From Matsuyama Airport to Tobe: Tobe Zoo and the Tobe-yaki Traditional Industry Hall

The official travel time is about 40 minutes to near the Tobe Town Office

The Matsuyama Airport official site page “空港までのアクセス” (Access to the airport) has a table of travel times by car for each direction. In the column “For those using a car” for the “Tobe direction”, the road type is “local roads” and the travel time is about 40 minutes. The ends of the route diagram are labeled “near the Tobe Town Office” (砥部町役場付近) and “Matsuyama Airport” (松山空港).

The times to Tobe Zoo (とべ動物園) and the Tobe-yaki Traditional Industry Hall (砥部焼伝統産業会館) are not in this table. We could not find an official page that gives the driving time from the airport to the zoo or the hall. What we found were times that do not start from the airport.

Section (as the official page words it)	Travel time by car	Which page
Near the Tobe Town Office and Matsuyama Airport (local roads)	About 40 minutes	Access to the airport (Matsuyama Airport)
From Matsuyama IC south on National Route 33 to Tobe Zoo	About 10 minutes	Access (Tobe Zoo)
From central Matsuyama south on National Route 33 to Tobe Zoo	About 20 minutes	Access (Tobe Zoo)
From Matsuyama Interchange on the Matsuyama Expressway to Tobe Zoo	About 10 minutes	Detailed access by car (Tobe Zoo)
From Matsuyama IC to the Tobe Town Office using National Route 33	About 10 minutes	Location of the town and transport guide (Tobe Town)
From Matsuyama IC to Ehime Children’s Castle (えひめこどもの城) (about 7 km)	About 15 minutes	Access and parking (Ehime Children’s Castle)
From Matsuyama IC to Tobe-yaki Tourist Center Honoo no Sato (砥部焼観光センター炎の里)	15 minutes by car	Honoo no Sato (Iyokan Net)
Matsuyama IC and Matsuyama Airport	About 13 minutes	Traffic conditions one year after opening (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)

Source: 空港までのアクセス｜交通アクセス｜松山空港, 交通アクセス ｜愛媛県立とべ動物園, 車での詳しいアクセス方法はこちらから ｜愛媛県立とべ動物園, 町の所在地と交通案内／砥部町公式ホームページ, アクセス・駐車場｜えひめこどもの城, 砥部焼観光センター炎の里｜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】, 松山外環状道路空港線（余戸南IC〜東垣生IC）開通1年後の交通状況と整備効果について (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, PDF)

About this kind of time, Tobe Town says the following.

所要時間は目安です。道路事情などにより遅れる場合があります。

Translation: “Travel times are a guide. They may be longer depending on road conditions and other factors.”

Source: 町の所在地と交通案内／砥部町公式ホームページ

The numbers in the table each have a different starting point, so we do not add them up. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s “about 13 minutes” is the time between Matsuyama IC and Matsuyama Airport after the Airport Line of the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road partly opened.

○松山ICと松山空港の所要時間は半減（約２８分→約１３分）し、 走行性も向上（40km/h以上の車両割合：約１５％→約６０％）。（P2）

Translation: “The travel time between Matsuyama IC and Matsuyama Airport was cut in half (about 28 minutes to about 13 minutes), and driving also improved (share of vehicles at 40 km/h or more: about 15% to about 60%). (P2)”

Source: 松山外環状道路空港線（余戸南IC〜東垣生IC）開通1年後の交通状況と整備効果について (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, PDF)

From the airport to National Route 33, the map data connects them by the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road

We checked road names and route numbers in OpenStreetMap map data. The map data is not an official road register. What we could confirm is that the road is recorded with that name and route number. We have not found an official guide with the route from the airport to the zoo. When we searched a route in the map data in the order “airport, zoo, hall”, the roads connected in the following order.

Order	Road	Direction	Points passed
1	Prefectural Road 18, Matsuyama Kuko Line (県道18号 松山空港線)	East	Matsuyama Airport Entrance
2	Prefectural Road 22, Iyo-Matsuyama Ko Line (県道22号 伊予松山港線)	South	Traffic light intersection where Prefectural Roads 18 and 22 split
3	Matsuyama Outer Ring Road, Airport Line (National Route 56) (松山外環状道路 空港線（国道56号）)	East	Higashi-Habu IC, Yogominami IC
4	Matsuyama Outer Ring Road, Inter Line (National Route 33) (松山外環状道路 インター線（国道33号）)	East	Ichitsubo IC, Furukawa IC, Ido IC
5	National Route 33, Matsuyama Minami Road (国道33号（松山南道路）)	South	East end of the Inter Line, Morimatsu
6	Prefectural Road 53, Ohira-Tobe Line (県道53号 大平砥部線)	Splits from National Route 33	Undo Koen Iriguchi intersection, Tobe Zoo
7	National Route 33	South	Tobe Town Office, traffic light intersection where National Route 379 splits off
8	National Route 379 and a side road	—	Tobe-yaki Traditional Industry Hall

In the airport official site’s table, the itineraries that use expressways, such as toward Saijo City and Ozu City, list “Matsuyama IC”, “Matsuyama Outer Ring Road”, and “Matsuyama Airport”. The Tobe direction, like the Iyo City and Toon City directions, has only a “local roads” itinerary, and the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road does not appear.

For the motorway part of the Airport Line of the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road, Yogominami IC to Higashi-Habu IC, a document of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism says the following.

令和６年２月２４日（土）に開通した国道５６号 松山外環状道路空港線（余戸南IC～東垣生IC）

Translation: “National Route 56, Matsuyama Outer Ring Road Airport Line (Yogominami IC to Higashi-Habu IC), which opened on Saturday, February 24, Reiwa 6 (2024).”

Source: 松山外環状道路空港線（余戸南IC〜東垣生IC）開通1年後の交通状況と整備効果について (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, PDF)

The map data has a section toward the airport from Higashi-Habu IC that is recorded as under construction. We could not confirm the usage fee of the Outer Ring Road on an official page. In the map data, it is recorded as having no fee.

The Ido IC to Higashi-Habu IC section of the Outer Ring Road has continuing night full closures

The Matsuyama River and National Highway Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued a notice dated September 28, Reiwa 8 (2026) about night full closures of the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road. The section is the following part, which spans the Inter Line of National Route 33 and the Airport Line of National Route 56.

井門IC～東垣生IC（自動車専用道路部）

Translation: “Ido IC to Higashi-Habu IC (motorway part)”

Source: 松山外環状道路インター線及び空港線の夜間全面通行止めのお知らせ (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, PDF) (In the original, spaces are inserted between the characters. The quotation is only the section part.)

Higashi-Habu IC, Yogominami IC, Ichitsubo IC, Furukawa IC, and Ido IC, which the route in the map data above passes, are all inside this section. The schedule is as follows.

Date	Time
Tuesday, October 13 to Friday, October 16	Every night, 21:00 to 6:00 the next morning
Monday, October 19 to Thursday, October 22	Every night, 21:00 to 6:00 the next morning
Reserve day: Friday, October 23	21:00 to 6:00 the next morning

The type of regulation is “night full closure”, and the notice also says the following.

※作業終了次第、規制は解除します。

Translation: “Note: The regulation will be lifted as soon as the work ends.”

作業当日、悪天候及び災害発生時には、作業を中止します。

Translation: “On the day of the work, the work will be canceled in bad weather or when a disaster occurs.”

松山外環状道路側道部をご利用ください。

Translation: “Please use the side roads of the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road.”

Source: 松山外環状道路インター線及び空港線の夜間全面通行止めのお知らせ (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, PDF) (The third quote is part of the detour column.)

We have not read the detour map (Attachment 2). The schedule in this notice runs until October 23. On the top page of the Matsuyama River and National Highway Office, notices of night full closures of the same section dated August 7 and September 8 are also listed. For regulations after this period, check the same top page.

Tobe Zoo is partway along National Route 33, inside the Ehime Prefectural General Athletic Park

Tobe Zoo is in Tobe Town, Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture (address: 愛媛県伊予郡砥部町上原町240). The zoo’s official “Detailed access by car” begins the route from Matsuyama Interchange as follows.

松山自動車道の松山インターからとべ動物園までの車でのアクセス方法をご紹介します。 所要時間は約10分です。

Translation: “We explain how to get to Tobe Zoo by car from Matsuyama Interchange on the Matsuyama Expressway. The travel time is about 10 minutes.”

Source: 車での詳しいアクセス方法はこちらから ｜愛媛県立とべ動物園

The landmarks that appear partway along the route, on the official page, are as follows.

• Turn right at the intersection that connects to National Route 33, following the sign for “Kochi, Kumakogen Town” (「高知 久万高原町」)
• Pass under the expressway viaduct
• Cross Shigenobu Ohashi bridge (重信大橋)
• Turn left following the signs, then turn left at the gas station
• Straight ahead, signs for “Ehime Prefectural General Athletic Park” (「愛媛県総合運動公園」) and “Ehime Prefectural Tobe Zoo” (「愛媛県立とべ動物園」)

とべ動物園は愛媛県総合運動公園の中にあります。

Translation: “Tobe Zoo is inside the Ehime Prefectural General Athletic Park.”

Source: 車での詳しいアクセス方法はこちらから ｜愛媛県立とべ動物園

This route starts from Matsuyama IC. It does not say at which point you join this route when you come from the airport.

Hours and fees

9時から17時（入園は16時30分まで） なお、15時30分頃からは動物にエサを与えるため、ご覧になれない動物がございます。あらかじめご了承ください。

Translation: “9:00 to 17:00 (entry until 16:30). From about 15:30, some animals cannot be seen because they are being fed. Please understand this in advance.”

Source: ご案内 ｜愛媛県立とべ動物園

The zoo is closed every Monday (the next weekday if Monday is a holiday) and from December 29 to January 1. The individual admission fees are as follows.

Category	Admission
Adult (18 or older, excluding high school students)	600 yen
Senior (65 or older)	300 yen
High school student (15 to 17)	200 yen
Elementary and junior high school student (6 to 14, or junior high school and younger)	100 yen
Preschool child (under 6), people with a disability certificate or similar	Free

Source: 入園料金・駐車場・駐車料金 ｜愛媛県立とべ動物園

There are two parking lots, Lower Zoo and East

The parking lots are the Lower Zoo Parking (動物園下駐車場; 300 spaces) and the East Parking (東駐車場; 1,700 spaces). The official page says the following about when the Lower Zoo Parking is full.

動物園下駐車場が満車の場合は、東駐車場に駐車ください。 なお動物園下駐車場が満車の場合、東駐車場からシャトルバスが運行いたします。

Translation: “If the Lower Zoo Parking is full, please park at the East Parking. When the Lower Zoo Parking is full, a shuttle bus runs from the East Parking.”

Source: 入園料金・駐車場・駐車料金 ｜愛媛県立とべ動物園

The parking fee is 300 yen per entry for a standard car, 820 yen per entry for a large vehicle, and free for motorcycles. You pay afterward, when you leave. At the ticket machine at the main entrance gate, you can also pay the parking fee in cash or by QR payment (入園料金・駐車場・駐車料金).

駐車料金は後払いになるのでそのまま直進してください。

Translation: “The parking fee is paid afterward, so please go straight ahead.”

緑のボタンを押して駐車整理券を受け取ってください。料金（普通車：300円）はお帰りの際にお支払いください。

Translation: “Press the green button and take a parking ticket. Please pay the fee (standard car: 300 yen) when you leave.”

Source: 車での詳しいアクセス方法はこちらから ｜愛媛県立とべ動物園

なお、30分以内に入ったゲートから出る場合は無料です。ただし、通り抜けをされる場合は上記料金が必要です。

Translation: “If you leave through the gate you entered within 30 minutes, it is free. However, if you drive through, the above fee is required.”

Source: 入園料金・駐車場・駐車料金 ｜愛媛県立とべ動物園

There is an arrangement that shares parking with Ehime Children’s Castle, next to the General Athletic Park.

同じ日に、とべ動物園（総合運動公園）とえひめこどもの城の両方の駐車場をご利用された場合、どちらかの駐車料金が免除になります。

Translation: “If, on the same day, you use the parking lots of both Tobe Zoo (the General Athletic Park) and Ehime Children’s Castle, one of the parking fees is waived.”

Source: 入園料金・駐車場・駐車料金 ｜愛媛県立とべ動物園

This applies only to standard cars. The waiver procedure is done at two places: the zoo’s management office, and the general information desk on the 1st floor of the Children’s Castle’s Aiai Jidokan (あいあい児童館).

South on National Route 33, the Tobe-yaki Traditional Industry Hall

The Tobe-yaki Traditional Industry Hall is at 335 Ominami, Tobe Town, Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture. The Tobe Town official page introduces the hall as follows.

砥部焼伝統産業会館は、砥部焼の歴史的資料や貴重な焼き物、優れた現代作品を展示する砥部焼の宝庫です。 1階では、約80軒の窯元の作品を展示・販売しています。 2階では、個展やグループ展などの多彩な催しが行われています。

Translation: “The Tobe-yaki Traditional Industry Hall is a treasure house of Tobe-yaki that displays historical materials on Tobe-yaki, valuable pottery, and excellent modern works. On the 1st floor, works from about 80 kilns are displayed and sold. On the 2nd floor, various events such as solo exhibitions and group exhibitions are held.”

Source: 砥部焼伝統産業会館／砥部町公式ホームページ

Ehime Prefecture’s “Enjoy Tobe-yaki” has the floors the other way around. It says the 1st floor has displays of historical materials and modern works from the kilns, and the 2nd floor has displays and sales of works from about 80 kilns. Iyokan Net also says sales are on the 2nd floor. The official pages disagree on which is the current use, and we could not confirm it.

The hall is open from 9:00 to 17:00, and closed on Mondays (the next weekday if Monday is a holiday) and from December 29 to January 1 of the following year. The admission fees are as follows.

Category	General	Group (15 or more people)
Adult	300 yen	240 yen
High school and university student	200 yen	160 yen
65 or older	200 yen	160 yen
Elementary and junior high school student	100 yen	50 yen

Source: 砥部焼伝統産業会館／砥部町公式ホームページ

If you show a Tobe Zoo annual passport at the hall, the admission fee is 20% off (from the zoo official “入園料金・駐車場・駐車料金”, Admission fees, parking, and parking fees).

For the hall’s parking lot, Iyokan Net says “available, 50 spaces” and gives the parking fee as “free”. Ehime Prefecture’s “Enjoy Tobe-yaki” also says 50 spaces. The Tobe Town page for the hall does not mention a parking lot. The town’s tourist guide has the following note.

車でお越しの人は、砥部焼伝統産業会館の駐車場をご利用ください。

Translation: “If you come by car, please use the parking lot of the Tobe-yaki Traditional Industry Hall.”

Source: 早巡りピックアップモデルコース／砥部町公式ホームページ

In the map data, past the Tobe Town Office on National Route 33, there is a traffic light intersection farther south where National Route 379 splits off. In a route search on the map data, you enter National Route 379 here to reach the hall, go a little way, and turn onto a side road. We could not confirm the position of the hall’s entrance or of the parking lot entrance on official pages.

Places to park for a kiln tour

Tobe Town’s “Introduction to kilns” (窯元の紹介) gives the number of kilns as follows.

砥部焼は、現在約100の窯元で作られていて、そのうちのいくつかをご紹介します。

Translation: “Tobe-yaki is currently made at about 100 kilns. We introduce some of them.”

Source: 窯元の紹介／砥部町公式ホームページ

Ehime Prefecture’s “Enjoy Tobe-yaki” has the following about the area around “Tohan no Michi” (陶板の道, Ceramic Tile Road), which continues from the hall.

「陶板の道」周辺には、砥部焼の窯元が数ヶ所あります。直接販売している窯元や見学(事前予約が必要な窯元も有り)ができる窯元もあります。

Translation: “Around ‘Tohan no Michi’, there are several Tobe-yaki kilns. Some kilns sell directly, and some allow visits (some kilns require a reservation in advance).”

Source: 砥部焼を満喫する - 中予地方局 - 愛媛県庁公式ホームページ

From the same page and Iyokan Net, we put together the places where you can park.

Place	Parking lot	Fee	Closed
Tobe-yaki Traditional Industry Hall	50 spaces	Free	Mondays (the next weekday if a holiday), December 29 to January 1
Tohan no Michi (near 874 Ominami)	30 spaces	Not given	—
Tosogaoka (陶祖ヶ丘)	None	—	—
Umeno Seiko Toen (ウメノ青興陶園)	Available	Free	Open every day of the year
Tobe Town Ceramic Art Creation Hall (砥部町陶芸創作館)	About 20 spaces	Not given	Every Thursday (the next day if a holiday), December 28 to January 4
Tobe-yaki Tourist Center Honoo no Sato	About 100 spaces	Free	Ehime Prefecture: closed December 31; Iyokan Net: December 31 and January 1

Source: 砥部焼伝統産業会館／砥部町公式ホームページ, 砥部焼を満喫する - 中予地方局 - 愛媛県庁公式ホームページ, 砥部焼伝統産業会館｜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】, 砥部焼観光センター炎の里｜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】

For Tobe-yaki Tourist Center Honoo no Sato, the hours differ: Ehime Prefecture says “8:30 to 18:00” and Iyokan Net says “weekdays 9:00 to 17:00”. In the map data, about 160 m southeast of the hall, there is a Tobe Town-run free “Tobe Town Public Parking” (砥部町公共駐車場; two lots, of 8 spaces and 7 spaces). We have not checked the number of spaces and the hours of use on official pages.

We have not checked the parking lots of the individual kilns, other than Umeno Seiko Toen.

Official numbers for deciding the order of visits

By the order of the roads, going south on National Route 33, Undo Koen Iriguchi intersection (Tobe Zoo), which carries the name of the General Athletic Park, comes first, and the hall comes after. By positions in the map data, Undo Koen Iriguchi intersection is at latitude 33.765 north and the hall is at latitude 33.739 north.

The hours and closed days written on the official pages are as follows.

Facility	Opens	Closes	Last entry	Closed
Tobe Zoo	9:00	17:00	16:30 (entry)	Every Monday (the next weekday if a holiday), December 29 to January 1
Tobe-yaki Traditional Industry Hall	9:00	17:00	Not given	Mondays (the next weekday if a holiday), December 29 to January 1
Tobe Town Ceramic Art Creation Hall	9:00	17:00	16:00 (entry)	Every Thursday (the next day if a holiday), December 28 to January 4

Source: ご案内 ｜愛媛県立とべ動物園, 砥部焼伝統産業会館／砥部町公式ホームページ, 砥部焼を満喫する - 中予地方局 - 愛媛県庁公式ホームページ

The zoo and the hall are closed on the same day of the week, Monday. In a week when a holiday falls on Monday, both are closed on the next weekday. At the zoo, from about 15:30 some animals cannot be seen because they are being fed. The last entry is at 16:30, 30 minutes earlier than the hall’s closing time of 17:00. The official page does not give the hall’s last entry time.

The autumn Tobe-yaki Festival will be held on November 7 and 8, Reiwa 8 (2026). The Tobe Town official page says the following.

令和8年11月7日（土曜日）9時から17時まで 令和8年11月8日（日曜日）9時から16時まで

Translation: “Saturday, November 7, Reiwa 8, 9:00 to 17:00. Sunday, November 8, Reiwa 8, 9:00 to 16:00.”

約60軒の窯元が集結し、対面販売を実施します。

Translation: “About 60 kilns will gather and sell face to face.”

駐車場が混みますので、公共交通機関（バス）をご利用ください。

Translation: “The parking lots will be crowded, so please use public transport (bus).”

Source: 秋の砥部焼まつり（令和8年11月7日・8日）／砥部町公式ホームページ

The venue is Tobe Town Tokaido Yutori Park (砥部町陶街道ゆとり公園), 400 Senzoku. The same page has the heading 「お車でご来場の方（無料駐車場あり）」 (for those coming by car, free parking available). The parking guide says 「砥部町陶街道ゆとり公園・砥部町役場」 (Tobe Town Tokaido Yutori Park and Tobe Town Office), and does not give the number of spaces. The festival is held rain or shine.

About the hall, Ehime Prefecture’s “Enjoy Tobe-yaki” has the following comment in the hall’s column.

『春と秋の砥部焼まつりの時期が来場者が一番多く来られます。』

Translation: “The times of the spring and autumn Tobe-yaki festivals bring the most visitors.”

Source: 砥部焼を満喫する - 中予地方局 - 愛媛県庁公式ホームページ

What comes next for this article

The latitude and longitude of the points, and the road names, route numbers, and interchange names, are checked against OpenStreetMap information. The point numbers will match the chapter numbers of the driving video. This article is written only from official pages and map data, and we have not driven the route yet.

After we drive it, we will add the following.

• The wording on the signs and the places to turn, from Prefectural Road 22 to the entrance of Higashi-Habu IC
• The signs at the intersection where you leave the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road for National Route 33 (Matsuyama Minami Road)
• The fork from Undo Koen Iriguchi intersection to the Lower Zoo Parking and the East Parking
• The road from entering National Route 379 to entering the hall’s parking lot
• The time from leaving the airport to reaching the zoo parking lot and the hall parking lot (with the day of the week and the time of day)

The following could not be confirmed on the official pages.

• The driving time from Matsuyama Airport to Tobe Zoo and the Tobe-yaki Traditional Industry Hall
• An official guide to the route from Matsuyama Airport to Tobe
• The usage fee of the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road
• The detour map for the night closures (Attachment 2)
• The position of the hall’s parking lot entrance, and the guidance for when it is full
• Whether the hall’s displays and sales are on the 1st or 2nd floor (Tobe Town and Ehime Prefecture write it differently)
• The exact position of the Tohan no Michi parking lot, and the parking lots of individual kilns
• The interval of the shuttle bus from the East Parking
• The hours of Tobe-yaki Tourist Center Honoo no Sato (Ehime Prefecture and Iyokan Net differ)
• The number of parking spaces for the autumn Tobe-yaki Festival