Toon – Ehime AJET

Toon City
東温市

Toon is about 20 minutes east of central Matsuyama. It was created in 2004 by merging several towns and villages.

Are you a kanji buff? If you are, you might have noticed that the kanji for Toon reads “east” and “onsen”…

東 (east) + 温 (温泉・onsen) = 東温 (Toon)

This is because Toon was located in the east part of the area which was once called the Onsen District. This district included Matsuyama, Hojo, and Nakajima. Cool right?

Check out the city’s official site for more information.

Yuruchara

Inoton

いのとん

Town Song

My Sweet Hometown Toon

Flower

Cherry Blossoms

さくら

Local Specialties

Cilantro パクチー

Goshiki Somen

Barley

Access & Transportation 🚗

By train 🚇: You can take the orange Iyotetsu train (Takahama-Yokogawara Line) towards Yokogawara Station. If you’re coming from Matsuyama City Station, this line is accessible from Platform 1. If you’re coming from Matsuyama JR, you can hop on from Otemachi Station towards Matsuyama City Station/Yokogawara.

From Umenomoto Station and onwards, you’ll be in Toon! Here are all the stations in Toon: Umenomoto Station – Ushibuchi Danchi Mae Station – Ushibuchi Station – Tanokubo Station – Minara Station – Aidai Igakubu Minamiguchi Station – Yokogawara Station

By bus 🚌: There is a bus that travels from Matsuyama JR all the way to around the Kawauchi area. From Yokogawara it’s about ¥580 and takes around 30 minutes. Check the timetable here, or use good ole’ Google Maps.

Use the same link to look for the bus timetable for the “Niihama Express” line. This line goes from Niihama Station all the way down to Matsuyama Station. It passes through Toon, so it’s a pretty cheap(ish) & convenient way to get to Toon from Niihama and Saijo. To get to Yokogawara Station, it’s about ¥1900 from Niihama Station (1hr 20 mins) and ¥1600 from Saijo Station (1hr).

Food Scene

Toon’s food scene is more poppin’ than you might think! There are quite a few specialty food shops and restaurants, along with stylish cafes and quaint family-run businesses.

Since it’s far enough away from the city, there is also plenty of farmland in Toon, which means TONS of fresh produce and farm-to-table cooking.

Some of Toon’s specialty locally grown crops include:

🌸 Barley

🌸 Wheat

🌸 Cilantro

🌸 Basil

Check out this site for some recommended recipes to get the best use out of these ingredients.

The map below will also have a list of some of Toon’s best restaurants, bakeries and cafes!

Cycling 🚲

Toon’s beautiful scenery and countryside vibes (while still being less than 30 minutes away from the city) make it a great place for cycling.

The town has laid out 6 recommended cycling routes, complete with sightseeing spots along the way. The maps & info. are all in Japanese BUT, nothing Google Translate can’t help with! There’s also a QR code so you can add the route directly to your phone via Google Maps/Maps.

🗺️ Toon Cycling Map: Comprehensive Guide

1️⃣ “Gourmet” Cycling Route

2️⃣ “Power Spot” Cycling Route

3️⃣ “Rice Terraces & Super Views” Cycling Route

4️⃣ “Shiraito Falls” Cycling Route

5️⃣ “Family” Cycling Route

6️⃣ “Family” 2 Cycling Route

There are a couple other sightseeing maps & pamphlets on this site, check ’em out!

Events 📆 & Hot Spots🔥

This site lists Toon’s big events throughout the year. Some of the best ones are:

Kangetsu-sai (Moon Viewing Festival) ー the main city festival is held on the last Saturday of August. There is taiko and Bon-Odori (dancing) near Yokogawara Bridge as well as a firework display over Shigenobu River.
Pumpkin Carnival ー early September
Ukisu Shrine’s Fall Festival (aki matsuri) ー 2nd Sunday of October
Ukisu Shrine’s Jazz Night ー April/May
Genta Cherry Blossom Festival ー Late April/Early May
Bi-Weekly Flea Market at Cool’s Mall ー Every 2nd and 4th Sunday

Check here for recent updates on events!

And here some of Toon’s most noteworthy spots:

NEST Art Village ― as a recent PR move, the city’s aim is to make Toon more “the arts” centric. NEST is a hub for local artists looking to show off their artwork, dance moves, acting skills and musical genius! Check out this site for performances/events!
Ehime University School of Medicine and University Hospital
Riraku Onsen ― modern onsen with several indoor & outdoor pools as well as a sauna. There are also 6 private baths available which range from 3,700~4,700 yen for 90 minutes. You can also book their massage/facial services. For easy booking, use Hot Pepper Beauty.
Twin Dome Shigenobu ― sports facility. There’s also a weight room you can use (indoor shoes required).
Shiraino Taki ・White Boar Waterfall ― located in Kawauchi. There’s a haiku monument to Natsume Soseki, who visited the waterfall in 1895. Legend says, a samurai once appeared at the top of the falls, riding a white boar.
Mt. Saragamine ― 1271m above sea level; you can camp there in the summer!
Ehime Prefectural Greenery Centre ― includes a semi-tropical botanical garden and sakura trees.
Ichigo Biyori 🍓― the BEST kakigori around! Their strawberry kakigori is only served in the summer from late May to September. They have two varieties: Strawberry & Strawberry Milk. The fomer uses homemade strawberry jam made from strawberries harvested from their farm December-early May and is has strawberry frozen yogurt in the center. The latter is covered in a mixture of milk and their jam, also filled with frozen yogurt! During the colder months, stop by for a strawberry tart, strawberry daifuku and/or their famous strawberry shake!