Ehime Prefecture

Ehime Prefecture is a region located on the island of Shikoku in Japan.

It covers a geographic area of 5,676 square kilometers. The prefecture has a total population of 1,334,841 people. It sits in the northwestern part of Shikoku. To the north, it faces the Seto Inland Sea. This sea contains many different islands. Ehime borders Kagawa and Tokushima prefectures to the east. Kōchi Prefecture lies to the south. The Sadamisaki Peninsula forms the westernmost arm of the region. This is the narrowest peninsula in Japan.

The geography of Ehime is quite diverse. The inland region contains many high mountains. The coastline is very long and meets the Seto Inland Sea. Much of this land is protected in natural parks. About 7 percent of the total land area is designated as National Parks. These include the Ashizuri-Uwakai and Setonaikai National Parks. There are also several quasi-national parks. These include the Ishizuchi Quasi-National Park. Other protected areas include the Hijikawa and Sasayama prefectural natural parks. These areas help preserve the local environment.

Ehime has a deep and storied history. Before the Meiji Restoration, the area was known as Iyo Province. The name Ehime comes from a mythological name in the Kojiki. In that ancient text, Iyo is called "lovely princess." Long ago, fishermen and sailors dominated the area. These people were important for defending Japan. They helped protect the country against pirates and Mongolian invasions. Later, the Tokugawa shōgun gave the land to his allies. One ally was Katō Yoshiaki. He built Matsuyama Castle, which helped form the modern city of Matsuyama.

Today, Matsuyama serves as the capital and largest city.

It is also the largest city on the island of Shikoku. Other major cities in the prefecture include Imabari, Niihama, and Saijō. The population is spread across eleven different cities. These include Uwajima, which has 70,809 people. It also includes Saijō, which has 104,791 people. Many towns and villages exist within various districts. The cities and towns work together to form the modern prefecture.

The economy of Ehime relies on several different industries. In coastal areas like Imabari and Saijō, there are large dockyards. Imabari Shipbuilding is one of Japan's largest shipbuilders. Other industries include chemical production and oil refining. The region also produces paper and cotton textiles. In rural areas, people focus on agriculture and fishing. They are famous for growing citrus fruits. These include mikan, which are mandarin oranges, and iyokan. The prefecture is also known for cultured pearls. Additionally, the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant produces much of the electricity for Shikoku.

Ehime is also a place of famous culture and science. The prefecture has produced three Nobel Prize winners. Kenzaburo Oe won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1994. Shuji Nakamura won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014. Syukuro Manabe won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2021. The region is also home to Dōgo Onsen. This is the oldest extant hot spring in Japan. People have used these baths for over two thousand years.

Many famous stories are set here. The novel Botchan by Natsume Sōseki was based on Matsuyama.

Even movies like Destruction Babies use Ehime as a setting.

Finally, Ehime is connected to the wider world through many systems. It has many ports, such as Imabari and Matsuyama. These ports provide ferry routes to places like Osaka and Hiroshima. The prefecture also uses many expressways and railways. The Shimanami Kaidō is a notable expressway. It connects the region to other areas via the Kurushima Strait Bridge. Ehime also maintains international relations. It has exchanges with places like British Columbia in Canada. It also connects with regions in China, Hawaii, and Australia.