Train travel
If you don't have a car, the train is the best way to go around Ehime and Shikoku. There are two types of trains in Ehime. Tokkyu densha (express trains) and Futsu densha (local trains). Tokkyu trains don't stop at every station and take about half the time to get from place to place as the local trains. That said, they do cost about double of what a local train will cost. The local trains can seem infuriatingly slow as they tend to stop for long periods at small stations, but if you are on a budget and have something to occupy yourself,, they can be your best friend.
In Matsuyama, there is also a privately owned suburban train and streetcar network called Iyotetsu.
Japan Rail
JR trains are what most people in Ehime are familiar with. The trains are reliable and nearly always on time. The only problem with trains in Shikoku is that they can't really go everywhere. Shikoku isn't heavily populated and it's full of mountains making high speed trains to all the places you ever wanted to go an impossibility. They do, however do their part in getting you where you want to go, even if it's not as convenient as say, having a car.
When you get settled, get a copy of the schedule for the train station near you and keep it handy, if you are at all social and get out of your town, you may find yourself relying on it heavily. At most stations, there are ticket vending machines. These are nearly all in Japanese. Ask for help finding the fare for where you want to go if you can't read it, or just buy a ticket from the clerk at the window. If you want to take an express train, be sure to ask for a tokkyu-ken (express ticket). If you want a return ticket, ask for oufuku. From time to time at smaller stations, the ticket window will be closed and you can board the train without a ticket. In these cases, you need to take a number from the dispenser by the door when you get on and ask the conductor who passes through the train for a ticket. Tell the conductor where you are going, and trade him your cold hard yen for a little instantly-printed ticket.
It's pretty common to have to transfer trains in Ehime and sometimes the wait can be long. Planning ahead can save you a bit of time. Make use of online train schedules like Hyperdia and Odekake. You can use Hyperdia to figure the latest train to get you where you need to be on time or to see when the next train will leave and how many transfers it will take you to get where you are going. Hyperdia works in English or Japanese, but you may need to be careful of how you input the station names. In Ehime, many stations are prefixed with Iyo. Don't forget this or it may not be able to locate your station in the database.
Iyotetsu Trains
Matsuyama City has its own private rail line that encorporates buses, streetcars and suburban trains. If you are visiting Matsuyama, you may find it useful to get familiar with the streetcars and trains for getting around to the major attractions.
The streetcars are simple to use, check the map posted at each of the stops for what trams stop there, then get on the one that will get you where you need to go. The streetcars run for a flat rate of 150 yen, so pay when you get off. If you need to transfer streetcars, ask for a norikaeken when you pay on the first streetcar. If you transfer, you must get on another streetcar within 20 minutes from the same stop. If you are going to be doing a lot of traveling around Matsuyama in a day, you can get a One-day ticket for 300 yen from any of the manned streetcar stations. Komachi, Dogo Onsen and Shieki have them. If you ride the streetcar more than twice in one day, then you've already more than paid off the ticket.
The Iyotetsu suburban train lines all come into Shieki at Takashimaya Department store and go as far as Iyoshi (Gunchu line) Matsuyama port (Takahama line) and Shigenobu (Yokogawara line). Check the schedules at the stations, but through the day, trains come through each station every 15 minutes. If you need to get somewhere near one of these stops, the trains can be incredibly convenient for getting in and out of town.
Shikoku Young Weekender Card and Other JR Discounts
For people 16 to 29 years old, the YWC offers a 40% discount on all JR non-reserved express train tickets and bus services throughout Shikoku from Friday to Sunday. Forms are available at your local JR Station. You may have to ask a supervisor or someone who understands Japanese for help with the form. You cannot buy your tickets from the vending machines if you want the discount on the Young Weekender Card. You must buy them from a vending window. That means you need to show up with enough time to buy your ticket before the train comes or buy it a a day in advance. These passes work best for distances further than 100 km. If you are going a shorter distance, they may still be cheaper if you buy a ticket for a slightly further destination and just get off the train earlier. There may be similar passes available in other areas of Japan.
There is another discount option for people looking to travel on express trains at a cheaper price. When you buy a non-reserved round-trip express ticket for use within 4 days, ask for an S-kippu. You can also buy them from the ticket machines. The buttons for S-kippu are surrounded by yellow. S-tickets save you a little bit and can be used during the week or on the weekend. The discount isn't as nice as the discount on the Young Weekender card, but it's available for any age and can be used mid-week. Steeper discounts are available if you buy them in multiple sets, if you are unsure, ask the clerk at the station.
The Shikoku Saihakken Kippu
Providing unlimited usage of local trains in Shikoku on five days within three months. It can only be used on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays. The Shikoku Saihakken Kippu costs 5,500 yen.
The Shikoku Free Kippu
Covers the same area as the Shikoku Saihakken Kippu, but it is also valid on the faster limited express trains. It can be used on three consecutive days and costs 15,700 yen.
Japan Rail Pass
The rail pass is only available to people visiting Japan. Although JET's can not benefit from it while thy are living here, this might be a good way for your visiting friends and family to save a lot of money.
For more information, please visit Japan Rail Pass at http://www.japanrailpass.net.
Young 18 Tickets - Seishun Juhachi Kippu
Despite the name, anyone can use this discount ticket. The ticket is valid for 5 trips anywhere in Japan, which can be taken by any one person or a group of friends in any combination. Trips need not be on consecutive days but must be within a set timeframe of 18 days. One ‘trip' consists of travel during one day from 00.00 to 23.59. The catch with the Young 18 ticket is that you may only use local trains. You cannot use Tokkyu trains with a Young 18 ticket, however on Honshu you may ride limited service trains. Local trains that do not stop at every station and move a bit faster. Be aware that not all trains are JR trains and that if you transfer to a private line, you will have to pay for the private line's fare.
Young 18 tickets are really useful if you want to take a long relaxing trip. To make the most out of Young 18 tickets, plan in advance and use train schedules to get the most bang from your buck. It is possible to use Young 18 tickets on some overnight trains, usually those with Moonlight in the name. This is a great way to get the most out of your trip as you won't be riding the train during all of your daylight hours and you can sleep on the train and arrive ready to continue your journey.
The Young 18 tickets are sold for use during three student holiday seasons as follows:
| Season | On Sale | Valid From |
| Spring | 2/20 - 3/31 | 3/1 - 4/10 |
| Summer | 7/1 - 8/31 | 7/20 - 9/10 |
| Winter | 12/10 - 1/10 | 12/20 - 1/20 |
Chugoku
Hanshin Round-trip Free Ticket - Hanshin Oufuku Furii Kippu
Planning a weekend in Kansai and looking to get there faster than the ferry will manage? The Hanshin Free Ticket can get you from Shikoku to as far as Osaka by express train and shinkansen for about as cheaply as possible.
This ticket serves the Osaka and Kobe area and allows you to get there and back as well as free travel on all JR trains within the area. This does not include private line trains or subways. There are two versions of this ticket, one for weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and one for 4-day periods. These tickets are usable until the end of March 2008, but you have to specify your departure and return date when you purchase the ticket. If you want to use this as a simple return ticket, its still worth the expense. For example, the usual undiscounted return ticket price from Matsuyama to Shin-Osaka is 20,200 yen. The Hanshin Oufuku ticket is only 17,000 yen (4-day) or 16,000 (weekend) from Matsuyama. Different departure stations have different prices, check at your station for details.
Tokyo Nozomi Super Express Return ticket (Nozomi Hayatoku Oufuku Kippu)
Valid for seven days, and on sale until September 30, 2007, this ticket covers you from a Shikoku departure station to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama stations by express and Nozomi shinkansen. It's recommended that you reserve early as there are only a select number of seats reserved for these tickets in each train. Departure stations for these tickets are between Matsuyama and Takamatsu. If you are leaving from areas south of Matsuyama, you will have to buy your ticket to Matsuyama separately. From Matsuyama the round-trip price is 33,000 yen and it gets cheaper the closer you are to Takamatsu where it costs 28,000 yen.
Okayama Special discount tickets
From Matsuyama or points south to Okayama, you can purchase 4 non-reserved seat tickets for 13,200 yen. Got a group going to Okayama? Pick up the tickets and save some major cash. A single one-way ticket costs 6,120.
Reserved seating tickets are also available at a discount. The reserved seating round-trip tickets are usable for a period of 6 days for 8,400 per person. One way reserved is usually 6,830 yen.
Reserved seating tickets for one weekend's use only are available for 7,800 yen.
Hiroshima and Kure Sightseeing Tickets
From limited express stations Uchiko and beyond, there is a discounted train ticket and Superjet Ferry combination ticket. Prices vary by departure station, but tickets from Uchiko are 9,700 and Uwajima are 11,900. The tickets are usable over a period of 4 days. Get a long weekend and go!
IC i-Card
The i-Card is usable on Iyotetsu taxis (blue taxis that have iyotetsu in katakana on the top light) buses, trains or trams and saves you an average of 10 percent on all your Iyotetsu travel. i-Cards can even be used at some drink machines and are rechargable on buses, trams and at stations. (Sumimasen cha-ji onegaishimasu. "Excuse me, charge this card please" hand the driver the money and specify the amount if you want change back).
Available at manned stations or the main office in Shieki. The form to apply for the card can be a bit daunting but here is an example. The IC I~card can help out the Matsuyama based ALTs as well as anyone who plans to visit a lot or just travel from the ferry port or airport. The initial cost is 2000 yen but if you sign up for a card with your name on it the full amount is usable and the card never expires.
