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Matsuyama & Dogo Onsen, Shikoku — where to start?

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Tue Oct 27, 15:07 Japan now
23° Average temperature
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From the airport to Matsuyama & Dogo Onsen
Bus Matsuyama Airport → Central Matsuyama (Okaido) About 25 min
Airport limousine bus
Direct, no transfers
Transit cards
IruCa · ICい～カードShikoku (Kotoden in Takamatsu / Iyotetsu in Matsuyama)
Kotoden and Iyotetsu station counters
More on transit cards ↓
Getting around Matsuyama & Dogo Onsen

MainIyotetsu streetcars link JR Matsuyama Sta., Okaido and Dogo Onsen

PassStreetcar day passes are available

Nearby station map ↗
Couldn't load live weather, so average values are shown.

Transport

How to get from the airport to town, and around the city

Shikoku四国
Matsuyama Airport → central MatsuyamaAbout 25 minAirport limousine bus
JR Matsuyama Sta. → Dogo OnsenAbout 20 minIyotetsu streetcar
Takamatsu Airport → Takamatsu Sta.About 45 minAirport limousine bus
Takamatsu Port → NaoshimaAbout 30–50 minShikoku Kisen ferry or high-speed boat
Matsuyama → TakamatsuAbout 2 hr 30 minJR Ishizuchi limited express
Takamatsu · JR Matsuyama Sta. → Takamatsu Sta.About 2 hr 30 minJR Ishizuchi limited express
Okayama Sta. → Takamatsu Sta.About 55 minJR Marine Liner rapid
Naoshima · Takamatsu Port → Miyanoura Port, NaoshimaAbout 50 minShikoku Kisen ferry or high-speed boat
Kotohira · Takamatsu-Chikko Sta. → Kotoden Kotohira Sta.About 1 hour Kotoden Kotohira Line
Transit cards IruCa · Iyotetsu IC cardIyotetsu (Matsuyama) and Kotoden (Takamatsu) mostly don't take Suica or ICOCA, so carry cash or buy a day pass.

Transit card guide

Names differ by region, but apart from Okinawa's OKICA and Shikoku's local cards they're all interchangeable. One card works on subways, buses and in convenience stores nationwide.

IruCa · ICい～カード
Shikoku (Kotoden in Takamatsu / Iyotetsu in Matsuyama)

IruCa · ICい～カード

  • Kotoden and Iyotetsu station counters

These are local-only cards, and Suica-type cards mostly don't work on these lines. Visitors are better off with cash or a day pass.

Suica
Tokyo · Greater Tokyo (JR East)

Suica

  • JR East station ticket machines (unregistered cards back on sale since March 2025; includes a ¥500 deposit)
  • 'Welcome Suica' for visitors: sold at Narita and Haneda airports and elsewhere. No deposit; valid for 28 days after purchase
  • You can create one instantly in the iPhone Wallet app, and there's also a 'Welcome Suica Mobile' app (iOS) for visitors

Works on Tokyo's JR, subways, private railways and buses, and even at convenience stores.

Photo: Welcome Suica card photo · Ravi Dwivedi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original ↗
PASMO
Tokyo · Greater Tokyo (subways and private railways)

PASMO

  • Ticket machines at Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway and private railway stations (unregistered cards back on sale since March 2025)
  • The 'PASMO PASSPORT' for visitors is no longer sold

Works just like Suica. You only need one of the two.

Photo: PASMO card image · Public domain · Original ↗
ICOCA
Osaka · Kyoto · Kobe · Nara (JR West)

ICOCA

  • JR ticket machines and counters at Kansai Airport Sta., and JR West station machines (includes a ¥500 deposit)
  • You can also create one in the iPhone Wallet app

Also works on the Osaka subway, Hankyu, Hanshin, Kintetsu, Nankai and Kyoto city buses.

Photo: ICOCA logo · Public domain · Original ↗
Hayakaken · SUGOCA · nimoca
Fukuoka · Kyushu

Hayakaken · SUGOCA · nimoca

  • Hayakaken: Fukuoka subway station ticket machines (including Airport Sta.)
  • SUGOCA: JR Kyushu station ticket machines (Hakata Sta., etc.)
  • nimoca: Nishitetsu train stations and bus offices (the line to Dazaifu)

All three are interchangeable. Hayakaken is easiest to buy right at the airport.

Photo: Hayakaken logo · Public domain · Original ↗
Kitaca
Hokkaido (JR Hokkaido)

Kitaca

  • JR Hokkaido station ticket machines such as New Chitose Airport and Sapporo (includes a ¥500 deposit)

Nationwide transit IC cards also work on Sapporo's subway and streetcar. For Hakodate and Asahikawa city buses, check whether cards are accepted.

Photo: Kitaca logo · Public domain · Original ↗
OKICA
Okinawa

OKICA

  • Yui Rail station ticket machines and offices of Okinawa's main bus companies

Suica and other nationwide IC cards work on the Yui Rail. Route buses mainly use OKICA, so check in advance whether nationwide cards are accepted.

manaca · TOICA
Nagoya (subway & Meitetsu / JR Central)

manaca · TOICA

  • Ticket machines at Centrair and Nagoya stations (manaca for subway and Meitetsu, TOICA for JR)

Other regions' cards such as Suica and ICOCA work here too.

Top-up & balance

You can top up with cash at station machines and convenience-store registers. Most allow up to ¥20,000 per top-up.

Getting your balance back

The deposit and balance can be refunded at the issuing company's counter, possibly with a fee. With an iPhone Wallet card, you can just keep the balance for your next trip.

Some places don't accept them

They can't be used on some rural buses and lines, or to buy shinkansen reserved seats. Buy separate tickets for long-distance trains.

One transit card works nationwide

Major transit IC cards like Suica, PASMO and ICOCA are interchangeable. You can also create a Suica in the iPhone Wallet app.

Do the math on a JR Pass

If you're staying in only one or two cities, a regional pass or IC card is often cheaper than the nationwide JR Pass.

Check last-train times

Most subways stop around midnight. If you'll be out late, check the last train near your lodging in advance.