Uwajima Onsen

Uwajima Onsen is a thermal bathing destination in Uwajima, a castle city on the Pacific coast of the Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku island, known for its perfectly preserved 17th-century three-tiered castle — one of only twelve original castles remaining in Japan — and for the remarkable Uwajima Tōgyū bullfighting tradition unique to this corner of Shikoku. The sulfurous mineral waters of the local onsen draw on the volcanic and geothermal geology of the Shikoku coastal zone and are prized for their warming, skin-softening properties characteristic of the Japanese alkaline hot spring tradition. The city's historic cityscape, with its castle on a forested hill above the sea inlet, its morning fish market famous for fresh sea bream and fugu, and the extraordinary cultured pearl industry of the surrounding Uwa Sea, creates a destination of rich cultural and gastronomic character. Uwajima Onsen invites visitors to combine the restorative pleasures of traditional Japanese hot spring bathing with the cultural heritage and coastal abundance of one of Shikoku's most distinctive and rewarding cities.