Ozu is a small castle town on a bend of the Hijikawa River in western Ehime, often called "little Kyoto" for its old merchant streets and riverside setting. It is an easy and rewarding stop between Matsuyama and Uwajima, and quiet enough that a slow afternoon here feels like stepping back a century.
The centrepiece is Ozu Castle, whose keep was rebuilt in wood using traditional joinery rather than concrete — a rarity among Japan's reconstructed castles. Below it, the Garyu Sanso villa perches over the river, and the Ohanahan district preserves lanes of old townhouses. In summer, ukai cormorant fishing still takes place on the river after dark, watched from small boats. Ozu also has a growing reputation for its "castle stay" programme, where guests can spend a night inside the keep itself.