is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,334,841 and a geographic area of 5,676 km<sup>2</sup> (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Tokushima Prefecture to the east, and Kōchi Prefecture to the southeast. Ehime Prefecture also borders Hiroshima Prefecture for on Hyōtanjima.

Matsuyama is the capital and largest city of Ehime Prefecture and the largest city on Shikoku, with other major cities including Imabari, Niihama, and Saijō.

Notable past Ehime residents include three Nobel Prize winners: Kenzaburo Oe (1994 Nobel Prize in Literature), Shuji Nakamura (2014 Nobel Prize in Physics), and Syukuro Manabe (2021 Nobel Prize in Physics).

History

Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime Prefecture was known as Iyo Province. Since before the Heian period, the area was dominated by fishermen and sailors who played an important role in defending Japan against pirates and Mongolian invasions.

After the Battle of Sekigahara, the Tokugawa shōgun gave the area to his allies, including Katō Yoshiaki who built Matsuyama Castle, forming the basis for the modern city of Matsuyama.

The name Ehime comes from the kuniumi part of the Kojiki where Iyo Province is mythologically named Ehime, "lovely princess".

In 2012, a research group from the University of Tokyo and Ehime University said they had discovered rare earth deposits in Matsuyama.

Geography

Located in the northwestern part of Shikoku, Ehime faces the Seto Inland Sea to the north and is bordered by Kagawa and Tokushima in the east and Kōchi in the south.

The prefecture includes both high mountains in the inland region and a long coastline, with many islands in the Seto Inland Sea. The westernmost arm of Ehime, the Sadamisaki Peninsula, is the narrowest peninsula in Japan.

As of 31 March 2020, 7 percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Ashizuri-Uwakai and Setonaikai National Parks; Ishizuchi Quasi-National Park; and Hijikawa, Kinshako, Okudōgo Tamagawa, Sadamisaki Hantō-Uwakai, Saragamine Renpō, Sasayama, and Shikoku Karst Prefectural Natural Parks.

Cities

thumb|Ehime prefecture population pyramid in 2020

thumb|250px|Map of Ehime Prefecture.<br />

thumb|right|Matsuyama

thumb|right|Uwajimaright|thumb|The Ehime Prefectural Capitol Building

Eleven cities are located in Ehime Prefecture:

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! colspan="2" |Name

! rowspan="2" |Area (km<sup>2</sup>)

! rowspan="2" |Population (2020)

Hot springs

These are several hot springs (onsen) in Ehime Prefecture.

  • Dōgo Onsen appears in the Nihon Shoki. This Hot Spring has three public baths: the main building, Tsubaki no Yu, and Asuka no Yu.
  • Sora to Mori is a combined warm bath facility. There are hot springs, restaurants, and body care.
  • Nibukawa Onsen is a hot spring located in Imabari. The source originates from the crevices of the Inugawa Valley in this hot spring town.

Language

Iyo dialect is a Japanese dialect spoken in Ehime Prefecture. Nanyo is influenced by the Kyushu dialect, and Chuyo and Toyo are influenced by the Kinki dialect.

Museums

  • Kaimei School
  • Museum of Ehime History and Culture

Transport

thumb|right|Kurushima Strait Bridge on the Shimanami Kaidō

Railway

  • Shikoku Railway (JR Shikoku)
  • Yosan Line
  • Yodo Line
  • Uchiko Line
  • Iyo Railway (Iyotetsu)
  • Gunchū Line
  • Takahama Line
  • Yokogawara Line
  • Matsuyama Inner Line

Road

Expressway

  • 30px|link=|alt= Matsuyama Expressway
  • 30px|link=|alt= Tokushima Expressway
  • 30px|link=|alt= Takamatsu Expressway
  • 30px|link=|alt= Kōchi Expressway
  • 30px|link=|alt= Nishiseto Expressway (also referred to as the Shimanami Kaidō)
  • 30px|link=|alt= Imabari-Komatsu Expressway

National highways

  • (Matsuyama-Kōchi)
  • (Matsuyama-Iyo-Uwajima-Sukumo-Susaki-Kōchi)
  • (Saijyo-Shikokuchūō-Yoshinogawa-Tokushima)
  • (Matsuyama-Imabari-Onomichi)
  • (Matsuyama-Niyodogawa-Susaki)

Ports

  • Kawanoe Port
  • Niihama Port - Ferry route to Osaka
  • Toyo Port - Ferry route to Osaka
  • Imabari Port - Ferry route to Innoshima, Hakata Island, and international container hub port
  • Matsuyama Port - Ferry route to Kitakyushu, Yanai, Hiroshima, Kure, and international container hub port
  • Yawatahama Port - Ferry route to Beppu, Usuki
  • Misaki Port - Ferry route to Oita
  • Uwajima Port

Airport

  • Matsuyama Airport

Notable people

<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦--->

<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->

  • Kazuyoshi Ishii (born 1953), founder of Seidokaikan karate and K-1
  • Tadashi Irie (born 1944), yakuza member
  • Daichi Kamada (born 1996), footballer
  • Naoki Kuwata (born 1977), actor and model
  • Tetchō Suehiro (1849–1896), politician, novelist and journalist

International relations

Ehime Prefecture is making use of its long tradition of involvement with people overseas through international exchanges in areas such as the economy, culture, sports and education.

  • British Columbia, Canada
  • Dalian, China
  • Hawaii, United States
  • Liaoning, China
  • New South Wales, Australia
  • Queensland, Australia

Notes

References

  • Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; OCLC 58053128

<!-- Categories -->