Uwajima Guide: Taimeshi (Not the Matsuyama Kind), Jakoten, an Original Castle Keep, Tenshaen Garden and Bull Sumo — Plus How to Get There from Matsuyama

Quick answer: Uwajima in southern Ehime is about 1½ hours from Matsuyama by the Limited Express Uwakai (¥3,210). Come for two local foods: Uwajima taimeshi — raw sea bream on rice with an egg-and-soy sauce, quite different from Matsuyama’s taimeshi, where the bream is cooked with the rice — and jakoten, a deep-fried paste of small local fish. Then climb to Uwajima Castle, one of Japan’s 12 original castle keeps (¥200), and walk round the Tenshaen garden (¥500). The next bull sumo tournament is on 2 January 2027.

I’ve eaten Uwajima taimeshi and jakoten. I haven’t visited the castle, Tenshaen or a bull sumo tournament, so those sections are what I’ve researched.

Uwajima taimeshi vs Matsuyama taimeshi

Ehime has two dishes called taimeshi (鯛めし, sea bream rice), and they’re quite different.

One theory is that Uwajima taimeshi began as a fishermen’s dish.

I’ve eaten Uwajima taimeshi. The Uwajima Tourism Association publishes a list of restaurants that serve it, which is a good place to start.

Jakoten

Jakoten (じゃこ天) is made from small fish from the Uwa Sea, called haranbo, ground into a paste and deep-fried. It’s often grilled and served with grated daikon. I’ve had jakoten too.

Uwajima’s fish-paste tradition is said to go back to 1615, when Date Hidemune brought fish-paste makers with him from Sendai.

To buy or snack on: you can buy single pieces — for example at Kawachiya (河内屋蒲鉾) in the Kisaiya Hiroba roadside station.

Uwajima Castle

Uwajima Castle (宇和島城) is one of only 12 castles in Japan with an original keep. The keep was rebuilt by the second lord, Date Munetoshi, and finished in 1672. It stands on a hill about 73 m high.

• Keep: ¥200 for adults (high school and under free, 65+ ¥160).
• Keep hours: 9:00–16:00 (November–February), 9:00–17:00 (March–October). Open every day, but it may close in typhoons.
• Castle grounds: free. 6:00–17:00 (November–February), 6:00–18:30 (March–October).
• Night: the keep is lit up from sunset to 22:00.
• Time: about 35 minutes on foot from JR Uwajima Station to the keep, including the climb.
• Parking: Shiroyama-shita car park, ¥100 an hour, 24 hours.

Trail notes for 2026: the south approach (Noboritachi-mon side) was closed in July 2026 and partly reopened on 1 August, from Noboritachi-mon to the local museum; the branch to the children’s park is still closed. On the north approach, the Kori family samurai gate is being repaired until March 2027. You can still walk through, but there may be restrictions.

Tenshaen garden

Tenshaen (天赦園) is a garden in Uwajima, known for its wisteria and irises (early June).

• Fee: ¥500 adults, ¥300 high school students and 65+.
• Hours: 8:30–17:00 (April–June), 8:30–16:30 (July–March).
• Closed: Mondays from the second Monday of December to the end of February, and 28 December–1 January.
• Parking: free, 30 spaces.

Date Museum

The city’s Date Museum (宇和島市立伊達博物館): ¥500 adults, high school and under free. 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), closed Tuesdays.

Important: it closes from 29 March 2027 for about a year for rebuilding. The new museum is planned for spring 2028.

Combined ticket: the castle keep, Date Museum and Tenshaen together cost ¥700 (¥1,200 separately), valid for one month. Check whether it’s still sold after the museum closes.

Bull sumo (tōgyū)

Uwajima holds bull sumo at the Uwajima City Bullfighting Ring.

• Tournaments: four a year — 2 January, 3 May, 23 July and one in autumn. (The old 14 August date ended in 2023.)
• Next: 2 January 2027. Gates open 10:00, bouts about 12:00–14:00. Dates for the rest of 2027 haven’t been announced.
• Tickets: adults ¥2,500 in advance, ¥3,000 at the door (cash only). Junior high and under free. Advance tickets are sold at FamilyMart and outlets in Uwajima; online booking on the official site has ended.
• Access: about 20 minutes’ walk from JR Uwajima Station. On tournament days a free shuttle runs from the Uwajima Bus Center and the station.

Getting to Uwajima

The Yodo Line has very few trains, so check the timetable. The rail pass covers JR Shikoku trains — see Shikoku Rail Pass Guide.

If you’re driving, see Renting a Car in Shikoku and Driving in Rural Shikoku.

More of Ehime

See Uchiko and Ozu Day Trip, Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama and Tobe-yaki Pottery Town.

FAQ

What’s the difference between Uwajima and Matsuyama taimeshi?
In Uwajima, raw sea bream goes on rice with a soy-based sauce mixed with egg. In Matsuyama, the bream is cooked with the rice.

Is Uwajima Castle an original castle?
Yes. Its keep is one of 12 original keeps in Japan. Entry is ¥200 for adults.

When is the next bull sumo?
2 January 2027. There are four tournaments a year: January, May, July and autumn.

How long does it take from Matsuyama?
About 1 hour 33 minutes by the Limited Express Uwakai (¥3,210).

Fees, hours, tournament dates and train times checked on the Uwajima City, Uwajima Tourism Association and Uwajima bull sumo websites and Yahoo! Transit on 29 October 2026.

Kaz

Tokushima local with family roots in Hiroshima

I live in Tokushima and my family is from Hiroshima, where I also used to live. I still go back several times a year. The guides here come from places I have actually been. Where I haven't tried something myself, I say so.