South Ehime · UwajimaNo.1316★★Open in map →

Uwajima Bullfighting

— Bull-against-bull bouts in a domed hilltop ring

cultureOff the trail — and worth it

A traditional contest of bull against bull in Uwajima, southern Ehime. Regular tournaments are held in a domed bullring on a hill above the town, while handlers urge their bulls on from inside the ring.

FromMatsuyama Station
~1 hr 20-30 minJR limited express Uwakai
Get off atUwajima Station (JR Yosan Line)
From there
Uwajima Bullfighting

Directions ↗

The sweet spot

This is not a hidden sight: the prefecture and the city both feature it on their tourism pages. The limit is the calendar. Bouts happen only on a few fixed days a year, and on other days there is only the empty ring to look around.

Where it is

29 more notes in Ehime · open the map →

What to look for — in walking order

Maruyama hillthe hill east of Uwajima Station, with the bullring on its top
The domed bullringan all-weather arena under a dome, a rare design among Japan's bullrings
Bullring entrancethe front entrance where spectators go in on tournament days
The ringa ring 20 metres across, where the bulls and their seko meet

How to actually get there

Matsuyama Station → Uwajima Station (JR limited express Uwakai, about 1 hr 20-30 min, terminus).
Uwajima Station → Maruyama hilltop (walk east and uphill, or take the free shuttle on tournament days).
Domed bullring → entrance → find a seat; all seats are unreserved on tournament days.
After the last bout, walk back down the hill to the station for the train to Matsuyama.

JR limited express Uwakai to Uwajima: From Matsuyama Station, take the JR Yosan Line limited express Uwakai to Uwajima, where it terminates. The prefecture's official travel site gives about 1 hour 20 minutes, and some services take a little longer. The bullring is on Maruyama hill, a little over 500 metres east of the station in a straight line, with a climb to the top.
Back down to Uwajima Station: Walk back down the hill to Uwajima Station and take the Uwakai to Matsuyama. Tournament bouts end around 14:00, which leaves the rest of the afternoon for the trip back. Check the departure times at the station or on JR Shikoku's timetable before you leave the ring.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Togyu in Uwajima is a contest between two bulls, not between a bull and a person. The bulls lock horns and push, and the one that loses heart and runs is beaten. Handlers called seko stay at each bull's side and urge it on. There is no time limit. The city holds four regular tournaments a year at its municipal bullring, a domed arena on top of Maruyama hill. The custom belongs to southern Ehime, one of only a handful of regions in Japan where it still survives.

How to enjoy it

The regular tournaments fall on 2 January, 3 May, 23 July and the fourth Sunday of October (25 October in 2026), as the city and the tournament's official site both listed them when checked. Doors open at 10:00 and bouts run from about 12:00 to 14:00; a single bout can end within a minute or go past 40 minutes, so plan to stay for the whole programme. On weekdays without a tournament, the city lists the ring as open for viewing from 9:00 to 16:00.

Background & history

No record fixes its origin. One local account traces it to Kamakura-period farmers pitting their draught cattle against each other; another to two bulls given by the crew of a Dutch ship that local fishermen rescued in the late 17th century. A document from 1856 already records the contests, and they were banned for a time after the Second World War. The domed ring opened in 1975, and in 1995 the national government selected southern Ehime's bull-fighting customs as intangible folk culture to be recorded.

Before you go

Cash: When checked on 3 October 2026, the city and the tournament's official site both listed admission at 3,000 yen on the day and 2,500 yen in advance, 2,000 yen for those 65 and over or with a disability, and free for junior-high pupils and younger. Parking is free, but the official site warns the car park can fill up on tournament days.
Good to know: Outside tournaments the ring is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and over the New Year, and the city notes it may also close temporarily. Some tournament dates are listed as planned, so confirm on the official site before you travel. The bulls are large animals: follow staff directions and watch from the spectator area.
Another way: On tournament days, the official site lists a free shuttle bus to the ring from the Uwajima Jidosha bus centre and from the Uwajima Jidosha head office in front of JR Uwajima Station. Check the departure times on the official site.
After you get off: From Uwajima Station, head east toward Maruyama and climb to the hilltop, where the domed arena stands. On tournament days, the free shuttle saves the climb.