerary. Hike along the ancient Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route to visit spectacular shrines, visit the impressive site of Wakayama Castle, bike the famous Shimanami Kaido route, and kayak around the famed floating torii gate in the Bay of Miyajima. With a refreshing mix of approachable activities, beautiful landscapes, and delicious eats, this tour has something for every kind of traveller.