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Jōdoji

浄土寺

#49. Jōdo was built in the 700s by Emyo Shonin.

free

Address: 1198 Takanokochō
Price: Free

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Matsuyama, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Hantaji
繁多寺
#50. Another Yakushinyorai statue is worshipped here.
Free
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Sairinji
西林寺
#48. Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師) struck the ground with his stick and created a pond here; his 11-headed Kannon also stands here.
Free
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Ishiteji
石手寺
#51. This is one of the most impressive of the 88 temples in the pilgrimage, housing a variety of statues, haiku stones, and treasures scattered about the grounds. Some of its more interesting aspects are the Deva Hall with its murals of gods, the belfry, and the giant stone statue of Kōbō Daishi — whose head, if you can touch it, will absolve you of making the entire pilgrimage. Founded in 728 and part of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism, Ishiteji embodies one of the most moving of Buddhist legends of greed, sorrow, repentance, and reincarnation. Smoke from the incense of pilgrims making their prayers fill the inner sanctum. Ishiteji celebrates the New Year like no other temple in Matsuyama.
24 hoursFree
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Dōgo Park & Yuzuki Castle Ruins
道後公園・湯築城
From mid-March through April, the typically peaceful Dōgo Park is overwhelmed by inebriated locals and hawking vendors who come to take part in the most ancient of activities, hanami, or viewing of sakura (cherry blossoms). An oval shaped patch of green in the overdeveloped Dōgo neighborhood, Dōgo Kōen is an important part of Matsuyama's identity because it harbors the ruins of Yuzuki Castle. Yuzuki-jō was the residence of the Kōno Clan (河野), who ruled Iyo Province (伊予, now Ehime) from the 13th to the late 16th century, when war lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉) sent an army to Shikoku to conquer and unify Japan. The excavation of the 30,000-m² site took over 14 years, but the castle, gardens, and residences were all recovered. Within the recreated homes, mannequins silently act out the daily lives of the elite during that time, drinking tea and writing renga (poems composed by a group). There is also a library and a volunteer English-speaking guide can show visitors around with advance reservations.
Dōgo Park: 24 hours, Yuzuki Castle Ruins: Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00, closed 29 Dec-3 JanFree