Ehime Prefecture sits on the northern coast of the island of Shikoku, facing Yamaguchi, Hiroshima, and the southern island of Kyushu. Noted for its pristine nature and scenery, Ehime has anything and everything that you could want for a getaway. From the historic capital city of Matsuyama to part of the legendary leg of the Shikoku Pilgrimage, let’s check out Ehime Prefecture!

If you want to experience a different side of Japan than the one most tourists find, you should look outside the big cities. In lesser-known rural areas and remote islands, you can try life as a sake brewer for a few days, go canoeing and snorkeling in beautiful UNESCO areas, take part in daily life in a local village and go on a guided bike tour of a popular onsen town.

JR East and JR West have announced an extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line from Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture to Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture, which officially opened on March 16, 2024. Here are a few fun things that you can do along the way!

Renowned throughout Japan for its impressive mountain ranges and abundance of pristine snowy tracks available for winter sports (it was the site of the 1998 Winter Olympics), Hakuba has always been a popular weekend destination for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Tokyo to get lost in nature, whether it be to experience the wondrous snowfall or go hiking across mountain ranges in the green season.

Niigata Prefecture, accessible from Tokyo through the Hokuriku or the Joetsu Shinkansen, is famous for its rice, natural scenery, and tons of snow. There are a plethora of things to do in the prefecture, so let’s take a quick look at some highlights!