Matsuyama Shiroyama Park 城山公園

Shiroyama Park and the Horinouchi neighborhood where it is located are important in Matsuyama life. The park sits within the moat of the Matsuyama Castle , has an art museum and a library, and is a venue for many events within the city. On weekends and holidays, you're likely to catch a food fair, festival, or other event.

At the center of the city, you'll find it hard not to stumble into the park during a trip to Matsuyama .

Shiroyama Park is a 15-minute walk from JR Matsuyama Station. You can also take a tram from the station to Minami-Horibata. You will find yourself at the park's south entrance next to Ehime Prefectural Art Museum.

Enjoy a 30-minute walk up to the castle keep along lush, tree-lined pathways. You can enter the keep and climb to the top floor for panoramas of the city and its surroundings.

In spring, 200 cherry blossom trees bloom within the park. Grab a bento lunch from a department store and enjoy the varying hues of pink.

Head to the Ehime Prefectural Art Museum to see works by both local and national artists. Traditional Japanese scroll paintings and watercolors of the local area are especially noteworthy. The museum even has works by Cezanne and Monet. Special exhibitions are regularly held and past exhibitions have featured works by Salvador Dali and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as Ghibli animation.

Catch a concert or talk at Bansuiso, a mansion built in the 19th century French style. The former second home of a descendant of the Matsuyama clan, Bansuiso is an oddity in its surroundings. A walk around the home to see the decadent chandeliers and moldings is a stark contrast to traditional Japanese architectural style.

Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum is situated just south of Shiroyama Park. Leading Japanese architect Tadao Ando designed the museum inpired by Ryotaro Shiba's novel "Clouds Above the Hill," set mainly in Matsuyama . Explore a treasure trove of artifacts from the time period of the novel, which negotiates the Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War..

In mid-August, the Matsuyama Baseball-Dance Festival is held at venues in the park and on the Okaido which runs through the Chifunemachi neighborhood. Many local food festivals, music festivals, and community events also take place at the park.