Ehime Prefecture

Ehime Prefecture (愛媛県 Ehime-ken^?) is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan.^[2]

The capital is Matsuyama.^[3]

Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province.^[4]

The name Ehime comes from the Kojiki and means "beautiful maiden."

Since before the Heian period, the area was dominated by fishermen and sailors who played an important role in defending Japan against pirates and Mongolian invasions.

After the Battle of Sekigahara, the Tokugawa shogun gave the area to his allies, including Kato Yoshiaki who built Matsuyama Castle, forming the basis for the modern city of Matsuyama.

Located in the northwestern part of Shikoku, Ehime faces the Seto Inland Sea to the north and is bordered by Kagawa and Tokushima in the east and Kōchi in the south.

The area around Matsuyama has a number of industries, including shipbuilding, chemicals, oil refining, and paper and textile products. The rural areas of the prefecture mostly engage in agricultural and fishing industries, and are particularly known for citrus fruit such as mikan (tangerine) and iyokan and cultured pearls.

The oldest extant hot spring in Japan, Dogo Onsen, is located in Matsuyama. It has been used for over two thousand years.

The Heian period (平安時代 Heian jidai^?) is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185.^[1]
The iyokan (伊予柑), also known as anadomikan (穴門みかん), is a Japanese citrus fruit.