Uwajima Travel Guide

A small city in southern Ehime prefecture, Uwajima is primarily of interest for its original castle and a unique, quirky shrine. Uwajima-jo is one Shikoku's four extant, feudal-era fortresses, and though small, it is attractively situated and worth a visit. The main attraction of the city, however, is Taga-jinja, a fertility shrine that features a three-storey museum of erotica. The grounds of the shrine also host a phallus carved from a tree and other numerous, related stone crafts.

Apart from the castle and shrine, Uwajima is known for its bullfighting (togyu), which - unlike its Spanish counterpart - centers around two bulls and no matador. Uwajima is within about three hours of Kochi and a little over an hour south of Matsuyama by train.