Niihama travel guide
Where to base yourself, what to eat, how to save money and ready-made day plans for Niihama.
How to visit Tonaru
Decide first whether to drive. If not, book the Minetopia minibus tour, which leaves from the lower site and includes a guided walk at the ruins. Either way, go in the morning for the best chance of clear views — or, perversely, hope for drifting mist, which is when the place looks most like its nickname. Wear walking shoes; the site is on a slope with steps.
What to eat
Niihama shares the eastern Ehime taste for hearty, inexpensive food. Look for zanki, the local name for fried chicken, ebi-chikuwa fish-paste rolls made with small local shrimp, and the old-fashioned Besshi candy sold as a souvenir. Minetopia’s restaurants serve simple set meals.
Practical tips
Tonaru is closed in winter and after heavy rain, and the bus tour does not run every day outside peak season — confirm before you travel. English signage at the mine sites is limited, so read up beforehand. During the Taiko Festival, book accommodation months ahead or stay in Saijo, Imabari or Matsuyama and come in by train.
Where to stay in Niihama
Niihama has a full range of city and business hotels around the JR station and in the commercial centre, used mainly by business travellers — so rooms are easy to find except during the October festival, when the whole city books out.
- RIHGA Royal Hotel Niihama — Niihama’s leading full-service hotel, with restaurants and banquet halls, a short drive from the station.
- Toyoko Inn Niihama Ekimae — A standard chain business hotel directly in front of Niihama Station.
- Hotel Route-Inn Niihama — A chain hotel with a public bath and free parking, well placed for drivers visiting the mine sites.
- Super Hotel Niihama — A business hotel with a natural hot-spring bath, good value for a one-night stop.
How to spend your time in Niihama
Half day
Train to Niihama, bus or taxi to Minetopia Besshi, the pre-booked minibus tour to Tonaru, the mine train on your return and a soak in the hot spring.
Full day by car
Tonaru first thing, Minetopia and the Memorial Museum before lunch, the Hirose residence in the afternoon, then on to Saijo’s spring-water walk.
Festival day
Arrive by train on 16, 17 or 18 October and follow the taiko-dai between venues; the morning and late-afternoon gatherings are the most dramatic.
Niihama: frequently asked questions
Why is Tonaru called the Machu Picchu of the East?
Because its stone structures stand on a steep, forested mountainside and are often wrapped in cloud. It is an industrial ruin from the early twentieth century, not an ancient city — but the atmosphere justifies the name.
Can I get to Tonaru without a car?
Yes, by the guided minibus tour from Minetopia Besshi, which runs from about March to November and needs a reservation. There is no ordinary public bus.
Is Niihama worth a stop?
For anyone interested in industrial history, ruins or festivals, yes. It works well as a half-day between Matsuyama and Takamatsu or paired with Saijo.
Ready for Niihama?
Lock in a guide, a tasting or a day trip for Niihama now — most GetYourGuide bookings can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before.