Another early start today, with breakfast at 6:45 and disembarking by 7:45. We thought we were having a holiday! I’m kidding of course – we were keen to make use of every moment on shore, exploring this fascinating country. Today was the first (and only) day on the cruise where the weather let us down. It was generally cold the entire trip, but today it also poured with rain.

Matsuyama Castle

Matsuyama Castle is one of Japan’s twelve “original castles”, i.e. castles which have survived the post-feudal era since 1868 intact.  The castle was built in the early 1600s, and belonged to the Matsudaira family, relatives of the nation ruling Tokugawa. The current three storied castle tower was constructed in 1820 after the original five storied one had been destroyed by lightning. It is an excellent example of a feudal castle situated on top of a steep hill, accessible through multiple, well defended gates. Fortunately there’s a ropeway we caught to the base of the castle, and then walked up the hill past high stone walls that looked quite impregnable.

The castle is located on Mount Katsuyama, a steep hill in the city centre that usually provides visitors with a bird’s eye view of Matsuyama and the Seto Inland Sea. We quite enjoyed the views of the fogginess, with occasional glimpses of the city below. Once we got to the top of the tower, we also had some nice views of the castle complex.

We were able to explore inside the castle, where exhibits described the history of Matsuyama and the feudal period. Some of us even got to dress up in Samurai armour. (Check the photo captions for more info)

Inside the castle as it may have looked when new.

Castle defenses

Armour which belonged to Matsudaira Sadayuki, the first of the Matsudaira lords

A suit of armour said to have belonged to the fouder of Matsuyama Castle

Clothing worn by the Lord family when a fire broke out.

An order for 9,080 roof tiles dated August 29, 1604.

A map showing the castle in the Edo period.

A folding screen depicting the 4 seasons in the area.

These fish were placed at the ends of the roof ridges as magical protection against fire.

Ornament for the front of a helmet, feauring a dragon with wings and a fish tail.

Dogo Onsen

After a few hours at the castle, we were ready for a change of pace. We split into two groups, one heading to Dogo Onsen, one of Japan’s oldest and most famous hot springs. The wooden public bathhouse dates from 1894, though the hot springs themselves date back thousands of years and are mentioned in ancient Japanese writings. We had a lovely hot soak, the men and women bathing separately as is tradition, then got together again for tea and cakes on tatami mats in the upstairs lounge area, some cooling off out on the balcony, and enjoyed this very iconic Japanese experience.

“Yoyogungo Rigen-shū, a compilation of local lore completed in 1710, includes the story of an egret with an injured leg that discovered a hot spring gushing from the rocks. The egret returned to the hot spring every day to soak its injured leg. After a while the leg completely healed, and the egret flew away as strong as ever. The people who saw this thought it very strange, and when they too began bathing in the water, they found that it relieved fatigue and speeded recovery from illness. From that time on, bathing in the hot spring became a widely popular practice.” (from Dōgo Onsen’s History, Quality, and Charm | [Official Website] Dōgo Onsen)

Exploring Matsuyama

For those who didn’t go bathing the nearby streets and shopping arcade provided entertainment. The shops in Japan are so enticing, some featuring beautiful goods for sale in elegant surroundings, others selling delicious food and extreme cuteness.

Matsuyama is in the Ehime prefecture, a citrus growing region, and there are oranges everywhere. Shops are famous for selling juice which is dispensed from a tap, and lots of souvenirs feature oranges and other citrus.

There’s a famous Japanese novel by Soseki Natsume, regarded as one of the founders of Japanese modern literature. “Botchan”, one of his representative works, was written based on his experiences when he was sent to Matsuyama Middle School for a year. The Botchan Karakuri Clock near the station plays music on the hour whilst figurines of characters from the novel come to life.  Dogo Onsen Station, built in 1895 is in the style of Meiji Period architecture. The Botchan train is a heritage steam train imported from Germany in 1888, and features in the novel as the author used the train to commute to Matsuyama.

Back on board

We were back on the ship by 1pm, after a photo with the Matsuyama castle mascot Yoshiaki-kun, and spent the afternoon sailing. There was still a full schedule, with engine room tours, lectures, briefings about the next day’s activities and of course cocktail hour before another delicious dinner.

Yoshiaki-kun

Seared rock cod with garlic, mirin and black sesame