EHIME DRIVE GUIDE
Ehime, turn by turn
Driving routes from Matsuyama Airport and ferry ports to sightseeing spots in Ehime, Japan, split into points from start to finish. Roads, parking and travel times are checked against official sources, and each article shows when it was checked. Driving videos will be added with chapters numbered the same as the points.
- Articles
- 38
- Points
- 444
- Last checked
- October 14, 2026
Choose where you start
- From the airportRoutes from Matsuyama Airport to sightseeing spots, for people who rent a car at the airport.26 articles
- From ferry portsRoutes from the port where your car ferry arrives to sightseeing spots.8 articles
- Accident-prone placesPlaces to take care when driving, based on published accident data.2 articles
- Easy-to-miss placesJunctions and lane splits, explained in order as you approach them.2 articles
Recently added routes
- Port
- Kamijima
From Innoshima to Kamijima by Car Ferry on the Shimanami Kaido: Tateishi Port, Iwagi Bridge, and Iwagi Kyodokan
Habu Port, Nagasaki Pier (土生港（長崎桟橋）), Innoshima, Onomichi, Hiroshima → Iwagi Kyodokan (岩城郷土館), Iwagi Island, Kamijima
The drive from Imabari to Kamijima, checked on the Kamijima Town official pages. The boat from Imabari Port to Kamijima does not take cars. Take the Ikuna Ferry from Nagasaki Pier on Innoshima to Tateishi Port, then cross Iwagi Bridge to Iwagi Island. This article covers fares, trips, parking, and road closures.
- Airport
- Matsuyama, Toon, Saijo, Niihama, Shikokuchuo
From Matsuyama Airport to Michi-no-Eki Kirinomori, taking the Matsuyama Expressway and exiting the Kochi Expressway at Shingu IC
Matsuyama Airport → Michi-no-Eki Kirinomori (道の駅 霧の森)
A route from Matsuyama Airport to Michi-no-Eki Kirinomori (道の駅 霧の森) in Shikokuchuo, using the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road, the Matsuyama Expressway, and Shingu IC on the Kochi Expressway. It covers the official travel time of 80 minutes, the car navigation warning, night closures, parking, the Monday closures from September to March, and the temporary shop.
- Airport
- Matsuyama, Saijo
From Matsuyama Airport to the Railway History Park in Saijo, exiting at Iyo-Saijo IC and driving to the parking lot
Matsuyama Airport → Railway History Park in Saijo (鉄道歴史パーク in SAIJO / 四国鉄道文化館)
A route from Matsuyama Airport to the Railway History Park in Saijo (Shikoku Railway Cultural Center) in Saijo, using the Matsuyama Expressway. It covers the official travel times from the ICs, the free parking lots on the North Wing side and South Wing side, the Wednesday closing day, and the traffic restrictions for the Saijo Festival in October.
- Airport
- Matsuyama, Tobe, Kumakogen, Ino (Kochi Prefecture)
From Matsuyama Airport to Tsuchigoya on the Ishizuchi Skyline and the entrance of the UFO Line (Town Road Kamegamori Line): the road, and the open season and hours
Matsuyama Airport (松山空港) → Tsuchigoya, and the entrance of Town Road Kamegamori Line (UFO Line) (土小屋・町道瓶ヶ森線（UFOライン）の入口)
From Matsuyama Airport on National Route 33 to Kanmon, then up the Ishizuchi Skyline (Prefectural Road 12) to Tsuchigoya, and onto Town Road Kamegamori Line (UFO Line) of Ino Town, Kochi Prefecture. Gate hours, the winter closure, the one-lane UFO Line and its weekday time-based traffic restrictions, and parking and toilets at Tsuchigoya and Kamegamori, from official pages.
- Airport
- Matsuyama
From Dogo Onsen to Matsuyama Castle: Roads and Parking for Driving in the City
Dogo Onsen → Matsuyama Castle
For people who visit Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama Castle in one day. We checked the order of roads when driving, both parking lots, and the city tram's travel time and fare, using official pages and map data.
- Accidents
- Matsuyama
Counting the places in Matsuyama with the most accidents, from public data (2019-2025)
From National Police Agency public data, this page lists the top 12 grid squares of 1 km on a side in Matsuyama by number of accidents, together with road and traffic light names from map data. These are not counts for each intersection.
- Airport
- Matsuyama, Iyo, Uchiko, Ozu, Seiyo, Uwajima, Ainan
From Matsuyama Airport to Ainan: the closed Shiden-kai Exhibition Hall and the Sotodomari stone walls village
Matsuyama Airport (松山空港) → Ainan Town (Shiden-kai Exhibition Hall and Sotodomari stone walls village) (愛南町（紫電改展示館・外泊の石垣の里）)
The route from Matsuyama Airport to Ainan, at the southern end of Ehime Prefecture, on the Matsuyama Expressway, the Uwajima Road and National Route 56. Ainan Town's guide gives about 1 hour 20 minutes from Matsuyama IC to Tsushima-Iwamatsu IC, then about 35 minutes. The Shiden-kai Exhibition Hall has been closed since September 2026. It also covers rest and fuel stops and the night closures.
- Airport
- Matsuyama, Toon, Saijo, Niihama
From Matsuyama Airport to Minetopia Besshi, exiting the Matsuyama Expressway at Niihama IC
Matsuyama Airport → Minetopia Besshi (Hadeba area)
A route from Matsuyama Airport to Minetopia Besshi (Hadeba area) in Niihama, using the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road and Niihama IC on the Matsuyama Expressway. It covers the official travel times, night closures, the ETC-only Niihama IC, and the closure and traffic restrictions on October 17.
- Airport
- Matsuyama, Toon, Saijo, Imabari
From Matsuyama Airport to Imabari Castle, by the Imabari-Komatsu Expressway or National Route 196
Matsuyama Airport (松山空港) → Imabari Castle (今治城)
From Matsuyama Airport to Imabari Castle. How to choose between the expressway and local roads, the road beyond Imabari Yunoura IC, and the castle's parking and visiting hours, as far as we could confirm on official pages.
Find other articles from the categories above or find them on the map (38 in total).
Read before you start driving
Driving a rental car in Ehime as a visitor from abroad: International Driving Permits, foreign licenses with a Japanese translation, and how long you can drive
Three kinds of license are valid for driving in Japan. We checked the official pages for the International Driving Permit format, the six countries and regions whose licenses work with a translation, how long you can drive, the seven rental companies at Matsuyama Airport, and the Ehime Prefectural Police license conversion rules.
Japanese Road Rules for First-Time Drivers from Abroad: Driving on the Left, Red Lights, Stop Signs, Railroad Crossings, Drinking, Mobile Phones, Speed
Driving on the left, red lights and arrows, the "Tomare" stop sign, railroad crossings, drunk driving, mobile phones while driving, seat belts and child seats, and speed limits on ordinary roads, checked against the original text of the Road Traffic Act, the National Police Agency's Rules of the Road, and the NPA's English materials.
What to do and who to contact if you have an accident, a breakdown, or a road problem in Ehime: 110, 119, #9910, JAF, and your rental car company
Who to contact if you have an accident or breakdown, or find a hole or fallen object on the road, while driving in Ehime. Checked against official sources: Article 72 of the Road Traffic Act, foreign-language service on 110 and 119, the order of steps on an expressway, the Road Emergency Dial #9910, JAF, and the rental terms of the seven companies at Matsuyama Airport.
English information for visitors to Ehime: official English pages, English brochures, and tourist information centers for each destination
For the 27 destinations in this site's route articles, we looked for English pages on official sites, English brochures, and English audio guides. The prefecture's English tourism site, the JNTO English pages, and the foreign-language support of tourist information centers are also listed.
What to know before renting a car at Matsuyama Airport
Where the rental counters are, how to pick up the car at 7 companies, when each counter closes, and the rules about adding things to the car. Checked on the official pages of the airport and the companies.
Parking at Matsuyama Airport and where to stop for drop-off: spaces, fees, height limits, busy periods, and the road change inside the airport
For people who drive family to the airport or drive their own car there. The spaces, fees, height limits, and hours of Parking Lots 1 to 3, where you may stop in front of the terminal, and the change of roads inside the airport. Checked on official pages of the airport and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Traffic accidents in Ehime, counted from open data
We counted the 15,873 accidents in Ehime (2019–2025) from the per-accident records published by the National Police Agency. The totals by year, municipality, road shape and time of day match the figures published by the Ehime Prefectural Police.
Show as a table (7 rows)
| Item | cases |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 2,811 |
| 2020 | 2,404 |
| 2021 | 2,260 |
| 2022 | 2,132 |
| 2023 | 2,115 |
| 2024 | 2,074 |
| 2025 | 2,077 |
Source: 交通事故統計情報のオープンデータ｜警察庁Webサイト (counted by the operator)
How these articles are made
Roads, parking and travel times are checked against official sources from road administrators and facilities, and the sources are listed at the end of each article. Each sentence keeps apart what the documents say, what official guidance says, and what the operator confirmed by driving. Most sources are in Japanese; quotes keep the original Japanese with an English translation.