Ehime Prefecture


Ehime Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,334,841 and a geographic area of 5,676 km2. Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Tokushima Prefecture to the east, and Kōchi Prefecture to the southeast. Ehime Prefecture also borders Hiroshima Prefecture for on Hyōtanjima.
Matsuyama is the capital and largest city of Ehime Prefecture and the largest city on Shikoku, with other major cities including Imabari, Niihama, and Saijō.
Notable past Ehime residents include three Nobel Prize winners: Kenzaburo Oe, Shuji Nakamura, and Syukuro Manabe.

History

Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime Prefecture was known as Iyo Province. Since before the Heian period, the area was dominated by fishermen and sailors who played an important role in defending Japan against pirates and Mongolian invasions.
After the Battle of Sekigahara, the Tokugawa shōgun gave the area to his allies, including Katō Yoshiaki who built Matsuyama Castle, forming the basis for the modern city of Matsuyama.
The name Ehime comes from the kuniumi part of the Kojiki where Iyo Province is mythologically named Ehime, "lovely princess".
In 2012, a research group from the University of Tokyo and Ehime University said they had discovered rare earth deposits in Matsuyama.

Geography

Located in the northwestern part of Shikoku, Ehime faces the Seto Inland Sea to the north and is bordered by Kagawa and Tokushima in the east and Kōchi in the south.
The prefecture includes both high mountains in the inland region and a long coastline, with many islands in the Seto Inland Sea. The westernmost arm of Ehime, the Sadamisaki Peninsula, is the narrowest peninsula in Japan.
As of 31 March 2020, 7 percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Ashizuri-Uwakai and Setonaikai National Parks; Ishizuchi Quasi-National Park; and Hijikawa, Kinshako, Okudōgo Tamagawa, Sadamisaki Hantō-Uwakai, Saragamine Renpō, Sasayama, and Shikoku Karst Prefectural Natural Parks.

Cities

Eleven cities are located in Ehime Prefecture:

Towns and villages

These are the towns in each district:

Mergers

Former districts:
  • Onsen District
  • Shūsō District
  • Uma District
  • Uwa District

    Economy

The coastal areas around Imabari and Saijō host a number of industries, including dockyards of Japan's largest shipbuilder, Imabari Shipbuilding. Chemical industries, oil refining, paper and cotton textile products also are a feature of the prefecture. Rural areas mostly engage in agricultural and fishing industries, and are particularly known for citrus fruits such as mikan, iyokan and cultured pearls.
Ikata Nuclear Power Plant produces a large portion of Shikoku Electric Power.

Education

Universities and colleges

National

  • Ehime University

    Prefectural

  • Ehime Prefectural University of Health Science

    Private

  • Matsuyama Shinonome College
  • Matsuyama University
  • St. Catherine University

    Senior high schools

Prefectural

The sports teams listed below are based in Ehime.
Association football:
  • Ehime FC
  • FC Imabari
Baseball:
  • Ehime Mandarin Pirates
Basketball:
  • Ehime Orange Vikings

    Culture

The oldest extant hot spring in Japan, Dōgo Onsen, is located in Matsuyama. It has been used for over two thousand years.
These are television shows and movies set in Ehime Prefecture.
There are major festivals in Ehime Prefecture.
  • Uwajima Ushi-oni Festival is held for three days, with a parade of many Ushi-oni walking around the city, a traditional Uwajima dance, a fireworks display, and a run on the final day.
  • Niihama Taiko Festival is the autumn festival in Niihama. The drum stand is lifted by about 150 men. It is one of the three biggest fight festivals in Japan.
  • The Matsuyama Autumn Festival includes a mikoshi event called Hachiawase which takes place near Dōgo Onsen and Isaniwa Shrine.
  • The Velo-city conference, the world's largest conference dedicated to daily cycling and active mobility, will be held in Ehime in 2027.

    Hot springs

These are several hot springs in Ehime Prefecture.
  • Dōgo Onsen appears in the Nihon Shoki. This Hot Spring has three public baths: the main building, Tsubaki no Yu, and Asuka no Yu.
  • Sora to Mori is a combined warm bath facility. There are hot springs, restaurants, and body care.
  • Nibukawa Onsen is a hot spring located in Imabari. The source originates from the crevices of the Inugawa Valley in this hot spring town.

    Language

is a Japanese dialect spoken in Ehime Prefecture. Nanyo is influenced by the Kyushu dialect, and Chuyo and Toyo are influenced by the Kinki dialect.

Museums

Railway

  • Shikoku Railway
  • *Yosan Line
  • *Yodo Line
  • *Uchiko Line
  • Iyo Railway
  • *Gunchū Line
  • *Takahama Line
  • *Yokogawara Line
  • *Matsuyama Inner Line

    Road

Expressway

Ehime Prefecture is making use of its long tradition of involvement with people overseas through international exchanges in areas such as the economy, culture, sports and education.