Matsuyama Castle is one of the 12 remaining original castles in Japan. The construction began in 1602. It took 25 years across several domains to complete. Like many other Japan castles, it had gone through several domains, some parts got burned down, some buildings were restored. Today, 21 buildings here have been designated important national cultural properties.

It is certainly one of the best that I’ve visited during spring. The castle including the park area is a designated as one of Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. I took a chair-lift up to the main courtyard that sits atop Mt. Katsuyama at an elevation of 132 meters. The main courtyard was a large area planted with many cherry trees leading to the main castle tower. Many visitors would just come to this level for the view and cherry blossom and not to pay for the main keep (castle tower). I think that it is well worth a visit. There were relics of the previous warlords, steep wooden stairwells and an amour experience. Besides, you may dress up the warlord's amour for free to take photos. The best viewing spot is the the 360 degrees of breath-taking view of Matsuyama city at the top! 

After visiting the castle tower, I walked down the path and visited Ninomaru which was the residence of previous war lords and their families. Most of the old structures were gone. The courtyard was designed as a tranquil Japanese garden with large areas of nice ponds. And it was designated a "Lover's Sanctuary" in 2013, attracting some 700 couples to come here for pre-wedding photos. 

Horinouchi at the bottom of the hill surrounded by a moat. It contained the lord's residence, meeting hall, rice storage and residence of about 60 retainers. Today, it is a public park with large lawn areas for holding cherry blossom and autumn events, as well as other activities. 

I spent one whole morning walking around every where in the castle. Most of the cherry trees are at the main courtyard, a few by the entrance of Ninomaru and more in Horinouchi and along the moat. It was very nice! After that, I went back to Okaido for lunch and more shopping.  

Access
From JR Matsuyama: Take a local tram and get off at Okaido. Walk 5 minutes to the Ropeway and take the chair-lift up to the top.
To walk up, there is a path 東雲道の入口 which is near the Ropeway office. It takes 30 minutes to hike up. You may also choose to hike up from Horinouch Park to visit Ninomaru then the top.

Matsuyama Castle
Address: Marunouchi 1, Matsuyama City, Ehime
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (*August: Until 5:30 p.m. December/January: Until 4:30 p.m.)
Entrance Fee for main castle tower: ¥520 for adults, ¥160 for children

Ninomaru Historical Site Garden
Entrance Fee: ¥200 for adults, ¥100 for children

Ropeway
It only takes about 6 to 10 minutes to go up to the top.
Round Trip: ¥520 for adults, ¥260 for children
One Way: ¥270 for adults, ¥140 for children

Official website