Yawatahama: Enjoying Rich Bounty of the Sea at Shikoku's Largest Fishing Port

Yawatahama City, Ehime Prefecture, is a port town with a fishing port boasting one of Shikoku's largest catch volumes. Its pride is fresh seafood landed from the rich fishing grounds of the Uwa Sea, along with citrus nurtured by the warm climate. It is also a transport hub where ferries to Oita in Kyushu depart and arrive, an attractive sightseeing destination where you can enjoy the lively port scenery and exceptionally fresh seafood.

Yawatahama: One of Shikoku's Largest Fishing Ports

Yawatahama City, Ehime Prefecture, is a port town with a fishing port boasting one of Shikoku's largest catch volumes. Fresh seafood landed from the rich fishing grounds of the Uwa Sea and mikan grown under the warm climate are the town's two great specialties. It has long flourished through fishing and shipping, and was a commercial town so lively it was called the Osaka of Iyo. Even now, many boats come and go at the fishing port, showing the liveliness unique to a port town.

Highlights: Yawatahama Minatto

Yawatahama Minatto, near Yawatahama Port, is a popular roadside station where fresh seafood and mikan gather. At Doya Market, you can buy freshly landed fish at market prices, and there is also an adjacent eatery where you can taste it on the spot. Gazing at the sea, you can savor lively seafood. You can also enjoy gourmet items unique to Yawatahama, such as mikan soft-serve ice cream, at this lively sightseeing base where locals and tourists mingle. At the product-sales corner, you can enjoy choosing souvenirs such as citrus including mikan and processed marine products.

Local Gourmet

Yawatahama abounds in local gourmet unique to a fishing town. Along with fresh local sashimi and seafood bowls, the soul food Yawatahama champon is also popular. The light-flavored champon, made rich with broth from Seto Inland Sea and Uwa Sea seafood, is a taste continuously beloved by locals. Tempura made with freshly caught fish and jyakoten, Ehime's representative fish cake, are also dishes to be sure to try. Jyakoten is small fish ground into paste and fried, delicious eaten on its own or as a topping for udon.

Seasonal Enjoyment

Seafood can be enjoyed throughout the year, with the seasonal fish changing by season. Citrus such as mikan is in season from autumn to winter, and during this period fresh citrus can be obtained all over town. The comfortable spring and autumn are pleasant seasons for strolling the port town and for a ferry sea voyage. Mikan orchards spread across the steep slopes around Yawatahama, and you can see a sight unique to this land, where monorails (agricultural monorails for slopes) used for farm work ascend and descend the slopes.

Access and Basic Information

Access is a few minutes by car from Yawatahama Station on the JR Yosan Line to the port, within walking distance too. A limited express is available from Matsuyama city, making it a base for southern Iyo sightseeing. Ferries toward Oita in Kyushu also depart and arrive, convenient as a gateway linking Shikoku and Kyushu. Combining with a spectacular drive on the Sadamisaki Peninsula is also recommended. Since each facility's business hours and the market's operating days may change, confirming in advance is advisable.

Practical Travel Notes

• Doya Market has a wider selection earlier in the day. To aim for fresh fish, the morning is recommended.
• When using a ferry, confirm the number of sailings and boarding-procedure times in advance.
• Citrus such as mikan is in season from autumn to winter. It can be bought as a souvenir at Minatto's product corner.
• Enjoying a spectacular Uwa Sea drive together with the wind turbines and lighthouse of the Sadamisaki Peninsula is also recommended.

A Word of Advice

Yawatahama is a lively port town where you can enjoy fresh seafood unique to one of Shikoku's largest fishing ports and citrus nurtured by the warm climate all at once. Savor freshly caught fish at Doya Market, enjoy Yawatahama champon and jyakoten, and fully take in the liveliness of the port town. Combining it with the spectacular Sadamisaki Peninsula or a ferry trip to Kyushu broadens the scope of your journey. (Tabitabi Japan Editorial Team)

📚 Sources

The information here is based mainly on the public guidance from Yawatahama city and its tourism association, along with the notices of the Yawatahama Minatto roadside station. The information for the Doya Market, the ferry to Oita in Kyushu, local dishes such as Yawatahama champon and jakoten, and on-site information boards are also useful references. Because market days, facility hours, and ferry times may change, please confirm the latest details with each facility or Yawatahama city before you visit.

Visitor Checklist

• Estimated time needed: About 1 to 2 hours for shopping and dining at Yawatahama Minatto and the Doya Market; allow around half a day if you include a stroll around the port town and buying citrus.
• What to bring: The Doya Market has a fuller selection in the morning. Cash is handy for market purchases, meals, and citrus souvenirs. If using the ferry, check the schedules and boarding-procedure times in advance.
• Suggested route: Head from Yawatahama Station to the Yawatahama Minatto by the port, taste freshly landed fish at the Doya Market, and choose citrus and seafood products at the products corner. It combines well with the windmills and lighthouse of the Sadamisaki Peninsula for a scenic Uwa Sea drive.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Doya Market: Open 8:00-16:00 / closing days irregular (on days when the adjoining wholesale market is closed, such as Saturdays, deliveries are small, so some shops may close or shut early) / tel. 0894-21-4775
• Doya Shokudo: Open 7:00-14:00 / seafood BBQ 11:00-13:00 / closed January 1 to January 4 / tel. 0894-21-1537
• Agora Marche: Open all year round. Farm-direct sales 8:30-18:00 / food court 9:00-16:00 (until 16:30 on weekends and public holidays) / Cafe chouchou 8:00-17:00 (closed Tuesdays, except public holidays) / bakery 9:00-15:00 (8:30-16:00 on weekends and public holidays, closed Thursdays) / stone-oven pizza 10:00-15:00 (until 16:00 on weekends and public holidays, closed Thursdays)
• Minato Koryukan: Open 9:00-21:30 / closed over the New Year holidays (December 29 to January 3). Manhole cards are handed out and roadside station commemorative tickets and roadside station cards are sold from 9:00 to 18:00, and rental bicycles are available from 10:00 to 17:00 / tel. 0894-21-3710
• Parking: 3 spaces for large vehicles, 181 for ordinary cars and 4 for disabled visitors. It is a car park for users of the facility and road users to take a short break, and long-term parking for other purposes, such as leaving your car while you board a ferry, is not permitted. There is a paid car park, Daikokuya, nearby (about 200 meters from Minatto), charging 100 yen for the first hour, then 50 yen per 30 minutes, or 1,000 yen for 24 hours
• Ferry (Uwajima Unyu), Yawatahama to Beppu: 2 hours 50 minutes, a distance of 89 km, with 6 sailings a day (departing Yawatahama at 0:20 / 6:20 / 10:15 / 13:00 / 17:25 / 20:30)
• Ferry (Uwajima Unyu), Yawatahama to Usuki: 2 hours 25 minutes, a distance of 67 km, with 7 sailings a day (departing Yawatahama at 5:50 / 9:40 / 11:45 / 15:35 / 17:40 / 22:00 / 23:50). Note that some sailings do not run on Saturdays only or on Sundays only
• Uwajima Unyu passenger fares (July 1 to September 30, 2026, including the stage 9 fuel oil price adjustment surcharge): Yawatahama to Beppu, adults 4,900 yen in second class, 8,100 yen in first class and 11,900 yen in special class / Yawatahama to Usuki, adults 3,800 yen in second class, 6,200 yen in first class and 9,200 yen in special class. Children pay 2,450 yen in second class from Yawatahama to Beppu and 1,900 yen in second class from Yawatahama to Usuki. One infant aged between 1 year old and preschool age travels free per adult, in second class only
• Ferry (Kyushu-Shikoku Orange Ferry), Yawatahama to Usuki: On the regular timetable there are 7 sailings from Yawatahama and 7 from Usuki (departing Yawatahama at 1:15 / 2:50 / 8:30 / 12:45 / 14:30 / 18:45 / 21:00). Some sailings are suspended on Saturdays and Sundays
• Access by rail: On the JR Yosan Line, 45 minutes by limited express from Matsuyama to Yawatahama (25 minutes to Uchiko and 35 minutes to Ozu)
• Access by car: 1 hour from Matsuyama using the expressway, and 50 minutes from Misaki

* Opening hours and closing days at Yawatahama Minatto differ from facility to facility and shop to shop. (Sources: Roadside Station and Minato Oasis Yawatahama Minatto official website, Frequently Asked Questions; Doya Market official website; Shikoku Region Roadside Station Liaison Council page on Roadside Station Yawatahama Minatto; Uwajima Unyu Ferry official website, Fares and Routes and Timetables; Kyushu-Shikoku Orange Ferry (Shikoku Kaihatsu Ferry) official website, Routes and Timetable, Yawatahama-Usuki; Yawatahama City official website, Transport Access)