From Matsuyama Airport to Omogo Gorge, by National Route 33 and Prefectural Road 12 to Kanmon (a road that does not enter the Ishizuchi Skyline)
From Matsuyama Airport to Omogo Gorge in Kumakogen. Turn off National Route 33 at Mimido and take Prefectural Road 12 to the Omogo Mountain Museum. Parking, the museum's closing days, the autumn leaf season, winter and rain restrictions, and construction, from official pages.
Summary
- The destination is Omogo Gorge in Kumakogen. At Kanmon, do not turn right onto the Ishizuchi Skyline; go straight on toward the Omogo Mountain Museum.
- Kumakogen Town gives 50 minutes on National Route 33 from Matsuyama IC, then 30 minutes after turning left at Mimido. No airport time was found.
- What closes in winter is the Ishizuchi Skyline beyond Kanmon. No official page was found saying the road up to Kanmon was closed in winter.
- Museum parking: 10 spaces. Iyokan Net says Omogo Gorge parking is about 50 spaces, free. Best autumn color: early to mid-November (tourist association).
- Town Road Omogo Line was scheduled to be closed on weekdays from January 13 to March 31, 2026 for repair of Kanmon Tunnel No. 3.
This article is based on official sources and maps. A record of the operator actually driving this route will be added after the drive.
A driving video is in preparation. When it is published, it will appear here with chapters numbered the same as the points below.
Map and points
Point locations: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) ・ License
Matsuyama Airport Passenger Terminal (松山空港 旅客ターミナル)
StartThe starting point. The Matsuyama Airport official "Access to the airport" page has no car guide for the Kumakogen and Omogo Gorge direction.
Location 33.829008, 132.704103 · Source 空港までのアクセス|交通アクセス|松山空港
Matsuyama IC, Matsuyama Expressway (松山IC(松山自動車道))
Merge / splitThe interchange that Kumakogen Town uses as the starting point of its private-car route to Omogo Gorge. The road from the airport to here has not been confirmed in official guides.
Location 33.793636, 132.777405 · Source 交通アクセス - 久万高原町ホームページ
National Route 33, Tobe Road (Tobe) (国道33号 砥部道路(砥部町))
PassThe Tobe section of National Route 33, where map data also records the numbers of National Routes 379 and 440 as overlapping.
Location 33.784956, 132.786756 · Source OpenStreetMap(way/211152190)
National Route 33, Misaka Road (国道33号 三坂道路)
PassThe Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism gives the Misaka Road section as 7.6 km, from Higashimyojin, Kumakogen to Okubo, Kutani-cho, Matsuyama.
Location 33.734891, 132.807796 · Source 松山河川国道事務所/道について/R33 三坂道路
Kumakogen Town Office (along National Route 33) (久万高原町役場(国道33号沿い))
PassThe Kumakogen Tourist Association says it is "42 minutes by car from the Kumakogen Town Office" to the Omogo Mountain Museum.
Location 33.655644, 132.901701 · Source 面河山岳博物館|まんてんスポット|久万高原町観光協会
Michi-no-Eki Mikawa (道の駅みかわ)
ParkingThe Bureau's page says Michi-no-Eki Mikawa is at the entrance of Omogo Gorge, and that its parking lot for 35 standard cars can be used 24 hours.
Location 33.614408, 132.969340 · Source 道の駅情報|みかわ
Mimido (position of the bus stop in map data) (御三戸(地図データのバス停の位置))
TurnKumakogen Town says to go toward Kochi on National Route 33 and "turn left at the former Mikawa Village Mimido intersection toward Omogo Gorge."
Location 33.613854, 132.974770 · Source 交通アクセス - 久万高原町ホームページ
Dead end of Prefectural Road 212 at Prefectural Roads 12 and 210 (県道212号と県道12号・210号の突き当たり)
Merge / splitIn map data, Prefectural Road 212 heading east from Mimido meets the road of Prefectural Roads 12 and 210 here. The official guide does not give the route numbers beyond this.
Location 33.632225, 132.997714 · Source OpenStreetMap(way/81160088)
From Prefectural Roads 12 and 210 to National Route 494 (県道12号・210号から国道494号へ)
Merge / splitIn map data, the record of Prefectural Roads 12 and 210 ends here, and a road recorded as National Route 494 continues.
Location 33.634850, 133.004520 · Source OpenStreetMap(way/1217951194)
The point where Prefectural Road 12 branches east from National Route 494 (国道494号から県道12号が東へ分かれる点)
Merge / splitIn map data, the record of Prefectural Road 12 starts again going east from here, and National Route 494 continues north.
Location 33.677450, 133.038530 · Source OpenStreetMap(way/155878198)
Fork at Kanmon (do not enter the Ishizuchi Skyline) (関門の分かれ道(石鎚スカイラインへは入らない))
Merge / splitKumakogen Town says to go straight without turning toward the Ishizuchi Skyline (without turning right), and that the entrance of Omogo Gorge is on the right.
Location 33.713376, 133.090876 · Source 交通アクセス - 久万高原町ホームページ
Omogo Mountain Museum and its parking lot (面河山岳博物館と駐車場)
ParkingKumakogen Town's visitor information lists a parking lot for 10 cars as a facility of the museum.
Location 33.715186, 133.093234 · Source 利用案内(開館時間、料金、休館日等について) - 久万高原町ホームページ
Omogo Gorge, around Kokumin-shukusha Omogo, near Goshiki-gawara (面河渓 国民宿舎面河のあたり(五色河原のそば))
ArriveThe town's autumn walking map draws Kokumin-shukusha Omogo near Goshiki-gawara, and says it is 15 minutes on foot from the museum to Tsutenkyo Bridge and another 15 minutes to Goshiki-gawara.
Location 33.723430, 133.100860 · Source (面河渓の秋の散策マップ、久万高原町、PDF)
The destination is Omogo Gorge. At Kanmon, do not turn onto the Ishizuchi Skyline; go straight
This article describes the road by car from Matsuyama Airport to Omogo Gorge in Kumakogen. It does not enter the Ishizuchi Skyline, which climbs to Tsuchigoya (土小屋) on Mt. Ishizuchi.
Kumakogen Town’s “Access” page (the Omogo Mountain Museum (面河山岳博物館) page) describes the private-car route as follows.
松山I.Cより国道33号線を高知方面(南下)に直進50分。 →旧美川村御三戸交差点を面河渓方面に左折後直進30分。 →石鎚スカイラインのほうに進まず(右折せず)直進、面河渓の入口右側。
Translation: “From Matsuyama IC, go straight on National Route 33 toward Kochi (south) for 50 minutes. → After turning left at the former Mikawa Village Mimido intersection toward Omogo Gorge, go straight for 30 minutes. → Do not go toward the Ishizuchi Skyline (do not turn right); go straight, and the entrance of Omogo Gorge is on the right.”
Source: 交通アクセス - 久万高原町ホームページ
The road falls into three broad parts.
| Section | Road | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Matsuyama Airport to Matsuyama IC | No official guide in the direction leaving the airport (the airport’s official page lists Matsuyama IC and then the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road, for the direction coming from the Toyo area) | The same unconfirmed section is in points 2 and 3 of the Mt. Ishizuchi article |
| Matsuyama IC to Mimido | National Route 33 (Tobe Road, Misaka Road, and inside Kumakogen) | Kumakogen Town, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, map data |
| Mimido (御三戸) to Kanmon (関門) | In map data: Prefectural Road 212, Prefectural Roads 12 and 210, National Route 494, then Prefectural Road 12, in that order | Kumakogen Town (Mimido and Kanmon), map data |
Winter closures and night closures of the Ishizuchi Skyline are in the Mt. Ishizuchi article and the winter roads article. Tobe Road and Misaka Road on National Route 33 are the same road as points 3 and 4 of the Shikoku Karst article.
Only times starting from Matsuyama IC or the Kumakogen Town Office were found
No official page was found that says how many minutes it takes by car from Matsuyama Airport to Omogo Gorge. The Matsuyama Airport official “Access to the airport” page also has no car guide for the Kumakogen direction. The numbers that were found each differ in either the starting point or the end point.
| Time given | From where to where | Which page |
|---|---|---|
| 50 minutes straight on National Route 33, then 30 minutes after turning left at Mimido intersection and going straight | Starts at Matsuyama IC, ends at the right side of the entrance of Omogo Gorge | Kumakogen Town, “Access” |
| About 1 hour 20 minutes | From Matsuyama IC to Omogo Gorge (via National Route 33, Prefectural Road 12 and National Route 494) | Iyokan Net, “Omogo Gorge” |
| 42 minutes by car | From the Kumakogen Town Office (久万高原町役場) to the Omogo Mountain Museum | Kumakogen Tourist Association, “Omogo Mountain Museum” |
| About 50 minutes by car | From the Kumakogen Town Office to Omogo Gorge | Kumakogen Tourist Association, “Omogo Gorge” |
| About 30 minutes | By National Route 33 from Matsuyama IC (the destination is Kumakogen) | Kumakogen Tourist Association, “Access” |
| About 50 minutes and about 35 minutes | By National Route 33 from the Matsuyama city area, and from the center of the Matsuyama city area on National Route 33 toward Kochi (the numbers differ on the same page) | Kumakogen Tourist Association, “Access” |
| About 1 hour 4 minutes by car | From JR Matsuyama Station to Michi-no-Eki Mikawa | Iyokan Net, “Ishizuchi Skyline and Omogo Gorge: scenic drive and hike” |
Adding Kumakogen Town’s “50 minutes” and “30 minutes” gives 80 minutes. This is a sum calculated here, and it is the same length as Iyokan Net’s “about 1 hour 20 minutes.” Both are times from Matsuyama IC, and do not include the time from the airport to Matsuyama IC.
The Omogo Dam Park (面河ダム公園) page of Iyokan Net uses the same Matsuyama IC as its starting point and writes “about 30 minutes toward Kochi on National Route 33” and “about 50 minutes via Prefectural Road 12 and National Route 494.” The time on National Route 33 differs from Kumakogen Town’s “50 minutes.” The reason cannot be told from either page.
The route: National Route 33 to Mimido, then along the Omogo River to Kanmon
From the airport to National Route 33
The Matsuyama Airport official “Access to the airport” page lists the route by car from the Toyo area in the order “Matsuyama IC,” “Matsuyama Outer Ring Road,” “Matsuyama Airport.” This is a guide for the direction toward the airport, not a guide toward Omogo Gorge. Kumakogen Town uses Matsuyama IC as its starting point, and it is point 2. The Shikoku Karst article enters National Route 33 from Ido IC (井門IC). This article has not confirmed the road from the airport for either way of entering. No official route written for the direction leaving the airport was found. Before you leave, look at the car navigation route and the Matsuyama Airport notices.
National Route 33 goes as far as Michi-no-Eki Mikawa
National Route 33 passes Tobe Road (point 3) and Misaka Road (point 4) and enters Kumakogen. About the section that includes Misaka Pass, the “Misaka Road” page of the Matsuyama River and National Highway Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism says the following.
このうち、三坂峠を含む区間は、特に線形不良箇所が多く、異常気象における事前通行規制や冬期の積雪・凍結等による通行障害が多発している。
Translation: “Of these, the section that includes Misaka Pass has especially many poorly aligned places, and traffic obstructions often occur because of pre-set traffic restrictions in abnormal weather and snow and freezing in winter.”
Source: 松山河川国道事務所/道について/R33 三坂道路
Beyond the Kumakogen Town Office (point 5) is Michi-no-Eki Mikawa (道の駅みかわ) (point 6). The page of the Shikoku Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, describes its position as follows.
道の駅「みかわ」は、愛媛県中部、面河川と久万川が合流し仁淀川となるほとり、石鎚国定公園面河渓の入り口部に位置します。
Translation: “Michi-no-Eki ‘Mikawa’ is located in central Ehime Prefecture, by the place where the Omogo River and the Kuma River join to form the Niyodo River, at the entrance of Omogo Gorge in Ishizuchi Quasi-National Park.”
Source: 道の駅情報|みかわ
Map data has a point for the “Mimido” bus stop, east of Michi-no-Eki Mikawa. Point 7 is the position of that bus stop. It is not the point of the Mimido intersection itself. The distance from Michi-no-Eki Mikawa to the intersection, and the traffic lights and signs at the intersection, have not been confirmed on official pages.
From Mimido to Kanmon, the roads confirmed in map data
Kumakogen Town’s guide says “go straight for 30 minutes” after turning left at Mimido intersection toward Omogo Gorge. It does not give route numbers. The roads confirmed in map data (OpenStreetMap) are as follows.
| Order | Road | Point |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prefectural Road 212, Higashikawa-Kamikuroiwa Line | East from Mimido (point 7) |
| 2 | Prefectural Roads 12 and 210 | Dead end of Prefectural Road 212 (point 8) |
| 3 | National Route 494 | From where Prefectural Roads 12 and 210 join National Route 494 (point 9) to where Prefectural Road 12 branches east (point 10) |
| 4 | Prefectural Road 12, Saijo-Kuma Line | After the branch, along the Omogo River to Kanmon (point 11) |
Iyokan Net writes that you pass through National Route 33, Prefectural Road 12 and National Route 494 to reach Omogo Gorge. The page does not say whether this order is the order you drive. In map data, there is a section where Prefectural Road 12 and National Route 494 overlap, and in that section only the record of National Route 494 continues.
Prefectural Road 12 has the same number on the Ishizuchi Skyline and on the road on the Saijo side (the road toward the Shimotani ropeway station).
The positions of points 8 to 10 are the end points of road records. They are not the turning intersections themselves.
The fork at Kanmon: right is the Ishizuchi Skyline, straight is Omogo Gorge
Kanmon is the entrance of Omogo Gorge, and the town’s walking map draws the Kanmon parking lot (関門駐車場) and the Omogo Mountain Museum side by side. Kumakogen Town’s guide says not to go toward the Ishizuchi Skyline, and to go straight without turning right. In map data, Prefectural Road 12 switches to the Ishizuchi Skyline near point 11, and a gate is also recorded nearby.
About the gate of the Ishizuchi Skyline, Ehime Prefecture writes the following.
閉門時刻までに関門(面河)ゲートから出ないと翌朝の開門時刻まで出られなくなりますので、時間に余裕をもって通行してください。
Translation: “If you do not exit through the Kanmon (Omogo) gate by the closing time, you will not be able to leave until the gate opens the next morning, so please drive with plenty of time.”
Source: 石鎚スカイラインについて - 愛媛県庁公式ホームページ(久万高原土木事務所)
This gate is the gate of the Ishizuchi Skyline. It is not related to the road that only goes to the Omogo Mountain Museum and Omogo Gorge. The opening and closing times of the Skyline are in the Mt. Ishizuchi article.
The Kumakogen Tourist Association calls the road from the museum to Omogo Gorge Town Road Omogo Line (the original text is in the later section “Construction and closures”). The town’s walking map (PDF) says there is a promenade next to the road, and that on foot it takes 15 minutes from the museum to Tsutenkyo Bridge (通天橋) and another 15 minutes to Goshiki-gawara (五色河原).
Parking: the town gives 10 spaces at the museum, and Iyokan Net gives about 50 at Omogo Gorge
The parking numbers come from different sources depending on the page.
| Place | Spaces and fee | Which page |
|---|---|---|
| Omogo Mountain Museum | Parking for 10 cars. No fee given | Kumakogen Town, “Visitor information” |
| Omogo Gorge | About 50 cars, free | Iyokan Net, “Omogo Gorge” |
| Michi-no-Eki Mikawa | 35 standard cars, 1 large vehicle, 1 for disabled drivers. Usable 24 hours | Shikoku Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism |
The original text of the town’s visitor information describes the museum’s facilities as follows.
駐車場10台、身障者用トイレあり、エレベーターなし
Translation: “Parking for 10 cars, toilet for disabled people available, no elevator”
Source: 利用案内(開館時間、料金、休館日等について) - 久万高原町ホームページ
It cannot be told from either page whether the museum’s 10 spaces and Iyokan Net’s about 50 for Omogo Gorge are numbers for the same parking lot or for different lots. The Omogo Gorge page of Iyokan Net does not say where the parking lot is. On the town’s autumn walking map, the name Kanmon Parking Lot is drawn near the museum, with no number of spaces or fee given.
Omogo Dam Park, before Omogo Gorge, is written by Iyokan Net as “about 100 cars” and free. It is a park along National Route 494, and in map data it is farther north on National Route 494 from point 10, away from the route of this article. It is not a parking lot for Omogo Gorge.
No official page was found that describes guidance when the lot is full, or temporary parking lots, in the autumn leaf season.
The Omogo Mountain Museum is closed on Mondays, and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from December to March
The museum is at the entrance of Omogo Gorge. The opening hours in Kumakogen Town’s visitor information are 9:30 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30). The original text of the closing days is as follows.
毎週月曜日、祝日の翌日(月曜日が祝日の場合は開館し、火曜日が休館) 12月~3月の土曜日・日曜日・祝日(冬期営業のため) 年末年始、展示替期間中(詳しくはお問い合わせください。)
Translation: “Every Monday, and the day after a holiday (if Monday is a holiday, it is open and closed on Tuesday). Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from December to March (because of winter operation). The year-end and New Year holidays, and during exhibit changeover periods (please contact us for details).”
Source: 利用案内(開館時間、料金、休館日等について) - 久万高原町ホームページ
The admission in the visitor information is 300 yen for adults and 150 yen for elementary and junior high school students, with a note “special fees may apply in summer.” The special exhibition for the museum’s 35th anniversary runs from July 18 to November 23, 2026, and the town gives the admission during that period as 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for elementary and junior high school students. The closing days on the special exhibition page are as follows.
毎週月曜日、祝日の翌平日 ※月曜が祝日の場合・祝日の翌日が土日の場合は開館、8月10日(月曜日)および12日(水曜日)は臨時開館
Translation: “Every Monday, and the weekday after a holiday. * If Monday is a holiday, or if the day after a holiday is a Saturday or Sunday, it is open. It will be open on special days on August 10 (Monday) and August 12 (Wednesday).”
Source: 【面河山岳博物館】開館35周年記念・第59回特別展「驚異の部屋~35年をつなぐ『推し展』大集合~」のご案内 - 久万高原町ホームページ
The visitor information says “the day after a holiday” and the special exhibition page says “the weekday after a holiday,” so the wording differs. The contact is the museum (0892-58-2130).
Autumn leaf season: it starts in late October and the best time is early to mid-November. No official guide on crowds or restrictions was found
On the autumn leaf season at Omogo Gorge, official pages say the following.
| What it says | Which page |
|---|---|
| The autumn leaves start in late October and peak in early November | Kumakogen Town’s autumn walking map (PDF) |
| The best time is early to mid-November | Kumakogen Tourist Association, “Autumn leaves special” |
| In early November, the best time, it gets very crowded with tourists | Iyokan Net, “Omogo Gorge” |
The original text of the town’s autumn walking map is as follows.
面河渓の紅葉は10月下旬から始まり、11月初旬にピークを迎えます。 天候にもよりますが、11月中旬を過ぎると見頃を終えます。
Translation: “The autumn leaves at Omogo Gorge start in late October and reach their peak in early November. Depending on the weather, the best time ends after mid-November.”
Source: (面河渓の秋の散策マップ、久万高原町、PDF)
The original text of Iyokan Net is this.
また、面河渓谷は紅葉する樹木がとても多いため、見ごろの11月上旬になると観光客でとても賑わう。
Translation: “Also, because Omogo Gorge has very many trees that turn red, it gets very crowded with tourists in early November, the best time.”
Source: 面河渓|愛媛のスポット・体験|愛媛県の公式観光サイト【いよ観ネット】
The tourist association’s “Autumn leaves special” gives the best time for the Ishizuchi Skyline as mid to late October. The best times differ between Omogo Gorge and the Ishizuchi Skyline.
No official page was found that describes crowds or traffic restrictions in the autumn leaf season. The pages of Kumakogen Town, the Kumakogen Tourist Association and Ehime Prefecture were searched. Ehime Prefecture’s table of pre-set traffic restrictions (in the later section “Rain and winter”) is a list of sections closed by rainfall and is not a restriction for crowds. The town’s site has a page for the “44th Omogo Furusato Festival” (第44回面河ふるさとまつり), but its text gave no date or time.
Public transport has changed two years in a row. The tourist association’s notice of October 2025 says the Iyotetsu Nanyo Bus Omogo Line stopped running on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from October 2025, and that a free shuttle vehicle would run until the end of November as a way to get around in the autumn leaf season. From April 1, 2026, a reservation-based shared-ride service, “Kumakuru Kumakogen” (くまくる 久万高原), started. The Omogo and Shinagawa (面河・仕七川) service runs from Monday to Saturday (excluding Sundays and holidays), and the fare is 1,500 yen one way for people who live outside the town. No special service for the 2026 autumn leaf season was found.
Construction and closures: repair of Kanmon Tunnel No. 3 on Town Road Omogo Line, and the promenade
As of October 13, 2026, pages of the town, the tourist association and Ehime Prefecture were searched for notices of closures of the road to Omogo Gorge. No new notice was found, and the past notices that were found are as follows.
| Date | Content | Which page |
|---|---|---|
| December 11, 2025 | Repair of Kanmon Tunnel No. 3 on Town Road Omogo Line (from the museum to Omogo Gorge). The last schedule was weekdays from January 13 to March 31, 2026 | Kumakogen Tourist Association |
| November 16, 2025 | Repair of the collapsed place before Shimokumabuchi (下熊渕) on the Omogo Gorge promenade. November 25, 2025 to March 31, 2026 (planned) | Kumakogen Tourist Association |
| March 30, 2026 | Restoration work near Shimokumabuchi (下熊淵) on the promenade is complete, and passage is possible | Kumakogen Town, “Restoration of the Omogo Gorge promenade” |
| May 1, 2025 | A fallen tree before Goshiki-gawara was removed and the closure lifted. The path is narrow | Kumakogen Tourist Association |
The original text of the Town Road Omogo Line notice is as follows.
面河渓につながる関門第3トンネルの補修工事のため、 町道面河線(面河山岳博物館から面河渓までの道)が以下の期間で通行止めとなります。 令和8年1月13日(火)以降の平日は、面河渓まで車での通行ができませんので、ご注意ください。 工事期間:令和8年1月13日(火)~令和8年3月31日(火) ※当初予定(12/15開始)から変更になりました。(12/12) ※開始延長(12/22開始)から変更になりました。(12/23) ※開始未定、終了日(1/30終了)から変更になりました。(R8.1.8)
Translation: “Because of repair work on Kanmon Tunnel No. 3, which leads to Omogo Gorge, Town Road Omogo Line (the road from the Omogo Mountain Museum to Omogo Gorge) will be closed during the following period. On weekdays from Tuesday, January 13, 2026 onward, you cannot go to Omogo Gorge by car, so please be aware. Construction period: Tuesday, January 13, 2026 to Tuesday, March 31, 2026. * Changed from the original plan (start 12/15). (12/12) * Changed from the extended start (start 12/22). (12/23) * Changed from start undecided and end date (ends 1/30). (R8.1.8)”
Source: 【交通情報】町道面河線通行止めについて|イベント・交通情報|久万高原町観光協会
The construction period in this notice ended on March 31, 2026. No notice saying whether the work ended as planned was found. The same notice says that Omogo Chaya Keisentei (面河茶屋渓泉亭) is open in winter only on Saturdays and Sundays, 11:00 to 15:00.
For the promenade near Shimokumabuchi (下熊淵; the tourist association writes it 下熊渕), the tourist association announced the closure of the collapsed place, and also wrote that during the work you cannot reach the trailhead of the main stream route of Mt. Ishizuchi. The town wrote, on a page updated March 30, 2026, that the restoration was complete. The promenade is a path beyond the end point you reach by car.
Rain and winter: what closes is beyond Kanmon, and Prefectural Road 12 up to Kanmon is not in the prefecture’s rainfall table
Restrictions in rain
National Route 33 is managed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. In the table of the Matsuyama River and National Highway Office’s “Road management,” the rows that relate to the road of this article are as follows.
| Section | Restriction condition |
|---|---|
| Kubono-cho, Matsuyama to Senzoku (千足), Tobe (12.9 km) | Continuous rainfall 250 mm |
| Yanaigawa to Nakakuroiwa, Kumakogen (7.6 km) | Continuous rainfall 250 mm |
For the Matsuyama side, the Ministry’s road information system page writes the conditions in a different way. The numbers for the Misaka Road section are summarized in the Shikoku Karst article and the heavy rain and typhoon article.
For “Yanaigawa to Nakakuroiwa” inside Kumakogen, Nakakuroiwa is the end. The name Nakakuroiwa in Mikawa Village (now Kumakogen) appears on the same office’s page, but its position relative to Mimido intersection has not been confirmed.
In the table of Ehime Prefecture’s pre-set traffic restrictions (national routes and prefectural roads managed by the prefecture), the rows that relate to this road are as follows.
| Route | Section | Hourly rainfall | Continuous rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prefectural Road 12, Saijo-Kuma Line (Kumakogen) | From Tsuchigoya, Kumakogen to Wakayama Kanmon (18.1 km) | 40 | 200 |
| National Route 494 (Kumakogen) | From Kasakata (Kuromori Pass), Kumakogen to Kasakata (Koami) (2.5 km) | 40 | 200 |
| National Route 494 (Kumakogen) | From Kasakata, Kumakogen to Shibukusa (4.5 km) | 40 | 200 |
The table gives no units. The row for Prefectural Road 12 is from Tsuchigoya to Kanmon, which is the section of the Ishizuchi Skyline. Prefectural Road 12 from Mimido to Kanmon is not in this table’s Kumakogen rows. Whether the two rows for National Route 494 overlap the road of this article could not be confirmed from place names alone.
Winter restrictions
For the Ishizuchi Skyline beyond Kanmon, Ehime Prefecture writes December 1 to March 31 of the next year as the winter closure period. The tourist association’s notice of December 2025 is as follows.
≪西条久万線(県道12)冬季全面通行止め≫ 冬季閉鎖期間:令和7年12月1日(月曜日)~令和8年3月31日(火曜日)
Translation: “<< Saijo-Kuma Line (Prefectural Road 12) full winter closure >> Winter closure period: Monday, December 1, 2025 to Tuesday, March 31, 2026”
Source: 【交通情報】石鎚スカイライン 西条久万線(県道12)冬季閉鎖について|イベント・交通情報|久万高原町観光協会
The closed section is shown on the notice’s location map (an image) and is not written in text. Ehime Prefecture’s Skyline page says there are gates at Kanmon and Tsuchigoya.
The Ehime Prefecture Kumakogen Civil Engineering Office’s list of “Reiwa 7 (2025) winter closures” names Prefectural Road 211, Prefectural Road 328 and Prefectural Road 383 as the three routes closed for the winter. This list does not include the Ishizuchi Skyline (Prefectural Road 12), which has a winter closure period, so the list alone does not tell whether the road up to Kanmon closes in winter. These three routes were closed from 10:00 on December 5 in fiscal 2025 and reopened at 11:00 on March 18, 2026.
A notice of the winter closure for fiscal 2026 (Reiwa 8) was not found on the pages of the town, the tourist association or the prefecture as of October 13, 2026.
No official page was found that says the road up to Kanmon was closed in winter, or could not be driven because of freezing or snow. The museum is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in winter, and the tourist association’s notice says it is open only on weekdays in winter.
For National Route 33, the Matsuyama River and National Highway Office’s “Freezing danger spot map” page says the following.
冬季の運転は冬用タイヤへの交換やチェーンの携行をしましょう
Translation: “When driving in winter, switch to winter tires or carry chains.”
Source: 松山河川国道事務所/道について/凍結危険箇所マップ
The winter tire rules and the handling of rental cars are summarized in the winter roads article.
Fuel and toilets: Michi-no-Eki Mikawa, and 5 stations in the town
At Michi-no-Eki Mikawa, the toilets can be used 24 hours. The page of the Shikoku Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, says there is a mini convenience store in the facility.
The Kumakogen Town gas station page (updated May 26, 2026) tabulates the Saturday and Sunday business days of 5 stations in the town. The addresses are Kuma, Irino, Tsuyumine and Okawa, and stations inside Omogo Gorge or in Wakayama are not listed. The page says that stations may close temporarily, so ask each station before you refuel.
The town’s walking map has toilet marks near the Kanmon parking lot and other places.
What to check before you leave
- Road closures: The Kumakogen Civil Engineering Office (0892-21-1210) is the office that publishes the pages on the Ishizuchi Skyline and winter closures. For National Route 33, it is the Matsuyama River and National Highway Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (089-972-0034). A list of contacts is in the article on Ehime road information. Have a passenger make the call, or call after you have stopped the car.
- Town Road Omogo Line: Check the dates of notices in the traffic information of the Kumakogen Tourist Association (0892-21-1192). The last notice found for this article is for construction until March 31, 2026.
- Museum opening days: You can ask the Omogo Mountain Museum (0892-58-2130) about its closing days and the period of the special exhibition.
- Rainy days: On National Route 33, the national government’s page lists Kubono-cho, Matsuyama to Senzoku, Tobe, and Yanaigawa to Nakakuroiwa, Kumakogen, as sections closed by continuous rainfall. How far they overlap with the road of this article has not been confirmed. The heavy rain and typhoon article says which pages to look at.
- Rental cars: The return time is in What to know before renting a car at Matsuyama Airport.
What comes next for this article
The point numbers will be the same as the chapter numbers in the driving video. This article was written only from official pages and map data, and has not been driven yet. The latitude and longitude of the points are points of roads and facilities in map data, not the intersections or entrances themselves.
The town’s walking map (PDF) is an image, and its text was read by eye.
What could not be confirmed from official pages and map data is as follows.
- The driving time from Matsuyama Airport to Omogo Gorge
- The official route from Matsuyama Airport to Matsuyama IC, in the direction leaving the airport
- The position of Mimido intersection, and the order of route numbers from there to Kanmon
- The reason for the difference between Kumakogen Town’s “50 minutes” and Iyokan Net’s “about 30 minutes” on “Omogo Dam Park”
- The relation between the museum’s 10 spaces and Iyokan Net’s about 50 spaces, and any statement of parking fees
- An official page describing crowds or traffic restrictions in the autumn leaf season
- Special services such as free shuttles in the 2026 autumn leaf season
- Whether the repair of Kanmon Tunnel No. 3 on Town Road Omogo Line ended as planned
- The schedule of the winter closure of the Ishizuchi Skyline in fiscal 2026
- Whether the two rows of pre-set traffic restrictions for National Route 494 overlap the road of this article
- The date and time of the 44th Omogo Furusato Festival
After driving it, we will add how to turn at Mimido intersection, the signs at the fork at Kanmon, passing on Town Road Omogo Line, and how the museum parking lot looks.
Parking (3)
| Name | Spaces | Fee | Hours | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omogo Mountain Museum (面河山岳博物館) 愛媛県上浮穴郡久万高原町若山650番地1 | 10 | — | — | Kumakogen Town's visitor information says a parking lot for 10 cars and gives no fee. It cannot be told from either page how this relates to the "about 50" that Iyokan Net gives for the Omogo Gorge parking lot. | 利用案内(開館時間、料金、休館日等について) - 久万高原町ホームページ |
| Omogo Gorge (Iyokan Net's guide) (面河渓(いよ観ネットの案内)) 愛媛県上浮穴郡久万高原町若山 | — | Free | — | Iyokan Net says "about 50 cars." It is not known whether this is the same parking lot as the museum's 10 spaces. | 面河渓|愛媛のスポット・体験|愛媛県の公式観光サイト【いよ観ネット】 |
| Michi-no-Eki Mikawa (道の駅みかわ) 愛媛県上浮穴郡久万高原町上黒岩2840-1 | 35 | — | Usable 24 hours | The Bureau's page gives, besides 35 standard cars, 1 large vehicle and 1 space for disabled drivers. No fee is given. | 道の駅情報|みかわ |
Sources
- 交通アクセス - 久万高原町ホームページ (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 利用案内(開館時間、料金、休館日等について) - 久万高原町ホームページ (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 面河山岳博物館 - 久万高原町ホームページ (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 【面河山岳博物館】開館35周年記念・第59回特別展「驚異の部屋~35年をつなぐ『推し展』大集合~」のご案内 - 久万高原町ホームページ (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 面河山岳博物館 - 面河渓散策マップ - 久万高原町ホームページ (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- (面河渓の秋の散策マップ、久万高原町、PDF) (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 面河渓遊歩道の復旧について - 久万高原町ホームページ (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 久万高原町にあるガソリンスタンドの休日営業日について - 久万高原町ホームページ (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 第44回面河ふるさとまつり - 久万高原町ホームページ (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 面河渓|まんてんスポット|久万高原町観光協会 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 面河山岳博物館|まんてんスポット|久万高原町観光協会 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 秋の紅葉特集|久万高原町観光協会 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- アクセス|久万高原町観光協会 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 【交通情報】町道面河線通行止めについて|イベント・交通情報|久万高原町観光協会 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 【交通情報】石鎚スカイライン 西条久万線(県道12)冬季閉鎖について|イベント・交通情報|久万高原町観光協会 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 【交通情報】面河渓遊歩道 崩落個所の通行止めについて|イベント・交通情報|久万高原町観光協会 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 【交通情報】「伊予鉄南予バス面河便」の運休に伴う無料送迎車両の運行について|イベント・交通情報|久万高原町観光協会 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 【交通情報】新しい公共交通サービス「くまくる 久万高原」が始まります|イベント・交通情報|久万高原町観光協会 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 【交通情報】 面河渓五色河原周辺の通行止め解除のお知らせ|イベント・交通情報|久万高原町観光協会 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 面河渓|愛媛のスポット・体験|愛媛県の公式観光サイト【いよ観ネット】 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 面河ダム公園|愛媛のスポット・体験|愛媛県の公式観光サイト【いよ観ネット】 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 西日本最高峰へ!石鎚山スカイラインと面河渓 絶景ドライブ&ハイク旅|愛媛のモデルコース|愛媛県の公式観光サイト【いよ観ネット】 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 道の駅情報|みかわ (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 松山河川国道事務所/道について/R33 三坂道路 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 松山河川国道事務所/道について/凍結危険箇所マップ (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 松山河川国道事務所/事務所紹介/出張所紹介/道の管理について (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 愛媛県道路情報に関するリンク - 愛媛県庁公式ホームページ(道路維持課) (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 石鎚スカイラインについて - 愛媛県庁公式ホームページ(久万高原土木事務所) (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 【解除】令和7年度冬期閉鎖について(久万高原土木事務所管理路線) - 愛媛県庁公式ホームページ(久万高原土木事務所) (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- 空港までのアクセス|交通アクセス|松山空港 (retrieved October 13, 2026)
- OpenStreetMap(地点の位置。© OpenStreetMap contributors、ODbL) (retrieved October 13, 2026)
How we cite sources and use map data is explained in Sources and map data. Most sources are in Japanese.
Read before you drive
- 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.
Related articles
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- Before Driving Ehime's Mountain Roads in Winter: Winter Closures, Chain Restrictions and Winter Tire Rules
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- Where to check road information in Ehime before you leave
- 29 Roadside Stations (Michi-no-Eki) in Ehime: Locations, Parking Spaces and Opening Hours