ABOUT
About this spot
Isaniwa Shrine, in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, stands right beside the famous Dogo Onsen and is a historic shrine designated an Important Cultural Property. Its greatest highlight is the shrine building in the hachiman-zukuri style, said to have only three examples in Japan. The gorgeous carvings and the vivid vermilion-lacquered corridor are well worth a look. The 135 steep stone steps leading up the approach take some stamina, but when you turn around after climbing them, a wonderful panorama opens up, taking in the streets of Dogo Onsen and all the way across Matsuyama City. Inside the shrine building, many Edo-period sangaku (mathematical tablets) have been dedicated, and they are known as valuable cultural materials that tell the history of Japanese mathematics. Its location makes it ideal for a visit before or after a soak at Dogo Onsen. It is popular both for quiet solo visits and as a spot to stroll among historic architecture with friends or family. Why not spend a special time refreshing body and mind, feeling the solemn atmosphere nurtured by a long history alongside the scenery of the changing seasons?
Last updated March 26, 2026