Dōgo Onsen Honkan
Japan's oldest hot-spring bathhouse (1894 building, 1,300+ years of bathing). Cited as visual inspiration for 'Spirited Away.'
Open in Maps ↗Prefecture profile · 都道府県
Ehime 愛媛県
Mikan-citrus country, home of Dōgo Onsen — Japan's oldest hot spring and a Studio Ghibli inspiration — plus Imabari, which supplies more than half of Japan's domestic towels and houses one of the world's largest shipbuilders.
Capital
Matsuyama
Population
1.32 million
Area
5,676 km²
Region
Shikoku
History
Dōgo Onsen has been drawn from the same springs in Matsuyama for at least 1,300 years; it is referenced in the 8th-century Man'yōshū poetry anthology, making it the oldest documented hot-spring resort in Japan. The 1894-built Dōgo Onsen Honkan bathhouse is widely cited as visual inspiration for the bathhouse in 'Spirited Away.'
Natsume Sōseki taught English at Matsuyama Middle School in 1895 and based his comic novel 'Botchan' (1906) on the experience. The novel is a Japanese literary set-text; the city has a Botchan tram, a Botchan dango sweet, and a Botchan clock outside Dōgo Onsen.
Imabari's towel industry began in 1894, when the city's cotton-weaving mills retooled around imported British equipment. Today Imabari towels carry a controlled regional brand (≥5-second water-absorption certification) and dominate Japan's premium towel market.
Economy & business
Ehime's prefectural GDP is around ¥4.9 trillion (US$34 billion). Imabari Shipbuilding — Japan's largest shipbuilder by tonnage — is here, along with the Imabari towel cluster, a substantial petrochemical complex at Niihama (Sumitomo Chemical's birthplace), pulp and paper (Marusumi, Daiō), and Japan's #2 mandarin (mikan) orange production after Wakayama.
Key industries
Shipbuilding
Imabari Shipbuilding is Japan's largest shipyard by tonnage; the Imabari/Saijō belt builds container ships, bulk carriers, and LNG carriers exported worldwide.
Towels & textiles (Imabari)
Imabari towels carry a regional brand mark requiring ≥5-second water absorption — Imabari supplies roughly 60% of Japan's domestic premium towel market.
Petrochemicals & non-ferrous (Niihama)
Sumitomo Chemical was founded in Niihama in 1913; Niihama remains one of Japan's deepest chemical-and-copper-refining clusters.
Mikan citrus
Ehime is Japan's #2 producer of mikan mandarin oranges, with the iyokan citrus a hometown favourite.
Pulp & paper
Daiō Paper (Shikoku Chūō City) is one of Japan's largest paper makers, producing tissue (Elleair), printing paper, and packaging materials.
Notable companies
Imabari ShipbuildingImabari Towel Brand consortiumSumitomo Chemical (founded Niihama)Daiō PaperMarusumi PaperIyo BankEhime Bank
Trade partners
ChinaSouth KoreaUnited StatesTaiwanSingapore
Tourism highlights
Matsuyama Castle
Hilltop castle (originally 1603) — one of only twelve original-construction castle keeps surviving in Japan. Reachable by chairlift or ropeway.
Open in Maps ↗Shimanami Kaidō cycling route
70-km cycling road across six Inland-Sea islands and seven bridges from Onomichi (Hiroshima) to Imabari — globally famous and beginner-friendly.
Open in Maps ↗Uchiko Edo-period townscape
Yellow-wax (mokurō) merchant town with preserved Meiji-era houses and a working 1916 kabuki theatre.
Open in Maps ↗Ishizuchi-san
Western Japan's tallest mountain (1,982 m); a sacred peak with iron-chain pitches near the summit.
Open in Maps ↗Tobe-yaki pottery villages
Crisp white-and-cobalt-blue porcelain tradition since the 18th century — coastal village kilns open to visitors.
Open in Maps ↗Did you know
Dōgo Onsen's water has been continuously drawn from the same hot springs for at least 1,300 years; it is Japan's oldest documented hot-spring resort and its 1894 wooden bathhouse is still in daily use.
Imabari Shipbuilding launches roughly one large vessel every three days — by tonnage, the company alone is among the top five shipbuilders on Earth.
Ehime's mikan oranges are so culturally iconic that the prefecture's official tourism mascot 'Mican' is a citrus-shaped dog. The juice tap at Matsuyama Airport reportedly dispenses real mikan juice (it is a marketing prop).
About Ehime — Frequently asked
What is the capital of Ehime?
The capital of Ehime is Matsuyama.
What region of Japan is Ehime in?
Ehime is part of the Shikoku region of Japan.
What are Ehime's main industries?
Ehime's key industries include Shipbuilding, Towels & textiles (Imabari), Petrochemicals & non-ferrous (Niihama), Mikan citrus.
What are the top tourist attractions in Ehime?
Top attractions in Ehime include Dōgo Onsen Honkan, Matsuyama Castle, Shimanami Kaidō cycling route, Uchiko Edo-period townscape.
What major companies are based in Ehime?
Notable companies headquartered in Ehime include Imabari Shipbuilding, Imabari Towel Brand consortium, Sumitomo Chemical (founded Niihama), Daiō Paper, Marusumi Paper.
Map
Scroll to zoom, drag to pan, tap a prefecture to open its chapter.