Iyo Ozu Station

Iyo Ozu Station serves as the primary railway gateway to Ozu, a historic castle town in Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku Island. The station opened in 1918 on the JR Yosan Line, which connects the major cities of Matsuyama and Uwajima along the Seto Inland Sea coast. While the station itself is a functional transport hub rather than a tourist attraction, it provides essential access to one of Shikoku's best-preserved Edo-period townscapes.

The station's significance lies in its role as the entry point to Ozu's cultural heritage district, located approximately 800 meters northeast of the station. The town flourished during the Edo period under the Kato clan, and today preserves numerous merchant houses, traditional buildings, and the reconstructed Ozu Castle, which reopened in 2004 after meticulous historical research. The castle's main keep offers panoramic views of the Hiji River and surrounding mountains. The riverside Garyu Sanso villa, a designated Important Cultural Property built in 1907, showcases refined Meiji-era architecture and garden design.

Visitors typically use Iyo Ozu Station as a starting point for exploring the old town on foot or by rental bicycle, available near the station. The walk to the castle takes approximately 15 minutes, passing through streets lined with white-walled storehouses and traditional shops. The town is known for its cormorant fishing tradition on the Hiji River during summer months, one of only three locations in Japan where this ancient practice continues.

Iyo Ozu Station is accessible via the JR Yosan Line, with regular local trains running from Matsuyama (approximately 35 minutes) and Uwajima (approximately 40 minutes). Limited express services also stop at the station, reducing travel time. Free parking is available near the station for those traveling by car along Route 56, which connects the coastal cities of Shikoku.