Moopon

Uwajima Castle (宇和島城, Uwajimajō) is one of only twelve original castles that survive intact from the Edo Period (1603-1867). The small but atmospheric castle was built around the turn of the 17th century and was later furbished up when the Date family took over ownership in 1615. The Date clan continued to rule Uwajima from Uwajima Castle through the Edo Period. The castle stands on a hill which was located just by the sea in the past, but land reclamation along the coast has resulted in it standing further inland today.

Visitors can approach the castle's keep starting from the north or south. The each route travel uphill on flights of stone steps meandering past moss covered stone walls and leading through the forest, which consists of an interesting variety of vegetation. About halfway up the hill along the northern approach stands the Yamazato Soko(山里倉庫), a storehouse built relatively recently in 1845. The structure now serves as a small museum, exhibiting festival props, craft tools, an old rickshaw and other items.

After a 10-15 minute climb, visitors will reach the castle's three storied main keep at the hill's flat-topped summit. The keep's genuine wooden interior is well-preserved, and climbing up two floors worth of steep wooden stairs to the top floor rewards visitors with nice views over Uwajima City. There are some exhibits within the main keep, such as armors and swords belonging to past feudal lords, besides portraits of them. 
Access info
The northern trailhead to Uwajima Castle can be reached in a 10-15 minute walk from Uwajima Station. From there, it takes an additional 10-15 minutes to climb up the hill and get to the main keep.

Schedule & cost
Hours: 6:00 to 18:30 (until 17:00 from October to March)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: Free
Main Keep
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (until 16:00 from October to March)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 200 yen

Yamazato Soko Storehouse
Hours: 9:00 to 16:00
Closed: Mondays (or following day if Monday is a national holiday), December 29 to January 3
Admission: Free

The Kamihaga Residence (上芳我家, Kagihagatei) is the former home and workshop of the Kamihaga family, a branch family of Uchiko's most influential family, the Honhaga. Located in the Yokaichi Old Town, the large building complex consists of a spacious Meiji Period residence and a museum about Uchiko's wax industry. Besides the Wax Museum, the family residence itself is a beautifully maintained example of a prosperous family's living quarters during the early 1900s.  

There is an impressive garden and Elegant tatami rooms with painted screens and decorative pottery are combined with Western elements that became more popular as the 20th century progressed.  The Kamihaga Residence includes a well documented and informative wax museum with displays in both English and Japanese. 

About Uchiko Wax and Haga family
Uchiko wax was well regarded in Japan at the beginning of the Meiji Period, bringing modest prosperity to the town. This was particularly true of the Honhaga household, Uchiko's main wax producers. The Honhaga and Kamihaga produced the distinctive "Crane in the Sunrise" label, for which Uchiko became internationally known.
In 1900, when the Honhaga family visited the Paris World Expo to showcase their goods, Uchiko's reputation for high quality wax spread to Europe and America. A new level of success was achieved with average yearly profits totaling over one billion yen in today's currency.

Hours: 9:00 to 16:30 
Admission: 500 yen

The Kamihaga Residence is located in the Yokaichi Old Town, about a 20-30 minute walk from JR Uchiko Station. It can also be reached in a short ride on the Chagamaru Retro Bus.

The Uchiko History Museum (内子町歴史民俗資料館, Uchikocho Rekishi Minzoku Shiryōkan), also known as the Museum of Commercial and Domestic Life, is located along the main street, outside of the Yokaichi Old Town district. The museum is compact, but enjoyable, with life-sized, automated figures arranged to show how residents of the town lived in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The displays are visually informative, making up for the lack of English translations in the written material.

The museum reproduced the state of the business and livelihood of around 1921 using old tools (1921).

 On the second floor, beautiful tatami rooms with sliding doors and painted screens show how the more stylish town houses of local merchant families looked like.
 

Hours: 9:00 to 16:30
Closed: December 29 to January 2
Admission: 200 yen 

Access info.
The Uchiko History Museum a ten minute walk from JR Uchiko Station. It can also be reached in a short ride on the Chagamaru Retro Bus.

Located 200 meters east of Dogo Onsen Station, in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, is Isaniwa Shrine.  This Shinto Shrine is dedicated to the god Hachiman, patron to the warriors.  Visitors will see artwork displaying warriors and wars here.

The architecture of this shrine is traditional Hachiman architectural style with a tall flight of stairs leading up to the shrine.  The shrine consists of two halls which are connected by their roofs, making the two halls into one building.  This is typical of the Hachiman style.  The vermillion pillars and walls are yet another distinct characteristics of this style.

Hours: 5:00 to 19:00 (6:00 to 18:00 during winter)
Admission: Free of Charge