Ehime

Ehime is Shikoku’s undisputed sushi capital, powered by Matsuyama’s remarkable cluster of serious omakase counters. The Seto Inland Sea provides a year-round parade of delicate white-fleshed fish — tai, hirame, sayori — while Imabari’s legendary fisherman Fujimoto Junichi supplies shinkeijime-processed fish that rivals anything arriving at Tsukiji.

The scene splits into two lineages: the “Sushi Ino” school (whose alumni include Takayama and Kawanaka) and two independent heavyweights — Kurumazushi (Ginza Yoshitake pedigree, Destination Restaurant 2025) and Sushi no Ma (Imabari Sushiken lineage). Two Michelin two-star counters in a single regional city is extraordinary, and prices remain dramatically below Tokyo equivalents.