Matsuyama (松山市, Matsuyama-shi) - The
capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of
Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dōgo
Plain. Its name means "pine tree mountain." The city was
founded on December 15, 1889.
The city is known for hot springs (onsen) and is home to
Dōgo Onsen, the oldest hot spring bath house in Japan. A
second favorite tourist spot is Matsuyama Castle. Eight of
the eighty-eight temples in the Shikoku Pilgrimage are in
Matsuyama.
History and Culture
Matsuyama was in medieval times part of the Iyo-Matsuyama
Domain, a fiefdom of Iyo Province consisting mainly of a
castle town, supporting Matsuyama Castle. There was a nearby
village at Dōgo Onsen to the east and a port somewhat
farther to the west at Mitsuhama providing a link to the
Japanese mainland (Honshu) and Kyushu.
Dōgo Onsen was already famous in the Nara period, and
Shotoku Taishi visited the spa in the year 596. It is also
mentioned in passing in The Tale of Genji.
Famous Buddhist temples in Matsuyama include Ishite-ji (石手寺)
and Taisanji (太山寺), both dating back to the 8th century,
although the oldest surviving buildings are from the early
14th century. Famous shrines of the city include Isaniwa
shrine, built in 1667.
The haiku poet Masaoka Shiki lived in Matsuyama. His house,
now known as the Shiki-do, and a museum, the Shiki Memorial
Museum, are popular attractions, and the centerpieces of the
city's claim as a center of the international haiku
movement. Other famous haiku poets associated with Matsuyama
include Kobayashi Issa (an occasional visitor), Shiki's
followers, Takahama Kyoshi and Kawahigashi Hekigoto, and
Taneda Santoka. Santoka's house, known as Isso-an, is also a
tourist attraction and is periodically open to the public.
The Matsuyama Declaration of 1999 proposed the formation of
International Haiku Research Center, and the first Masaoka
Shiki International Haiku Awards were given in 2000.
Recipients have included Yves Bonnefoy (2000), Cor Van Den
Heuvel (2002) and Gary Snyder (2004).
The famed novel Botchan by Natsume Sōseki is set in
Matsuyama. As a result, there are numerous sites and locales
named after the main character, including Botchan Stadium,
the Botchan Ressha (an antique train that runs on the
streetcar route), and Botchan dango.
Matsuyama also figures in several works by Shiba Ryōtarō,
notably his popular novel, Saka no ue no kumo [Clouds Above
the Hill] (1969). In anticipation of the upcoming NHK Taiga
drama adaptation of this novel, a Saka no ue no kumo Museum
(坂の上の雲ミュージアム) was established in 2007.
Matsuyama was also the setting of a 1907 novel about the
Russo-Japanese War, As the Hague Ordains, by American writer
Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore. Matsuyama figures in the novel
because the city housed a camp for Russian prisoners during
the war. A Russian cemetery commemorates this important
episode in Matsuyama history. The Russo-Japanese War is also
remembered in Matsuyama because of the contributions of two
Japanese military leaders, the Akiyama brothers, Akiyama
Saneyuki and Akiyama Yoshifuru, who were born in the city.
The City Today
In the twentieth century, various mergers joined the castle
town with neighboring Dōgo, Mitsuhama, and other townships,
aided by urban sprawl, creating a seamless modern city that
now ranks as the largest in Shikoku. As of the most recent
merger, on January 1, 2005, joining the city of Hōjō and
town of Nakajima (from the former Onsen District) with
Matsuyama, the city had an estimated population of 512,982
and a density of 1196 persons per km². The total (merged)
area is 428.86 km².
Matsuyama is one of the Japanese cities that did not abolish
their street car systems (Iyo Railway).
Matsuyama Airport has regular flights to Tokyo, Osaka, and
other major Japanese cities and selected international
destinations, including both Shanghai and Seoul. There is
regular ferry service to Hiroshima and regular night ferries
to Kobe, Kokura Kita-ku, Kitakyushu, and several other
destinations.
Matsuyama is home to several universities, including Ehime
University, which is part of the Japanese national
university system, and Matsuyama University, a private
university.
Famous products (meibutsu) of Matsuyama include tarts and
Botchan dango. In the 17th century, the lord of Matsuyama
castle Sadayuki Matsudaira (松平定行) introduced the process of
tart-making, originally brought to Japan by the Portuguese,
to Matsuyama. At first it was a Castella with jam. According
to legend Sadayuki made some changes, such as adding red
bean paste. Now there are many kinds and makers of tarts in
Matsuyama; some add yuzu paste or chestnut to the red bean
paste. In addition to tarts, Botchan dango is also a famous
product of Matsuyama. Botchan dango was named after the
famous novel Botchan by Natsume Sōseki. It consists of three
bean paste beads of three flavors, matcha, egg, and red bean
paste. Within the paste is contained mochi.
Matsuyama is the site of a number of festivals, including
the Dogo Festival, held in the spring, the Matsuyama
Festival, held in August, and the Fall Festival, held in
October, which features battling mikoshi.
Information source: “Matsuyama, Ehime.” wikipedia.org. Article
date: 4 Mar. 2008. Retrieved: Wikipedia. 4 Mar. 2008 <Matsuyama, Ehime>. |
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