On my way to Hiroshima, I couldn’t resist the urge to make an unplanned detour to Matsuyama on Shikoku island. This wasn’t my first rodeo in Matsuyama – I’d been to this major West Shikoku city before, famous for its hot spa, Dougo-Onsen. If you’re familiar with the renowned Japanese writer Soseki Natsume and his masterpiece “Bocchan”, you’ll recognize Matsuyama and its onsen town. My visit was brief – just one night – so I didn’t have the luxury of fully immersing myself in the local culture or observing the residents and students. I managed to squeeze in a visit to Dogo-Onsen Spa and a quick stroll down Okaido, the main boulevard, at night. During my tram ride from Matsuyama station to the hotel, I found myself in the company of tourists from Hong Kong. As I listened to them pronounce the station names in Japanese with a Cantonese accent, something fascinating struck me. The name “Okaido” can be read as “Dai-Kaido” in Japanese, which sounds remarkably similar to Cantonese (though quite different in Mandarin). It was a vivid reminder of the linguistic ties between Japanese and Chinese. Matsuyama seemed to attract a different breed of Asian tourists compared to Tokyo. I noticed many visitors from Korea and Hong Kong, possibly some Chinese or Taiwanese too. Instead of the shopping-focused groups you might see in Tokyo, these were mostly young students or families with kids, seemingly there for a good time rather than a spending spree.
After a bit of rest, I ventured out to explore the town’s nightlife. I stumbled upon an intriguing bar and decided to pop in. Behind the counter stood the master – a dapper gentleman over 80 years old who’d been in the business for more than four decades. This charming octogenarian shared some riveting stories from his childhood. He recounted witnessing the city ablaze from bomb attacks during the final days of World War II when he was just 5 or 6 years old. A relative even told him about seeing the mushroom cloud from the Hiroshima atomic bomb, visible across the Seto Sea from Matsuyama. (Fun fact: There’s a ferry from Matsuyama Port to Hiroshima that only takes a couple of hours!)
What really piqued my interest about Bar Jiro was its laser focus on Nikka whiskies. While I’ve been to bars specializing in Yamazaki before, I’d never encountered one dedicated solely to Nikka. It’s an interesting contrast – Yamazaki tends to be more consumer-oriented, following market trends, while Nikka seems more committed to crafting authentic Scotch-style whiskies. I opted for Miyagikyo, one of their Tohoku region distilleries known for producing elegant, Highland-style whiskies. This is in contrast to their Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido, which leans more towards robust, peaty Islay-style whiskies. I regrettably missed trying their 17-year-old Taketsuru blend, but there was certainly no shortage of Nikka options for the evening. If you’re a Nikka enthusiast or just whisky-curious, Bar Jiro in Matsuyama is definitely worth a visit. It’s a hidden gem for anyone looking to dive deep into the world of Japanese whisky.