Things to see in Uwajima

The castle hill rises directly south-west of the station, with the garden and museum a little further on; all can be covered on foot or by rental bicycle in half a day. The terraced fields and the gorge need a car, taxi or tour.

01

Uwajima Castle

First laid out around 1600 by Todo Takatora — the same castle builder who designed Imabari — and rebuilt by the Date lords in the 1660s, Uwajima’s keep is one of only twelve in Japan that have survived intact. It is small and elegant rather than imposing, three storeys of white plaster with decorative gables, standing in a clearing at the top of an 80-metre hill clothed in old-growth forest. The climb up mossy stone stairs is half the pleasure; the top floor looks over the harbour and the Uwa Sea.

Practical: About 9:00–17:00 (to 16:00 in winter); around ¥200. 15–20 minutes’ climb from either gate. The paths are steep and uneven. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

02

Tensha-en garden

A stroll garden laid out in the 1860s for the retired seventh Date lord. It is planted around the family’s emblems, bamboo and sparrows, with many bamboo varieties, a pond, irises in early summer and, most famously, an arched bridge draped in white wisteria that blooms in April.

Practical: About 8:30–17:00 (shorter in winter), with a weekly closing day in the cooler months; around ¥500. 20 minutes’ walk or a short bus ride from the station.

03

Bull sumo (togyu)

In a domed ring on a hill above the town, pairs of bulls weighing up to a tonne are brought together by handlers to push, horn to horn, until one gives way. There are ranks and champions, as in human sumo, and no animal is killed. Tournaments are held only a few times a year — traditionally in early January, spring, late July during the festival, mid-August and autumn — so most visitors see the empty ring and its small exhibition instead.

Practical: Tournament days start around noon and last about two hours; tickets roughly ¥3,000 at the gate. A shuttle bus runs from the station on tournament days. Confirm dates with the city tourism office.

04

Date Museum

The city museum of the Date family holds armour, palanquins, lacquerware, documents and portraits handed down through the lords of Uwajima. A replacement museum building has been planned, so the collection may be closed or relocated when you visit — check before making a special trip.

Practical: Usually daytime hours with a Monday closure and a fee of around ¥500. Next to Tensha-en.

05

Yusu Mizugaura terraced fields

On a peninsula north-west of town, dozens of narrow stone-walled terraces climb a steep hillside straight out of the sea, each only a metre or two wide. Built by fishing families to grow sweet potatoes and now planted with early potatoes, they are a nationally designated cultural landscape — at their greenest from February to April, before the spring harvest.

Practical: About 30–40 minutes by car from the station; buses are few. Free to visit; a small shop sells potato snacks and shochu. Paths are steep.

06

Nametoko Gorge

Inland, in a detached part of Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park, a clear river slides for kilometres over smooth granite slabs through deep forest. An easy trail leads to Yukiwa Falls, where water fans out across a 300-metre rock slope, and in summer the gorge is known for canyoning — sliding down the natural rock chutes.

Practical: About 45–60 minutes by car. Best from late April to November; the walk to the falls takes about 40 minutes each way.

Opening hours, closing days and admission fees change — especially around New Year, festivals and renovation works. Treat the details here as a guide and confirm on the official site before you set out.