From Matsuyama Airport to the Yusu Mizugaura terraced fields: the Matsuyama Expressway and the coastal road of the Miura Peninsula

The official directions are “leave at the Uwajima-minami exit and drive about 30 minutes”; we found no page with the time from Matsuyama Airport

The official site of the “Association to Protect the Danbata” (段畑を守ろう会), the group that protects the Yusu Mizugaura terraced fields, has directions by car and by bus.

車で行く 宇和島道路「宇和島南出口」で降りて約30分。だんだん屋・だんだん茶屋前に駐車場があります。

バスで行く 宇和島駅から遊子・蒋渕線バスで約1時間。「水ヶ浦」バス停で下車し、すぐの場所です。

Translation: “Going by car: leave the Uwajima Road at the “Uwajima-minami exit” and drive about 30 minutes. There is a parking lot in front of Dandan-ya and Dandan-chaya. Going by bus: about 1 hour from Uwajima Station on the Yusu-Kobuchi line bus. Get off at the “Mizugaura” bus stop; it is right there.”

Source: 遊子水荷浦の段畑ガイド

The starting point of the time is the Uwajima-minami exit. We did not find an official page that says how many minutes it takes by car from Matsuyama Airport to the terraced fields. We list the numbers we found by starting point.

Time written	Source	Starting point
About 30 minutes	段畑を守ろう会 (Association to Protect the Danbata)	Uwajima-minami exit
About 2 hours	いよ観ネットのブログ（2024年3月29日） (Iyokan-net blog, March 29, 2024)	Only “Matsuyama” is written, not Matsuyama Airport
About 15 minutes, about 1 hour 10 minutes	いよ観ネット「松山空港から宇和島駅へ」 (Iyokan-net: From Matsuyama Airport to Uwajima Station)	Matsuyama Airport to Yogominami IC, Yogominami IC to Uwajima-Asahi IC

The original text of the second line is “You can get there in about 2 hours by car from Matsuyama” (アクセスは松山から車で約2時間で到着します。). Adding the two numbers on the third line gives about 1 hour 25 minutes from Matsuyama Airport to Uwajima-Asahi IC (our own calculation in this article). The time from there to Uwajima-minami IC is not written on official pages.

This article divides the route into 12 points.

From Matsuyama Airport to Uwajima-Asahi IC, it is the same road as in the Uwajima Castle article

From Matsuyama Airport through Yogominami IC, the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road, the Matsuyama Expressway, Iyonada SA, Uchiko PA, Ozu IC and Seiyo-Uwa IC to Uwajima-Asahi IC, it is the same road as the one to Uwajima Castle. The places to rest, the free sections and the details of confirming the route are written in From Matsuyama Airport to Uwajima Castle.

Here are the 3 points this article covers.

• The Iyonada SA (outbound) parking lot has paving repairs until October 30, Reiwa 8 (2026), which cut the parking spaces by up to about half.
• After Uchiko PA (outbound), no next rest area toward Uwajima is listed on official pages.
• The Ozu Road (Ozu IC to Ozu-kitamata IC) and the Uwajima Road are free motorways. The toll amounts could not be confirmed on official pages.

Before you leave, check the sections and tolls from Matsuyama IC in NEXCO West Japan’s toll search.

Do not leave at Uwajima-Asahi IC; continue on the Uwajima Road to Uwajima-minami IC further south

The Uwajima Castle article leaves at Uwajima-Asahi IC. For the terraced fields, it is Uwajima-minami IC beyond it. Uwajima-Asahi IC is the interchange after Uwajima-kita IC, where the Uwajima Road begins.

The order of interchanges recorded in map data (OpenStreetMap) is Uwajima-kita IC, Uwajima-Asahi IC, Uwajima-Sakashitatsu IC, Uwajima-Betto IC and Uwajima-minami IC. Map data is not an official road register.

Ehime Prefecture’s page “High-standard trunk roads” (高規格幹線道路) describes the Uwajima Road as follows.

一般国道56号宇和島道路＜外部リンク＞（17.5km）は、四国8の字ネットワークの一部を形成する無料の自動車専用道路として、国土交通省により整備されました。

Translation: “National Route 56 Uwajima Road (17.5 km) was built by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as a free motorway forming part of the Shikoku Figure-8 Network.”

Source: 高規格幹線道路（四国8の字ネットワーク・中四国連携ルート） - 愛媛県庁公式ホームページ（道路建設課）

“” is a note on a link in the page. Uwajima-minami IC is an interchange of this Uwajima Road.

From Uwajima-minami IC to Yusu, Prefectural Roads 346 and 345 can be used beyond Prefectural Road 37

The official pages do not give the route from Uwajima-minami IC onward. In map data, the exit ramp comes out near National Route 56 and Prefectural Road 37 (Uwajima-Shimonami-Tsushima Line), and Prefectural Road 37 runs southwest. Prefectural Road 37 has several tunnels and bridges on the way.

Measured by the length of lines in map data, Prefectural Road 346 (Kobuchi-Shimonami Line) branches northwest at the point about 11.7 km along Prefectural Road 37 (our own calculation in this article). Prefectural Road 346 and Prefectural Road 345 (Kakinoura-Shimonami Line) both lead to the area of the Yusu settlement.

Point	Position in map data
Uwajima-minami IC	Exit of the Uwajima Road. The “Uwajima-minami exit” written by the association protecting the terraced fields
Branch of Prefectural Road 37	About 11.7 km ahead, Prefectural Road 346 branches northwest
Yusu settlement	Around where Prefectural Roads 345 and 346 meet
Terraced fields	From the settlement, north along the coast on Prefectural Road 346. There is a record of a viewpoint near the Mizugaura bus stop

Drawing the shortest line in map data gives about 16.6 km from near Uwajima-minami IC to just before Mizugaura (our own calculation in this article). We could not confirm which of these roads the official guide uses. Before you leave, look at a map and decide the road with your passengers.

For the width of the peninsula roads and passing other cars, we found no warning in any page of Uwajima City, the Uwajima Tourism and Products Association, the Association to Protect the Danbata, Ehime Prefecture or Iyokan-net. The list of “abnormal weather traffic regulation sections” of the Ehime Prefecture Road Maintenance Division (updated March 2, 2026) also does not include Prefectural Roads 37, 345 and 346. We also found no notices of prefectural road work or closures on the sites of Ehime Prefecture and Uwajima City. For regulations on the day you leave, check the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s road information system and others in How to look up road information.

Uwajima-minami IC is in a section for which the Ministry announces night closures

The night closures of the Matsuyama Expressway are in the same notices as in the Uwajima Castle article. The hours are 19:00 to 6:00 the next morning each night for NEXCO West Japan’s sections, and 20:00 to 6:00 the next morning for the Ministry’s sections.

Of the notice of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s Ozu River and National Highway Office (October 8, 2026), the sections that apply to this route are as follows.

Section	Dates
Uwajima-Asahi IC to Tsushima-Iwamatsu IC	From the night of Monday, October 19, Reiwa 8 (2026) to the morning of Saturday, October 24, and from the night of Monday, October 26 to the morning of Saturday, October 31
Seiyo-Uwa IC to Uwajima-Sakashitatsu IC	From the night of Monday, November 2 to the morning of Tuesday, November 3, and from the night of Wednesday, November 4 to the morning of Saturday, November 7
Seiyo-Uwa IC to Uwajima-kita IC	From the night of Monday, November 9 to the morning of Saturday, November 14, from the night of Monday, November 16 to the morning of Saturday, November 21, and from the night of Tuesday, November 24 to the morning of Saturday, November 28. Spare dates: from the night of Monday, November 30 to the morning of Saturday, December 5

Each day it is from 20:00 to 6:00 the next morning, and the detour is National Route 56 (existing road). In the diagram of Attachment 1 of the notice, Uwajima-minami IC is drawn on the red “closed section” line. In the order of interchanges in map data too, Uwajima-minami IC is between Uwajima-Asahi IC and Tsushima-Iwamatsu IC. However, whether the entrance and exit of Uwajima-minami IC can be used is not written in the text of the notice. “Seiyo-Uwa IC to Uwajima-Sakashitatsu IC” and “Seiyo-Uwa IC to Uwajima-kita IC” are sections before Uwajima-Asahi IC.

NEXCO West Japan’s sections also overlap this route.

Section	Dates
Matsuyama IC to Ozu-kita IC, both directions (42.6 km)	14 nights, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from the night of Monday, September 28, Reiwa 8 (2026) to the morning of Saturday, October 17. Spare dates: from the night of Monday, October 19 to the morning of Friday, October 23
Ozu-minami IC to Seiyo-Uwa IC, both directions (16.5 km)	5 nights, from the night of Monday, October 26, Reiwa 8 (2026) to the morning of Saturday, October 31

In addition, the Ministry has also announced night closures of Ozu IC to Ozu-kitamata IC, from the night of Monday, November 30 to the morning of Saturday, December 5, and from the night of Monday, December 7 to the morning of Saturday, December 12 (spare dates: from the night of Monday, December 14 to the morning of Saturday, December 19). By the time you read this article, the period may have passed or the dates may have changed. The Ministry’s contacts are the Ozu River and National Highway Office (0893-24-6526, direct line) and the Uwajima National Highway Office branch (0895-22-3419, 8:30-17:15, except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays).

Source: 徳島道・徳島南部道・松山道・今治小松道・高知道 維持修繕工事・建設工事のため夜間通行止 | NEXCO 西日本の高速道路・交通情報 渋滞・通行止め情報、四国内の高速道路の対面通行区間において秋季夜間通行止めを実施します | NEXCO 西日本 企業情報、E56 松山自動車道 夜間全面通行止めのお知らせ（大洲河川国道事務所 令和8年10月8日の記者発表、PDF）

Parking is free for 20 cars in front of Dandan-ya and Dandan-chaya

The Association to Protect the Danbata specifies where people who come by car should park.

・お車でお越しの際は、だんだん屋・だんだん茶屋の前の駐車場にお停めください。

Translation: “When you come by car, please park in the parking lot in front of Dandan-ya and Dandan-chaya.”

Source: 遊子水荷浦の段畑ガイド

The number of spaces and the fee are in the basic information of the “Yusu Mizugaura terraced fields” page of the Uwajima Tourism and Products Association. The parking column has the following 2 lines.

無料 普通車20台／観光バス駐車場あり

Translation: “Free. 20 regular cars / tour bus parking available”

Source: 遊子水荷浦の段畑 - うわじま観光ガイド

Iyokan-net writes “available, about 20” and “free” on the “Yusu Mizugaura terraced fields” page, and “available / 20 spaces” and “free” on another page, “Danbata Museum”. We could not confirm the number of tour bus spaces, which way the parking lot entrance faces, or the exact position in front of Dandan-chaya on official pages.

Visiting is free, and the official site asks visitors not to enter the fields

The official site of the Association to Protect the Danbata has a “request” (おねがいごと).

・段畑の見学は自由ですが畑の中には入らないようにしてください。（石垣や作物が傷みます）

Translation: “You may visit the terraced fields freely, but please do not enter the fields. (The stone walls and crops get damaged.)”

Source: 遊子水荷浦の段畑ガイド

The same sentence is on the “Danbata Museum” page of Iyokan-net. The visiting fee is free, and “terraced fields visit” is “all year (at all times)”. For local guides, the same page says “with a guide, 2 people or more (reservation required)” and “guide fee: please inquire”. The phone number is the Association to Protect the Danbata’s 0895-62-0091. A different Iyokan-net feature page says “Yusu Mizugaura terraced fields guide 2,000 yen” and “reservation by phone required”, so the descriptions differ.

Source: “耕して天に至る”という言葉がぴったりの見事な段畑風景｜南予でしかできない特別な体験と一期一会の旅｜愛媛 旅の特集｜愛媛県の公式観光サイト【いよ観ネット】

The business days of Dandan-chaya and Dandan-ya are written differently on 3 official pages

The business days of “Dandan-chaya” for meals and “Dandan-ya” for the shop differ from page to page. Before the day you go, call the Association to Protect the Danbata (0895-62-0091) to confirm.

Item	段畑を守ろう会 (Association to Protect the Danbata)	観光物産協会 (Tourism and Products Association)	いよ観ネット（段畑ミュージアム） (Iyokan-net: Danbata Museum)
Dandan-chaya (meals)	11:00-14:00, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays	11:00-14:00 (drinks until 15:00), closed Monday to Friday (open on weekdays only with a reservation for 10 or more)	Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (also weekdays with a reservation for 10 or more), 11:00-14:00
Dandan-ya (shop)	9:30-14:00 (during the potato sales season), Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Changes by season	10:00-14:00, closed Mondays and Thursdays	10:00-14:00 except Mondays and Thursdays

The Furusato Dandan Festival is cancelled in 2026. In the years it is held, a free shuttle bus runs from a temporary parking lot

The “Furusato Dandan Festival” page of the tourism and products association has a notice.

例年、4月下旬に開催していた「ふる里だんだん祭り」は、天候 不順による種芋の不作や、ジャガイモの生育不良の影響で、誠 に残念ながら、2026年は中止となりました。

Translation: “The “Furusato Dandan Festival”, which was usually held in late April, has unfortunately been cancelled in 2026 because of the poor harvest of seed potatoes and the poor growth of potatoes caused by unseasonable weather.”

Source: ふる里だんだん祭り/4月下旬 - うわじま観光ガイド

The 2027 holding has not been confirmed. The parking column of the same page says the following about the festival days.

付近の臨時駐車場をご利用ください。 （臨時駐車場から無料シャトルバスが運行いたします。）

Translation: “Please use the temporary parking lot nearby. (A free shuttle bus runs from the temporary parking lot.)”

There is no note on traffic regulations such as road closures on this page. The contacts are the Yusu Community Center (0895-62-0850) for the event and the Association to Protect the Danbata (0895-62-0091) for potatoes.

The official site of the Association to Protect the Danbata says that more than 4,000 people visit the harvest festival every April. In August there is the “Danbata lighting (evening cool-down gathering)”, where the terraced fields are lit with handmade lanterns of bamboo and candles. The August dates, parking and traffic regulations are not written on official pages. We could not confirm on official pages whether it was held in 2026.

A nationally Important Cultural Landscape; the elevation is written differently on the city and prefecture tourism sites

The Yusu Mizugaura terraced fields were selected as a nationally Important Cultural Landscape on July 26, Heisei 19 (2007). Uwajima City’s page describes the size of the terraced fields as follows.

段畑は、最も高い所で標高約六〇ｍ、平均勾配が約四〇度で、その段数は五〇段余を数える。

Translation: “The terraced fields are about 60 m above sea level at the highest point, with an average slope of about 40 degrees, and have more than 50 steps.”

Source: 国選定　遊子水荷浦の段畑 - 宇和島市ホームページ　｜　四国・愛媛　伊達十万石の城下町

The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ “Cultural Heritage Online” also gives the average slope as about 40 degrees. Iyokan-net’s “Yusu Mizugaura terraced fields” page gives the top as “80 m above sea level” and the slope as “over 30 degrees”, so the numbers differ from those of Uwajima City. The date of selection is also July 26, Heisei 19 in Ehime Prefecture’s “Ehime Cultural Properties (Takara)”.

Source: 遊子水荷浦の段畑 文化遺産オンライン、遊子水荷浦の段畑 - えひめの文化財（たから）、遊子水荷浦の段畑｜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】

What we could not confirm on official pages

• The driving time from Matsuyama Airport to the terraced fields
• The route from Uwajima-minami IC to Yusu, the width of the roads, and warnings about passing other cars
• Work or closures on Prefectural Roads 37, 345 and 346 in 2026
• The expressway toll amounts
• Which way the parking lot entrance faces, and the number of tour bus spaces
• The schedule of the 2027 Furusato Dandan Festival, and the location of the temporary parking lot

Of the points in this article, the branch of Prefectural Road 37 and the Yusu settlement are based on map data, not official pages. We will add to them after driving it ourselves.