Iyo - Matsuyama Castle
(Iyo) Matsuyama Castle Ropeway and Lift
I enjoy castles in Japan. Its amazing to see and each one is very unique and different. My favourite one up to this point was Himeji Castle but I think the Iyo-Matsuyama Castle is my new favourite one. I did not realize that there are two Matsuyama Castles in Japan so that this one in Ehime contains a secondary labeled as Iyo-Matsuyama Castle. The castle is on top of a flat top hill and can be accessed several different ways including a gondola or chair lift.
To get to the gondola and lift entrance, it is a short walk from the Okaido tram stop. Just about all of the Iyotetsu trams stop at the Okaido station except for #6. The trams also run around the castle perimeter if you look at the tram map as there is more to see in and around the castle. I will have to explore it another time but for now, I was looking forward to going up. The streets leading up to the entrance has stores, restaurants and a vertical parking tower. As it was mid-morning none of the restaurants were open yet.
Google Maps - Short walk to Matsuyama Castle ropeway and gondola entrance
What makes Iyo-Matsuyama Castle different than many of the castles that I have seen is the scale. To start, there are a few ways to get to the starting point of the castle grounds, or you pay 520 yen for a round trip ride via gondola or individual chair lift.
I chose the chairlift as it sounded like more fun to experience. The chairlift is like a ski resort chair lift for one individual but there are no belts, lap bars or any restraining device. When it was my turn, I walked up to the boarding area and stood at the foot print marked on the ground so that it would be easier to get on. Once the chairlift arrived, I just sat down without any issues and up into the air I went. I carried my camera bag in my lap and used my cellphone to film the 3 minute trip up. A few meters below me was a netting in case someone or something does slip.
After departing the lift, it was very obvious where everyone had to go next. There is a small souvenir shop and restroom here before ascending to through the castle grounds. The tall stone wall and turrets are easily seen standing above you with a paved path leading up to the first gate. After that, there were many more gates and turrets where the warriors of the past would try to stop invaders by making it confusing with its twists and turns while raining down arrows at them.
Wait, there is more??
When I arrived at the ‘courtyard’, there was another place for refreshments and washroom break, There were also plenty of trees and people taking photos with a mascot. I recommend going to the washroom if needed as the castle does not have any washrooms inside. From what I have seen on the Internet, a lot of these trees must be cherry blossom trees so it must be beautiful when they are in bloom. I will have to come back one day to check them out.
At the far end is the castle entrance. There is an additional fee of 520 yen to go inside the castle but it was well worth the experience for me. The castle felt a lot larger than other castles and has two towers that you can get a good view of the surrounding area. Like many castles in Japan, I stored my shoes in a shoe locker and wore some generic slippers provided. The tour around inside the castle is self guided with some displays talking about the castle history, architecture, armour and weaponry. There was also no audio decks with stations to listen to someone narrate the history or importance of something in the castle. The castle also does not have any elevator, escalators or ramps for those with mobility issues as the castle is pretty much the original design. Inside, the path around the castle was well marked and circular in nature that eventually I would end back at the same place as I started from. There are a couple of benches to put my shoes and a bin to deposit my slippers for sterilization before I left. It wasn’t raining the day that I went but I can imagine that umbrellas would need to be left in the same place as well.
I can’t remember how long I spent inside as I was too busy taking photos and enjoying the architecture. Tripods and monopods are not allowed to preserve the wood floors but a fast lens and high ISO was enough to capture the details inside the castle for me. There are many windows as well as the two towers to see the surrounding area of Matsuyama. The stairs going up and down from the towers were quite steep and kind of scary if you are afraid of heights. The tour inside the castle would probably take over an hour to walk through if I wasn’t so busy taking photos. It was also relatively quiet since it was December so I did not have to worry about any lines or crowds. I imagine if this was during the normal tourist season that it would take more than an hour to go through the castle as the stairs to the towers are really meant for one person to ascend/descend at a time.. Definitely expect to spend 2-3 hours to walk and see everything.
