Matsuyama walking tour with sake label making at Dogo brewery

Design a sake label while walking Matsuyama's oldest hot spring district

A small-group walking tour of Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture starting at Dogo Onsen Station, visiting a 1,000-year-old shrine, temples, and the historic Dogo Onsen Honkan bathhouse, then creating an original sake label at Minakuchi Shuzo Brewery. The guide speaks English and helps you choose a meaningful word (perhaps related to Matsuyama or written in Chinese characters) that becomes your custom label. Tasting and purchasing sake are included. The walk covers steep stairs and slopes. Minimum group size is two people, and children are welcome from age six.

Step-by-step itinerary

Walking tour of Matsuyama and brewery visit

• Visit shrine representing Matsuyama
• Explore Enmanji Temple
• See Dogo Onsen Honkan main building
• Walk through Haikara-dori shopping arcade
• Visit Asuka-no-Yu bath annex
• Create sake label at Minakuchi Shuzo Brewery
• Taste and purchase sake at brewery

The experience

The walk starts at Dogo Onsen Station and moves through the district at a leisurely pace, giving you time to think of a word or phrase you want on your label. You'll pass Isaniwa Shrine, worshiped for over 1,000 years and designated a nationally important cultural property, then Enmanji Temple, which houses an Amida statue from 812. The route takes you past Dogo Onsen Honkan, the main bathhouse building completed in 1897 and now a protected landmark, and through Haikara-dori, the arcade shopping street lined with souvenir shops and sweet vendors that connects the bathhouse to the station.

At Minakuchi Shuzo Brewery, founded in 1895 and the only sake maker in the Dogo area, you'll design your label using the word you chose during the walk. An English-speaking guide assists if you want your name written in Chinese characters or helps refine your choice. You then taste various sake samples and have the option to buy bottles with your custom label. If you prefer, the brewery can substitute a non-alcoholic soda label instead. The brewery sits within walking distance of the other stops and anchors the second half of the tour.

The itinerary includes steep stairs and slopes, so inform the operator in advance if you need any special consideration. The tour runs in all weather, bring rain gear if needed, though the operator may cancel if conditions become unsafe for walking. From June through September, heat precautions are important. Public transportation options are nearby if you need them before or after the tour.

What’s included

• English-speaking guide throughout.
• a custom sake label designed with your chosen word or name.
• sake tasting at Minakuchi Shuzo Brewery.
• the option to purchase bottles with your label.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 14:00

AgesAdult (19 to 80 years) · Youth (6 to 18 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by 松山はいく

Is this one for you?At two and a half hours, the tour fits into a morning or afternoon without consuming your whole day in Matsuyama. The steep stairs and slopes mean it suits travelers with moderate fitness who can manage uneven terrain. Those with spinal injuries, cardiovascular concerns, or pregnancy should choose a different activity.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 18 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

What is Dogo Onsen Honkan and why does it matter?

Dogo Onsen Honkan is the main bathhouse of Dogo Hot Spring, one of Japan's oldest hot springs with a history of 3,000 years. The building itself, completed in 1897 and expanded several times since, is now a nationally designated important cultural property and a landmark of Matsuyama.

Can I actually bathe at Dogo Onsen during the tour?

The tour passes Dogo Onsen Honkan and Asuka-no-Yu, the annex bathhouse, but bathing is not part of the itinerary. You walk past and view these historic buildings as part of the route through the district.

How does the sake label-making work?

You choose a meaningful word during the walk (perhaps related to Matsuyama, Dogo, or the pilgrimage tradition), and the guide helps you refine it or write your name in Chinese characters if you wish. At Minakuchi Shuzo Brewery, that word becomes your custom label on a bottle of sake, which you can then taste and purchase.

What happens if the weather is bad?

The tour operates in rain or shine. Bring rain gear as needed. However, if weather conditions become unsafe for walking, the operator may cancel the tour for safety reasons.