Information as of 29 August 2026
This page is a relocation summary written by an advanced AI
It is not a personal opinion piece written by a human. An AI gathered official information published on the internet — municipal and national statistics, the Japan Meteorological Agency, railway companies, property portals — and rebuilt it into a form that someone considering a move can read and act on. Every figure carries a source link and the date it was checked, so please confirm anything that matters to you against the original document. Rules and prices change. Always check the latest information yourself before you sign anything.
Moving to Imabari
Imabari City is in the north-east of Ehime Prefecture, near the middle of the Seto Inland Sea. Its population is 141,735, the second largest city in Ehime after Matsuyama, and it covers 419.21 square kilometres. The city describes itself as "straddling the Takanawa peninsula and the Geiyo islands, a landscape of great variety made up of the plain, the green hills and the islands". 🔴 The defining thing about this city is that it is the Shikoku end of the Setouchi Shimanami Kaido. Across the bridges, on the other side, is Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture. Imabari and Onomichi are sister cities as well. There are 151 second-hand detached houses on the market, from ¥2,200,000 to ¥62,000,000, with a median of ¥7,300,000. 93 of the 151 (62%) are under ¥10,000,000. In exchange, at the city hall the chance of shaking of Shindo 6-lower or above within 30 years is 61.1% — among the higher figures on this site. That the cheapness and the shaking are in the same place is worth saying at the outset.
Population
141,735 people
Reiwa 7 census, preliminary figures / 67,847 households; the second largest city in Ehime
Matsuyama to
35 min by limited express
¥1,840, no transfer (1 hr 12 min and ¥1,080 by local train)
Homes for sale
151 listings
¥2,200,000– / median ¥7,300,000
Under ¥10,000,000
93 listings
62% of the 151. 97 were built in 1981 or earlier
People living on the islands
15,272 people
10.5% of the city (Oshima, Hakatajima, Omishima, Okamurajima and others)
Intensity 6-lower or above in 30 years
61.1%
At the city hall. Designated a Nankai Trough promotion area
Rainfall in a year
1,325.5 mm
Imabari AMeDAS; Tokyo has 1,598.2 mm
City area
419.21 square kilometres
About 35 km east to west, about 44 km north to south, about 367 km of coastline
Summer (August daily high)
32.2℃
Imabari; 0.9°C higher than Tokyo
Winter (January daily low)
1.8℃
Imabari; 0.6°C higher than Tokyo
Roadside stations: Shimanami no Eki Mishima, Yoshiumi Ikiiki-kan, Imabari Tatara Shimanami Park, Imabari Yunoura Onsen, Hakata S.C. Park / National and quasi-national parks: Setonaikai National Park / Hot springs and day bathing: Kogane-yu, Honmachi Onsen, Koiike-yu, Seseragi Koryukan, Horai Onsen, Naniwa Sauna, Kurhaus Imabari, Shimanami Onsen, Tennen Onsen, Mare Grassia Omishima, Yunoura Onsen, Shirasagi Onsen / RV parks: Shimanami Kaido RV Park Seaside M, RV Park Shimanami Kaido Omishima
Sources: roadside stations from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism list of roadside stations (checked 2026-08-28) / national and quasi-national parks are determined from the Ministry of the Environment area data and other sources (details in §17) (checked 2026-08-28) / hot springs and day bathing from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) (checked 2026-08-28) / RV parks from the Japan RV Association list of certified RV parks (checked 2026-08-28). 🔴 Only what a place has is listed here — it does not mean a town without them is any lesser.
Last checked 2026-08-29
CHAPTER 01First, what kind of place Imabari is
The city describes itself as "situated in the north-east of Ehime Prefecture, near the centre of the Seto Inland Sea, straddling the Takanawa peninsula and the Geiyo islands; a landscape of great variety made up of the plain where the city centre lies, the green hills, and the islands — some of the finest island scenery in the world — crossed by the Setouchi Shimanami Kaido and the Akinada Tobishima Kaido". The city hall stands at 132 degrees 59 minutes 52 seconds east and 34 degrees 3 minutes 58 seconds north (about 500 metres north-east of Imabari Station). The city is about 35 kilometres east to west and about 44 kilometres north to south, with about 367 kilometres of coastline.
The city took its present shape in 2005On 16 January, Heisei 17 (2005), Imabari City merged with Asakura Village, Tamagawa Town, Namikata Town, Onishi Town, Kikuma Town, Yoshiumi Town, Miyakubo Town, Hakata Town, Kamiura Town, Omishima Town and Sekizen Village — one city, nine towns and two villages. The city area went from 74.84 square kilometres to 419.68 square kilometres, 5.6 times as large. There are still 11 branch offices, and the city counts its own statistics as "the main office" plus 11 areas. Inside the single word "Imabari City" are twelve places that were once separate.
It is the Shikoku end of the Shimanami KaidoThe Setouchi Shimanami Kaido (the Nishi-Seto Expressway) opened in Heisei 11 (1999), and the city writes that it "became a hub for exchange and distribution across Chugoku and Shikoku". Across the bridges is Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture, and Imabari has two domestic sister cities: Onomichi and Ota City in Gunma Prefecture. Abroad they are Panama City and Lakeland, Florida.
One person in ten lives on an islandAdding up the city's own area populations: Yoshiumi 2,991, Miyakubo 1,982, Hakata 5,421, Kamiura 2,227, Omishima 2,358 and Sekizen 293 — 15,272 people in all. That is 10.5% of the city's 144,837. Oshima, Hakatajima and Omishima are joined by the bridges of the Shimanami Kaido; only Sekizen (Okamurajima) can be reached from Imabari by boat alone. "Island" is one word, but the crossing is completely different (§2, §3).
It is a city of shipbuilding and shippingThe city writes that "it accounts for about 20% of the ships built in Japan, and about 40% of the ocean-going vessels owned by Japanese shipping companies belong to Imabari owners". The value of manufactured goods shipped is ¥1,045,189,420,000, 2.2 times Matsuyama City (¥469,103,610,000). The shipbuilding trade is concentrated in the Hashihama district in the north — the area called "the west and north" in §2.
Towels began in Meiji 27 with four loomsThe city writes that "in Meiji 27, Abe Heisuke began making towels with just four looms". Today it is the largest towel-producing area in Japan: more than half of the national output of 18,271 tonnes is made in Imabari (108 companies, Reiwa 1). The soft water of the Sojagawa river suited the dyeing and bleaching of cotton yarn, and that is what carried the trade here (§13).
The provincial capital of Iyo stood here in the seventh centuryThe city writes that "as the many Kofun-period sites and the provincial capital of Iyo in the seventh century show, this has long been a centre of politics, economy and culture". In medieval times the Murakami pirates rose here, and in Keicho 5 (1600) Todo Takatora arrived, renamed the place from Imahari to Imabari, and built Imabari Castle and its castle town. The town centre in §2 stands on that castle town.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
What kind of town is Imabari City?
A city in the north-east of Ehime Prefecture, near the middle of the Seto Inland Sea. Its population is 141,735, the second largest city in Ehime after Matsuyama, and it covers 419.21 square kilometres. 🔴 It is the Shikoku end of the Setouchi Shimanami Kaido, and across the bridges is Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture.
CHAPTER 02Eight areas, and life in each
Imabari City is made up of 26 primary school catchments, and your address decides which primary school you attend. Those 26 catchments carry the names of the towns and villages that existed before the mergers of Showa 30 and Heisei 17. The city counts its statistics as "the main office" plus 11 branch-office areas, and its city planning master plan divides the city into the Imabari area (town centre, east, south, west and north), Asakura, Tamagawa, Namikata, Onishi, Kikuma and the islands. This page takes the city's 26 catchments as its base and groups them into 8 by what differs when you live there — bridge or boat, station or none, elevation. Population and households are from the Basic Resident Register of 31 March, Reiwa 8, added up across the 26 catchments (the total is the same 144,837 the city publishes), and the listings are the 151 this page retrieved.
| Areas | Population and households | What kind of place it is | Homes for sale | Elevation (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The west and north the Kurushima Strait and the shipbuilding town / Hidaka, Noma, Chikami, Hashihama | 29,902 people 15,089 households 20.6% of the city | The belt that includes the Hashihama district, where the shipbuilding firms are. It sits at the foot of the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, and the way onto the Shimanami Kaido (Imabari-kita IC) is here too. Ferries run from Hashihama Port to Kurushima, Oshima Islet and Umashima, so close to the town centre there are settlements you can only reach by boat. | 20 listings ¥2,500,000–¥30,000,000 median ¥6,550,000 | 7.6m 1.8〜20.9m |
| The town centre Imabari Station, Imabari Castle and the city hall / Fukiage, Bekku, Tokiwa | 25,138 people 14,303 households 17.4% of the city | The centre, where the city hall, Imabari Station, Imabari Port, the shopping street and Ehime Prefectural Imabari Hospital are. The castle town of Imabari Castle, built by Todo Takatora, became the town centre itself. It has the dearest listings in the city, and a median elevation of 2.4 metres — flat land right by the sea (§5). | 27 listings ¥2,300,000–¥34,800,000 median ¥11,800,000 | 2.4m 0.6〜8.1m |
| The east Sakurai, Kokubu, Karakodai and Yunoura | 23,283 people 11,927 households 16.1% of the city | The most listings in the city, 42. The Karakodai estates, Sakurai, the home of Sakurai lacquerware, and Kokubu with Iyo Kokubun-ji. Imabari-Yunoura IC and Yunoura Onsen are here, and this is where you join the Matsuyama Expressway. Two JR stations, Iyo-Tomita and Iyo-Sakurai, are within reach. | 42 listings ¥2,800,000–¥62,000,000 median ¥7,600,000 | 8.2m 1.6〜35.2m |
| The south the housing districts along the Sojagawa river / Toriu, Tachibana, Shimizu | 23,532 people 11,897 households 16.2% of the city | Housing districts running south from the town centre. The Sojagawa river, which carried the dyeing and bleaching of the towel trade, runs through, with the town spreading along both banks. There are 37 listings, the second most in the city, and 29 of them (78%) were built in 1981 or earlier. If you plan to buy an older house and repair it, this is where the choice is widest. | 37 listings ¥2,200,000–¥31,500,000 median ¥6,800,000 | 8.0m 2.0〜44.5m |
| Namikata, Onishi and Kikuma the coast from west to north / along the JR Yosan Line | 19,774 people 10,488 households 13.7% of the city | The coastal belt where the JR Yosan Line runs towards Matsuyama. There are four stations: Namikata, Onishi, Iyo-Kameoka and Kikuma. Kikuma has made Kikuma roof tiles for about 750 years, and the Kikuma and Kameoka catchments are among the city's "designated areas" — where the cap on the vacant-home renovation grant is ¥500,000 higher (§8). | 9 listings ¥2,800,000–¥29,800,000 median ¥5,800,000 | 2.4m 1.5〜62.0m |
| The Shimanami islands Oshima, Hakatajima and Omishima / islands joined by bridges | 14,979 people 8,610 households 10.3% of the city | They are joined by bridges, but every crossing costs a toll. From Imabari IC: Oshima-minami ¥1,050, Hakatajima ¥1,450, Omishima ¥1,690 (ETC, weekday, standard car). Omishima has Oyamazumi Shrine, once called the head shrine of all Japan, and Oshima has the quarries of Oshima granite. It is the cheapest part of the city: 10 of the 11 listings (91%) are under ¥10,000,000. | 11 listings ¥3,000,000–¥12,800,000 median ¥5,300,000 | 4.9m 1.1〜17.5m |
| Asakura and Tamagawa the valleys to the south / Asakura, Kanbe, Kuwa | 7,936 people 4,006 households 5.5% of the city | The only part of the city where listings above 100 metres of elevation come up (median elevation 72.6 metres, highest 191.0 metres). The Tamagawa dam and Nibukawa Onsen, and the Towel Museum, are here. This is also where wild boar, monkeys and deer do the most damage: the city writes that they live "mainly in Tamagawa-cho and the Asakura district" (§12). | 5 listings ¥2,500,000–¥22,200,000 median ¥6,800,000 | 72.6m 30.3〜191.0m |
| Sekizen Okamurajima, Ogeshima and Koogeshima, reached by ferry | 293 people 204 households 0.2% of the city | It is the one part of Imabari City with no bridge. From Imabari Port it is 58 minutes and ¥870 by passenger boat (4 sailings a day). Okamurajima is joined by bridge to the Akinada Tobishima Kaido on the Hiroshima side, so for the renovation grant the city allows contractors from Kure City and elsewhere in Hiroshima Prefecture for Sekizen alone. Sekizen Lower Secondary School has 4 pupils (1 May, Reiwa 8). | 0 listings None are on SUUMO | — |
The biggest fork is whether you cross a bridge or not.
The 11 listings on the Shimanami islands have a median of ¥5,300,000 — less than half the ¥11,800,000 of the town centre — and 10 of the 11 (91%) are under ¥10,000,000. And from Imabari IC to Oshima-minami IC is one section of expressway across the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge.
But that bridge costs ¥1,050 every time (ETC, weekday, standard car). At ¥1,050 each way, five days a week, that comes to about ¥42,000 a month. What you save on the purchase turns into tolls — that is the sum to do when you choose an island in Imabari.
The city helps island households with children aged 18 or under with half the toll (up to ¥10,000), but ¥10,000 a year is the cap (§8).
To look cheaply on this side of the bridges, try the south (median ¥6,800,000, 37 listings) and the west and north (¥6,550,000, 20 listings). No tolls there. Read §3 and §4 next.
What changes depending on where in the city you live?
Whether you cross a bridge is what changes. The median listing runs from ¥5,300,000 on the Shimanami islands to ¥11,800,000 in the town centre. But on the islands there is a toll of ¥1,050 from Imabari IC to Oshima-minami IC (ETC, weekday, standard car) every time.
CHAPTER 03Trains and cars — how you get around
Getting about in Imabari divides into the JR Yosan Line and the expressway on land, and the Shimanami Kaido and boats for the islands. Matsuyama is 35 minutes by limited express, and Hiroshima 2 hours 39 minutes by coach with no change. At the same time, the city itself writes that "the JR Yosan Line has few services, so we recommend checking the timetable". This chapter sets out those numbers and fares.
| Where to go | Time | Fare and changes |
|---|---|---|
| Matsuyama JR limited express Shiokaze / Ishizuchi | 35 min | ¥1,840 (¥1,080 fare + ¥760 limited express charge), no transfer |
| Matsuyama JR Yosan Line, local | 1 hr 12 min | ¥1,080, no transfer. A commuter season ticket is ¥34,830 a month |
| Hiroshima coach (via the Shimanami Kaido) | 2 hr 39 min | ¥4,200, no transfer. You board in front of Imabari Station |
| Okayama JR limited express Shiokaze | 2 hr 24 min | ¥5,880, 1 transfer |
| Tokyo limited express Shiokaze + Shinkansen Nozomi (change at Okayama) | 5 hr 41 min | ¥22,480 (Imabari → Okayama ¥5,880+ Okayama → Tokyo ¥16,600) |
| Okamurajima (Sekizen) the passenger boat Tobishima from Imabari Port | 58 min | ¥870 (¥1,660 return), 4 sailings a day |
Imabari Station has two or three trains an hourTowards Matsuyama, 48 trains a day (first 5:58, last 22:58); towards Takamatsu and Okayama, 47 a day (first 5:41, last 22:48). The city itself writes on its tourism pages that "the JR Yosan Line has few services, so we recommend checking the timetable". Even in the 7 o'clock hour there are 2 trains towards Matsuyama. The assumption that "living near a station means commuting by train" works differently here from a big city.
There are 8 JR stations in the cityThe Yosan Line runs along the coast, and from the Matsuyama end they are Kikuma, Iyo-Kameoka, Onishi, Namikata, Hashihama, Imabari, Iyo-Tomita and Iyo-Sakurai (Iyo-Miyoshi, the next one on, is in Saijo City). The islands (Oshima, Hakatajima, Omishima and Sekizen) and the valleys of Asakura and Tamagawa have no railway at all. Of the 8 areas in §2, only 4 have a station.
There are 7 expressway junctionsImabari, Imabari-kita, Imabari-Yunoura, Oshima-minami, Oshima-kita, Hakatajima and Omishima. Imabari-Yunoura IC is on the Imabari-Komatsu Expressway, leading to the Matsuyama and Takamatsu expressways, while the other six are on the Nishi-Seto Expressway (the Shimanami Kaido) towards Honshu. From Imabari-kita IC you can only go towards Honshu (there is no way out to Imabari IC or the Matsuyama Expressway).
The bridge tolls become a fixed cost of livingWith ETC, on a weekday, in a standard car: Imabari IC → Oshima-minami ¥1,050 / Hakatajima ¥1,450 / Omishima ¥1,690 / Nishi-Seto Onomichi ¥2,950. From Imabari-kita IC it is Oshima-minami ¥900 / Hakatajima ¥1,300 / Omishima ¥1,540 / Nishi-Seto Onomichi ¥2,800, about ¥150 less. Oshima-minami to Oshima-kita is toll-free and treated like an ordinary road.
Nine sea routes leave Imabari PortThe city lists Imabari pier – Omishima (Munagata) – Osakikamijima, Imabari pier – Oshima (Tomoura) – Hakatajima – Iwagijima – Yugejima – Innoshima and Imabari pier – Ogeshima – Koogeshima – Okamurajima, as well as Hashihama Port – Kurushima – Oshima Islet – Umashima, Oshima (Miyakubo) – Ujima – Hakatajima and Oshima (Saiwai) – Tsushima. Municipal and private boats reach the islands that have no bridge.
Hiroshima Airport and Matsuyama Airport are about the same distance awayIn a straight line from the city: Hiroshima Airport about 37.9 kilometres, Matsuyama Airport about 41.1 kilometres (both hub airports, state-managed). These are straight-line distances. They are neither road distances nor journey times — to Hiroshima Airport you would go by the Shimanami Kaido and the Sanyo Expressway. Please check the actual routes in each operator's timetable.
Whether you need a car is settled almost entirely by which of the 8 areas you live in.
The town centre, the east, the south and Namikata/Onishi/Kikuma have stations, but only two or three trains an hour.
The Shimanami islands, Asakura and Tamagawa, and Sekizen have none. Sekizen has only the boat to Imabari, 4 sailings a day, and the ferry Dai-ni Sekizen has suspended all Monday and Thursday sailings for the time being from 1 April, Reiwa 8, because of a shortage of crew (the passenger boat Tobishima runs as normal).
The city's public transport map comes in two sheets, "the mainland" and "the islands". That is the shape of getting about here.
✈ Airports
The nearest is Hiroshima Airport (a hub airport, state-managed), about 37.9 km in a straight line. Next is Matsuyama Airport (about 41.1 km in a straight line). 🔴 These are straight-line distances. They are neither road distances nor journey times — please check the actual routes in each operator's timetable.
🛣 Expressway junctions
This area has 7 junctions and interchanges.
Nishi-Seto Expressway = Imabari, Imabari-kita, Hakatajima, Omishima, Oshima-minami
Imabari-Komatsu Road = Imabari-Yunoura
Oshima Road = Oshima-kita
How long does it take from Imabari to Matsuyama or Hiroshima?
Matsuyama is 35 minutes by JR limited express, ¥1,840, with no change (1 hr 12 min and ¥1,080 by local train). Hiroshima is 2 hours 39 minutes by coach, ¥4,200, with no change. Tokyo is 5 hours 41 minutes and ¥22,480 changing at Okayama.
CHAPTER 04Homes actually on the market right now
SUUMO has 151 second-hand detached houses listed in Imabari City. All 151 listings were retrieved, and the 20 cheapest are shown here. Tapping anywhere on a row opens the SUUMO listing.
"Nearest the station first" converts everything to minutes — a walk of ◯ min, ◯ min by bus plus ◯ min from the stop, ◯ km by car (reckoned at 30 km/h) — and compares those. Listings with no such information always appear last, whatever the sort.
Niya 乙219-81¥2,200,000The south (the housing districts along the Sojagawa river)Elev. approx. 40 m / Land 211 m² (64 tsubo) / Building 86 m² (26 tsubo) / built 1980 / Iyo-Tomita Sta. 46 min walk10 photos →
Hon-machi 1-2-19¥2,300,000The town centre (Imabari Station, Imabari Castle and the city hall)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 31 m² (9 tsubo) / Building 130 m² (39 tsubo) / built 1971 / Imabari Sta. 15 min walk9 photos →
Tamagawa-cho Onibara¥2,500,000Asakura and Tamagawa (the valleys to the south)Elev. approx. 110 m / Land 707 m² (214 tsubo) / Building 126 m² (38 tsubo) / built 1949 / Onishi Sta. bus 52 min+12 min walk10 photos →
Kanan-cho 1-4-7¥2,500,000The south (the housing districts along the Sojagawa river)Elev. approx. 10 m / Land 334 m² (101 tsubo) / Building 56 m² (17 tsubo) / built 1949 / Imabari Sta. 23 min walk9 photos →
Takabe 甲88-8¥2,500,000The west and north (the Kurushima Strait and the shipbuilding town)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 132 m² (40 tsubo) / Building 91 m² (28 tsubo) / built 1966 / Hashihama Sta. 12 min walk9 photos →
Tokiwa-cho 6¥2,800,000The town centre (Imabari Station, Imabari Castle and the city hall)Elev. approx. 10 m / Land 66 m² (20 tsubo) / Building 89 m² (27 tsubo) / built 1968 / Tokiwa-cho 6-chome bus stop 2 min walk9 photos →
Sakurai 4-10-23¥2,800,000The east (Sakurai, Kokubu and Karakodai)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 139 m² (42 tsubo) / Building 63 m² (19 tsubo) / built 1973 / Iyo-Sakurai Sta. 10 min walk10 photos →
Noma 1129-9¥2,800,000The west and north (the Kurushima Strait and the shipbuilding town)Elev. approx. 20 m / Land 130 m² (39 tsubo) / Building 86 m² (26 tsubo) / built 1971 / Onishi Sta. 30 min walk8 photos →
Kikuma-cho Hama 2956¥2,800,000Namikata, Onishi and Kikuma (the coast from west to north)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 184 m² (56 tsubo) / Building 196 m² (59 tsubo) / built 1956 / Kikuma Sta. 3 min walk9 photos →
Nagasawa 甲1191-13¥2,800,000The east (Sakurai, Kokubu and Karakodai)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 167 m² (51 tsubo) / Building 82 m² (25 tsubo) / built 1975 / Iyo-Sakurai Sta. 9 min walk9 photos →
Takuma 2119-1¥2,900,000The west and north (the Kurushima Strait and the shipbuilding town)Elev. approx. 10 m / Land 277 m² (84 tsubo) / Building 86 m² (26 tsubo) / built 1979 / Onishi Sta. 24 min walk8 photos →
Kikuma-cho Hama 1285¥2,980,000Namikata, Onishi and Kikuma (the coast from west to north)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 567 m² (172 tsubo) / Building 132 m² (40 tsubo) / built 1977 / Kikuma Sta. 12 min walk10 photos →
Kikuma-cho Hama¥2,980,000Namikata, Onishi and Kikuma (the coast from west to north)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 567 m² (172 tsubo) / Building 132 m² (40 tsubo) / built 1977 / Kikuma Sta. 14 min walk10 photos →
Miyagasaki 712-10¥3,000,000The east (Sakurai, Kokubu and Karakodai)Elev. approx. 20 m / Land 263 m² (80 tsubo) / Building 91 m² (28 tsubo) / built 1978 / Iyo-Sakurai Sta. 42 min walk10 photos →
Omishima-cho Nonoe 2387¥3,000,000The Shimanami islands (Oshima, Hakatajima and Omishima)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 215 m² (65 tsubo) / Building 84 m² (25 tsubo) / built 1975 / Imabari Sta. bus 67 min+51 min walk10 photos →
Kojoji-cho 2¥3,300,000The south (the housing districts along the Sojagawa river)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 99 m² (30 tsubo) / Building 74 m² (22 tsubo) / built 1975 / Imabari Sta. 20 min walk10 photos →
Tachibana-cho 2¥3,300,000The south (the housing districts along the Sojagawa river)Elev. approx. 10 m / Land 111 m² (34 tsubo) / Building 73 m² (22 tsubo) / built 1972 / Imabari Sta. 23 min walk10 photos →
Ohama-cho 3-4-46¥3,500,000The west and north (the Kurushima Strait and the shipbuilding town)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 227 m² (69 tsubo) / Building 120 m² (36 tsubo) / built 1955 / Hashihama Sta. 23 min walk9 photos →
Kanan-cho 1-6-10¥3,500,000The south (the housing districts along the Sojagawa river)Elev. approx. 10 m / Land 114 m² (34 tsubo) / Building 58 m² (18 tsubo) / built 1961 / Imabari Sta. 24 min walk9 photos →
Hon-machi 2-2-29¥3,500,000The town centre (Imabari Station, Imabari Castle and the city hall)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 122 m² (37 tsubo) / Building 212 m² (64 tsubo) / built 1966 / Imabari Sta. 13 min walk4 photos →
The photographs are the images carried on SUUMO. They disappear once a listing ends. Check the real condition of a property on site.
See all 151 on SUUMO →
Imabari is a market where "under ¥10,000,000" is the norm, even among the areas on this site.
The median of the 151 listings is ¥7,300,000. 93 (62%) are under ¥10,000,000, and 42 are under ¥5,000,000. In a city of 140,000 people, that many sit below the ¥10,000,000 mark.
But 97 of them (64%) were built on or before 31 May 1981 (Showa 56). The median year built is 1977. It is not that they are cheap; they are cheap because they are old — that fits the figures better. Wooden houses built on or before that date do not meet the current earthquake standard, so the order is an assessment before you buy, then the retrofit (§5, §8).
The difference between districts lies between the town centre and everywhere else. The dearest is the town centre (median ¥11,800,000) and the cheapest the Shimanami islands (¥5,300,000) — a gap of 2.2 times. But the islands carry the bridge tolls (§2).
The median elevation across the city is 5.4 metres (0.6–191.0 metres). Of the 151 listings, 48 are above 10 metres. In the town centre the median is 2.4 metres. The tsunami inundation assumptions in §5 map straight onto these elevations. Check the exact address on the city's web hazard map.
Sources: the listings and elevations are this site's tally of the 151 retrieved for this page (elevations come from the per-listing map coordinates inside each SUUMO page, passed through the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan elevation API; all 151 were obtained from listing coordinates) / checked 2026-08-29
But 97 of them (64%) were built on or before 31 May 1981 (Showa 56). The median year built is 1977. It is not that they are cheap; they are cheap because they are old — that fits the figures better. Wooden houses built on or before that date do not meet the current earthquake standard, so the order is an assessment before you buy, then the retrofit (§5, §8).
The difference between districts lies between the town centre and everywhere else. The dearest is the town centre (median ¥11,800,000) and the cheapest the Shimanami islands (¥5,300,000) — a gap of 2.2 times. But the islands carry the bridge tolls (§2).
The median elevation across the city is 5.4 metres (0.6–191.0 metres). Of the 151 listings, 48 are above 10 metres. In the town centre the median is 2.4 metres. The tsunami inundation assumptions in §5 map straight onto these elevations. Check the exact address on the city's web hazard map.
Akiya bank — 75 listings
All 75 houses for sale registered with the local authority's vacant-home bank on the at-home platform (as checked on 28 August 2026). They are listed cheapest first. For 8 of them the building area is not published, so the floor-plan button does not appear.
Imabari City Sekizen Okamura¥400,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Sekizen Okamura¥500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Sekizen Okamura¥550,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Omishima-cho Nonoe¥600,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Hakata-cho Kinoura¥650,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Miyakubo-cho Yosokuni¥800,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Miyakubo-cho Miyakubo¥900,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Kamiura-cho Inokuchi¥1,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Kamiura-cho Inokuchi¥1,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Miho-cho 2-chome¥1,000,000
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Imabari City Kikuma-cho Tane¥1,000,000
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Imabari City Hakata-cho Kinoura¥1,000,000
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Imabari City Kikuma-cho Sagata¥1,100,000
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Imabari City Kikuma-cho Tane¥1,300,000
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Imabari City Ohama-cho 3-chome¥1,500,000
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Imabari City Kamiura-cho Seto¥1,500,000
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Imabari City Hakata-cho Kinoura¥1,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →Imabari City Yamaji¥1,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →Imabari City Omishima-cho Nonoe¥1,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Yoshiumi-cho Honjo¥1,550,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Sekizen Okamura¥1,700,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Yoshiumi-cho Mukuna¥1,700,000
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Imabari City Yoshiumi-cho Mukuna¥1,800,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Miyakubo-cho Miyakubo¥1,800,000
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Imabari City Omishima-cho Utena¥2,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Asakurakami¥2,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Sekizen Okamura¥2,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Sekizen Okamura¥2,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Yoshiumi-cho Honjo¥2,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Kamiura-cho Inokuchi¥2,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Takabe¥2,100,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Sekizen Okamura¥2,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Magobeesaku¥2,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Hakata-cho Kitaura¥2,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Yoshiumi-cho Yawata¥2,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Omishima-cho Munagata¥2,700,000
Akiya bank of View listing →Imabari City Yoshiumi-cho Mukuna¥2,750,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Yoshiumi-cho Honjo¥3,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Kamiura-cho Amazaki¥3,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Miyakubo-cho Tomoura¥3,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Kamiura-cho Inokuchi¥3,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Miyakubo-cho Yosokuni¥3,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Kannomiya¥3,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Hakata-cho Kinoura¥3,600,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Hakata-cho Kitaura¥3,800,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Yoshiumi-cho Myo¥3,800,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Tachibana-cho 2-chome¥3,800,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Kanan-cho 1-chome¥3,800,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Omishima-cho Nonoe¥3,900,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Omishima-cho Omi¥4,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Namikata-cho Obe¥4,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Higashitoriu-cho 4-chome¥4,200,000
Akiya bank of View listing →Imabari City Yoshiumi-cho Nie¥4,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Kikuma-cho Hama¥4,800,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Yoshiumi-cho Nie¥5,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Onishi-cho Kuo¥5,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Omishima-cho Urado¥5,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Yamaji¥5,900,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Yoshiumi-cho Yawata¥6,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Hakata-cho Ikata¥6,500,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Nakahiyoshi-cho 2-chome¥6,800,000
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Imabari City Tamagawa-cho Bessho¥7,000,000
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Imabari City Noboribata¥8,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Tachibana-cho 2-chome¥8,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Kokubu 1-chome¥8,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Namikata-cho Namikata¥8,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Tamagawa-cho Nagatani¥8,800,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Karakodaihigashi 1-chome¥8,900,000
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Imabari City Tokiwa-cho 7-chome¥11,000,000
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Imabari City Asakurakita¥11,800,000
Akiya bank of View listing →Imabari City Onishi-cho Befu¥12,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →
Imabari City Minato-cho 1-chome¥16,800,000
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Imabari City Tokushige¥18,000,000
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Imabari City Kikuma-cho Hama¥23,800,000
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Imabari City Kitatoriu-cho 2-chome¥100,000,000
Akiya bank of View listing →How much does a second-hand house in Imabari cost?
SUUMO has 151 listings, from ¥2,200,000 to ¥62,000,000, with a median of ¥7,300,000. 93 (62%) are under ¥10,000,000. But 97 (64%) were built in 1981 or earlier, and the median year built is 1977.
CHAPTER 05Is the ground safe?
Is this town inside a national earthquake-preparedness zone?
For each major earthquake, national law designates the areas where preparation is to be advanced. Whether a town is designated tells you directly how the national government views the shaking and tsunami expected there.
| Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area | Designated |
|---|---|
| Tokyo Inland Earthquake Emergency Measures Area | Not covered (the whole of Ehime Prefecture is outside this programme) |
| Japan Trench / Kuril Trench Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area | Not covered (the whole of Ehime Prefecture is outside this programme) |
| Shaking of intensity 6-lower or above within 30 years | 61.1% (20.2% for Shindo 6-upper or above) At Imabari City Hall. Surface ground AVS30 208 m/s, delta and coastal lowland |
This probability is for the single 250-metre grid square the city hall stands in.
The Imabari City town hall stands ondelta and coastal lowland(AVS30 208 m/s), and the 61.1% above is the value at that point. Within Imabari City itself, the low ground along the rivers and the terraces differ a great deal.
When a listing interests you, look it up by its street address.Enter an address on the J-SHIS map and it shows the probability and the ground for that 250-metre mesh.
Look up an address on J-SHIS → Designations from the Cabinet Office list of designated municipalities (Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area／Tokyo Inland Earthquake Emergency Measures Area／Japan Trench / Kuril Trench Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area ) / probability and surface ground from theNational Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience, J-SHIS earthquake hazard information API(2024 edition, average case, all earthquakes) queried at the coordinates of the city hall / checked 2026-08-28
Look up an address on J-SHIS → Designations from the Cabinet Office list of designated municipalities (Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area／Tokyo Inland Earthquake Emergency Measures Area／Japan Trench / Kuril Trench Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area ) / probability and surface ground from theNational Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience, J-SHIS earthquake hazard information API(2024 edition, average case, all earthquakes) queried at the coordinates of the city hall / checked 2026-08-28
Imabari is a Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area. And at the city hall, the chance of shaking of Shindo 6-lower or above within 30 years is 61.1% (20.2% for 6-upper or above).
The city hall stands on delta and coastal lowland (AVS30 208 m/s), ground that shakes easily. Ehime Prefecture names Imabari City as one of the 7 municipalities where a maximum intensity of Shindo 7 is assumed for a Nankai Trough megaquake.
The prefecture's damage estimate (final report of 16 February, Reiwa 8) gives these figures for Imabari City. 10,607 buildings completely destroyed or burnt — made up of 3,679 by shaking, 5,571 by liquefaction, 30 by landslide, 739 by tsunami and 588 by fire. 671 dead (219 from building collapse, 445 from the tsunami, 4 from fire, 2 from landslide). The tsunami inundation area is 1,645 hectares (1,305 ha at 30 cm or more, 561 ha at 1 metre or more, 113 ha at 2 metres or more).
What stands out is that in the breakdown of total destruction, "liquefaction" at 5,571 buildings is greater than the shaking itself (3,679). The prefecture writes that "damage is assumed mainly in Imabari City, Niihama City and Matsuyama City, where subsidence from liquefaction is large". The flat land of Imabari is made of reclaimed ground and delta. The elevations in §4 are this same story.
Source:Ehime Prefecture, "Ehime Prefecture earthquake damage estimate survey, final report" (16 February, Reiwa 8, PDF), "6. Results of the damage estimate (Nankai Trough megaquake) (2) Damage by municipality (buildings completely destroyed or burnt)", "(3) Damage by municipality (deaths)" and "4. Summary of the interim report (5) Tsunami results (inundation area by municipality)" / the 7 municipalities with a maximum of Shindo 7 are from the same report / checked 2026-08-29
The prefecture's damage estimate (final report of 16 February, Reiwa 8) gives these figures for Imabari City. 10,607 buildings completely destroyed or burnt — made up of 3,679 by shaking, 5,571 by liquefaction, 30 by landslide, 739 by tsunami and 588 by fire. 671 dead (219 from building collapse, 445 from the tsunami, 4 from fire, 2 from landslide). The tsunami inundation area is 1,645 hectares (1,305 ha at 30 cm or more, 561 ha at 1 metre or more, 113 ha at 2 metres or more).
What stands out is that in the breakdown of total destruction, "liquefaction" at 5,571 buildings is greater than the shaking itself (3,679). The prefecture writes that "damage is assumed mainly in Imabari City, Niihama City and Matsuyama City, where subsidence from liquefaction is large". The flat land of Imabari is made of reclaimed ground and delta. The elevations in §4 are this same story.
The city hazard map comes in two books: "the mainland" and "the islands"The city publishes a combined disaster map that brings flooding and inland water, debris flows, cliff collapses and landslides, earthquakes, tsunami and storm surge into one book, in a mainland edition and an islands edition. With the web version of the hazard map you can zoom in and print just the area around your home.
There are three foreign-language editionsThe combined disaster map is also published in English, Chinese (simplified) and Vietnamese. Not many local authorities let you read the hazard map in your own language. That preparation goes together with the number of foreign residents in the city (§10).
The earthquake hazard map comes in four sheetsAsakura/Tamagawa/Kikuma; Imabari/Namikata/Onishi; Yoshiumi/Miyakubo; and Hakata/Kamiura/Omishima/Sekizen — four sheets. Each shows the assumed intensity distribution, the risk of building damage and the risk of liquefaction for a maximum-class Nankai Trough earthquake. Whatever address interests you is on one of those four sheets.
There are maps for irrigation ponds and for large filled-ground developments tooFor irrigation ponds with an embankment of roughly 10 metres or more and a capacity of roughly 10,000 cubic metres or more that have housing downstream, the city publishes the area that would flood if the embankment failed. A map of large filled-ground developments is published as well. When you look at a plot in the hills or on a hillside estate, open those two as well.
What is the earthquake risk in Imabari?
🔴 It is a Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area, and at the city hall the chance of shaking of Shindo 6-lower or above within 30 years is 61.1% (20.2% for 6-upper or above). The prefecture's damage estimate gives 10,607 buildings completely destroyed or burnt and 671 dead.
CHAPTER 06What summer and winter are like
Summer nights are cooler than in Matsuyama by 15 days' worth, and in exchange winter mornings are more than twice as cold. Within the same prefecture, Imabari, open to the Inland Sea, and Matsuyama, in something of a basin, differ clearly in the number of days. Look at them beside the Tokyo figures.
| Days per year (long-term average) | Imabari | Matsuyama | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical nights (daily low of 25°C or above) | 10.8 days | 26.2 days | 17.8 days |
| Extremely hot days (daily high of 35°C or above) | 7.5 days | 5.1 days | 4.8 days |
| Winter days (daily low below 0°C) | 20.1 days | 8.9 days | 15.2 days |
| Days below freezing (below 0°C all day) | 0.0 days | 0.0 days | 0.0 days |
| Annual rainfall | 1,325.5 mm | 1,404.6 mm | 1,598.2 mm |
| August daily high / January daily low | 32.2℃／1.8℃ | 32.6℃／2.6℃ | 31.3℃／1.2℃ |
Here is what those figures mean in daily life.
Summer nights. Imabari has 10.8 tropical nights a year; Matsuyama has 26.2. That is 15 fewer nights a year on which it is hard to sleep than in the prefectural capital. The land opens onto the Inland Sea, and at night the wind comes in off the water. It is fewer even than Tokyo (17.8). But extremely hot days number 7.5, more than Matsuyama's 5.1. Summer in Imabari is hot by day and drops at night — that is the character of it.
Winter mornings. In exchange, winter days (mornings whose low falls below 0°C) number 20.1 a year, more than twice Matsuyama's 8.9 and more than Tokyo's 15.2. Think of it as a winter with four or five mornings a month on which the windscreen is frozen. Days below freezing all day number 0.0, so it is only the mornings.
Snow. The Imabari AMeDAS does not observe snow, so taking the Matsuyama values, total snowfall in a year is 1 cm and the deepest snow cover is 0 cm. That is less than Tokyo (8 cm in total, 6 cm at the deepest), and winter tyres are not essential in the town. The valleys of Asakura and Tamagawa (100–190 metres) and the roads over the Takanawa mountains are another matter.
Rain. The 1,325.5 mm a year is 273 mm less than Tokyo, the modest total the Inland Sea is known for. Of it, 196.2 mm falls in June, 191.8 mm in July and 165.2 mm in September, gathering in the rainy season and the typhoon season.
Source:Japan Meteorological Agency, long-term averages for Imabari (Ehime)／the same for Matsuyama (Ehime)／the same agency’s normals for Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolis)(all 30-year averages 1991–2020; snowfall is the Matsuyama value, as Imabari does not observe it) / checked 2026-08-29
Summer nights. Imabari has 10.8 tropical nights a year; Matsuyama has 26.2. That is 15 fewer nights a year on which it is hard to sleep than in the prefectural capital. The land opens onto the Inland Sea, and at night the wind comes in off the water. It is fewer even than Tokyo (17.8). But extremely hot days number 7.5, more than Matsuyama's 5.1. Summer in Imabari is hot by day and drops at night — that is the character of it.
Winter mornings. In exchange, winter days (mornings whose low falls below 0°C) number 20.1 a year, more than twice Matsuyama's 8.9 and more than Tokyo's 15.2. Think of it as a winter with four or five mornings a month on which the windscreen is frozen. Days below freezing all day number 0.0, so it is only the mornings.
Snow. The Imabari AMeDAS does not observe snow, so taking the Matsuyama values, total snowfall in a year is 1 cm and the deepest snow cover is 0 cm. That is less than Tokyo (8 cm in total, 6 cm at the deepest), and winter tyres are not essential in the town. The valleys of Asakura and Tamagawa (100–190 metres) and the roads over the Takanawa mountains are another matter.
Rain. The 1,325.5 mm a year is 273 mm less than Tokyo, the modest total the Inland Sea is known for. Of it, 196.2 mm falls in June, 191.8 mm in July and 165.2 mm in September, gathering in the rainy season and the typhoon season.
What are summer and winter like in Imabari?
The August daily high is 32.2°C and the January daily low 1.8°C. Tropical nights number 10.8 a year, less than half Matsuyama's 26.2, but winter days number 20.1, more than twice Matsuyama's 8.9. Summer nights are cool and winter mornings are cold.
CHAPTER 07Shops, hospitals, schools
Imabari City and Kamijima Town together form one secondary medical area (the Imabari area). The city has 28 hospitals with 2,164 beds, so everyday medicine is handled within the city. There are 26 primary schools and 15 lower secondary schools, and as §2 showed, your address decides which school you attend.
There are 28 hospitals with 2,164 bedsThe city has 28 hospitals (2,164 beds), 111 general clinics (18 with beds, 93 without), 236 dental clinics and 82 pharmacies (fiscal Reiwa 4). For a city of 140,000 that is on the generous side, and Ehime Prefectural Imabari Hospital is the largest in the area. On holidays and at night, Ehime Prefectural Imabari Hospital, Saiseikai Imabari Hospital and the Imabari Medical Association Citizens' Hospital take turns on duty, and the monthly rota appears in the city magazine.
If in doubt, #7119; for children, #8000The city says: "if you cannot decide whether to call an ambulance or go to hospital, ring #7119 (365 days, 24 hours)". From a dial line or an IP phone it is 089-909-9935. For children there is the paediatric emergency line #8000 (6 pm to 8 am). If you live on an island, these are the numbers to stick on the fridge.
26 primary and 15 lower secondary schools5,905 primary pupils and 3,076 lower secondary pupils (1 May, Reiwa 8). The 26 primary schools are exactly the 26 catchments used in §2. The lower secondary schools are Hiyoshi, Chikami, Tachibana, Sakurai, Minami, Nishi, Hokugo, Asakura, Tamagawa, Onishi, Kikuma, Oshima, Hakata, Omishima and Sekizen — 15 in all. Sekizen Lower Secondary School has 4 pupils in the whole school, and Okamura Primary School is on the same island.
It is working on "the best school lunches in Japan"On its relocation site the city sets out "the best school lunches in Japan project", describing menus made with "the love of Imabari's producers, the love of Imabari's cooks and the love of kitchens working as one". That the city has a School Lunch Division is part of the same thing.
Shopping is concentrated in the town centre and just south of itThe city has 1,661 shops (403 wholesale, 1,258 retail), 10,713 employees and annual sales of ¥513,900,000,000, second in the prefecture after Matsuyama. AEON Mall Imabari Shintoshi stands south-west of the town centre, in a corner of the Imabari new town (Nigiwaihiroba). On the other hand, there is no large store on the islands or in the hills. The big shop means driving into town.
At night and at weekends, you look at the duty rotaThe city magazine "Koho Imabari" carries a monthly "duty rota for emergency hospitals", and Ehime Prefectural Imabari Hospital, Saiseikai Imabari Hospital and the Imabari Medical Association Citizens' Hospital take the duty on different days. Where the emergency and critical care centre (tertiary care) for the Imabari area is, I (the AI) could not confirm from Ehime Prefecture's official pages (checked 29 August 2026). Guessing would be the greater discourtesy, so it is not given here. Count the time it takes to cross from an island to the mainland when you choose an island.
What are the hospitals and schools like in Imabari?
The city has 28 hospitals with 2,164 beds, 111 general clinics and 236 dental clinics (fiscal Reiwa 4). There are 26 primary schools and 15 lower secondary schools, with 5,905 primary pupils and 3,076 lower secondary pupils.
CHAPTER 08What it costs you every year after you buy
Buy a house in Imabari and, depending on the district, the bridge tolls, a septic tank and the neighbourhood association fee come round every year. On the other side, the city's grants for a mover repairing an older house are among the most generous on this site. Here they are in order.
| What | How much, conditions |
|---|---|
| Repairing an older vacant house | Sumo Imabari! vacant-home renovation grant — for someone who has moved in from outside Ehime Prefecture and is repairing a detached house bought or rented through the vacant-home bank, two thirds of the cost. The caps are ¥1,000,000 for a working household / ¥2,000,000 with one child / ¥3,000,000 with two / ¥4,000,000 with three or more, and ¥200,000 for clearing furniture. In a "designated area" each is ¥500,000 higher (working household ¥1,500,000 / one child ¥3,000,000 / two ¥4,000,000 / three or more ¥5,000,000; furniture ¥250,000) |
| Building or buying a house | Sumo Imabari! grant towards acquiring a home — for someone who has moved into the city from outside (with at least one household member under 50). The base amount is 10% of the purchase cost (up to ¥300,000) plus ¥100,000 for each child under 18, capped at ¥500,000 (¥700,000 in a designated area). You must apply for approval before you sign. It also qualifies for Flat 35 Regional Partnership |
| Moving from the 23 wards of Tokyo | Imabari City grant to support movers (migration support grant) — for someone who lived in or commuted to the 23 wards of Tokyo for 5 years or more and takes a job with a company listed on the prefecture's recruitment site "Anokono Ehime", ¥300,000 per household plus up to ¥100,000 for each child under 18 |
| Bridge tolls (the islands) | Imabari City travel-cost support for raising children on the Shimanami islands (households with children) — for households on the islands (the Oshima, Hakata, Omishima and Sekizen areas) with children aged 18 or under, half the Shimanami Kaido tolls (ETC only) or the boat fares to and from Sekizen, up to ¥10,000. It does not matter what the journeys were for. Bus fares and season tickets do not qualify |
| Public sewerage, or a septic tank | The city's public sewer serves 65.2% of the population (fiscal Reiwa 5). One person in three is still outside the sewered area, on a septic tank or night-soil collection. A septic tank costs money every year for the statutory annual inspection, maintenance and cleaning. When you view a property, always check which of the three it is: mains sewer, septic tank or night-soil collection |
| Neighbourhood association fee | The amount differs by association, and the city does not publish a list. The city says: "ask a neighbour who the head of your district's association is, or come to the Citizen Participation Division". Installing and maintaining the security lights, setting up and cleaning the rubbish collection points, and delivering Koho Imabari are the association's work (§11) |
| Getting ready for winter | In the town, winter tyres are not essential (annual snowfall, on the Matsuyama figure, is 1 cm). But if you use the valleys of Asakura and Tamagawa, or the roads over the Takanawa mountains, day to day, then winter tyres (§6) |
Where the "designated areas" are is worth looking at before you choose a district.
The city's designated areas are the 8 primary school catchments of Kuwa, Kikuma, Kameoka, Yoshiumi, Miyakubo, Kamiura, Omishima and Okamura, the depopulated areas (the former Kikuma, Yoshiumi, Miyakubo, Hakata, Kamiura and Omishima towns and Sekizen village), the Ryuoka district of Tamagawa-cho, and the outlying islands (Kurushima, Oshima Islet, Umashima, Hikijima, Tsushima, Ujima, Ogeshima and Koogeshima).
In terms of §2, that takes in almost all of the Shimanami islands and Sekizen, part of Namikata/Onishi/Kikuma, and part of Asakura/Tamagawa.
Within one city, the cap on the renovation grant differs by ¥500,000 — something to check before you settle on a property.
One more thing. Only for work in Sekizen does the city allow contractors from Kure City or Osakikamijima Town in Hiroshima Prefecture (elsewhere it is city contractors in principle). The scheme itself acknowledges the reality of a district with no bridge.
What comes round every year after you buy a house in Imabari?
If you live on an island, the Shimanami Kaido tolls (Imabari IC → Oshima-minami ¥1,050). And the public sewer serves 65.2% of the population, so one person in three is on a septic tank or night-soil collection. If you move in and repair a vacant house, a grant of two thirds of the cost, capped at ¥1,000,000–¥4,000,000, is available.
CHAPTER 09What happens when you want to sell
SUUMO has 151 second-hand detached houses in Imabari. Against a population of 141,735, that is one for every 939 people. Land prices are still falling, but the fall is narrowing, and there are 2 rising points in the city. The prefecture's land price survey writes of Imabari that "a polarisation is under way".
What is on the market nowSUUMO 151 plus 75 on the city's vacant-home bank (the at-home version). At one for every 939 people, there is a fair amount of choice when you buy. 93 (62%) are under ¥10,000,000 — the centre of the price range is low, which also means you compete in that same range when you sell.
The published land pricesIn the fiscal Reiwa 7 Ehime Prefecture land price survey, residential land in Imabari City averaged ¥23,500 per square metre (42 points), a change of −1.6%, and the all-uses average was ¥26,900 per square metre (57 points), −1.5%. Per tsubo that is about ¥77,700 for residential land — less than a third of Matsuyama City (residential land ¥78,400 per square metre).
The fall has halved in ten yearsThe rate of change for residential land in Imabari City went from −2.8% in fiscal Heisei 27 to −1.6% in fiscal Reiwa 7. The fall widened to −2.5% in fiscal Reiwa 2 and has narrowed again since fiscal Reiwa 4. The all-uses average likewise moved from −2.8% (Heisei 27) to −1.5% (Reiwa 7). "Falling, but heading towards a floor" is where it stands.
There are 2 rising points in the city tooThe prefecture writes that "in the popular districts, although the supply of new estates has fallen, demand for residential land is firm, and there were 2 rising points and 6 unchanged points". In Ehime Prefecture, rising points exist only in Matsuyama, Imabari, Niihama, Saijo and Iyo cities and Masaki Town — five cities and one town.
The prefecture uses the word "polarisation"At the same time the prefecture writes that "in the depopulating rural and mountain outskirts and on the islands … with no notable industry and few shops, a relatively strong downward trend continues, and a polarisation is under way". The 8 areas in §2 fall on both sides of that divide.
But movers are arriving on the islandsThe same prefectural text says: "an increase in movers to the islands has eased the rate of population decline there". The people who value the land are acknowledging that people are coming in to the islands. That the relocation desks in §14 are in two places — the main office and Hakatajima — goes together with it.
Imabari is a market where you buy cheaply and selling takes time.
A median of ¥7,300,000 is among the lowest on this site. The way out is correspondingly slow, and land prices have fallen for ten years.
But the fall has halved over those ten years, and rising points have appeared in the city.
If you think of a home less as an asset than as the vessel for a life, then the south and the west and north (¥6,550,000–¥6,800,000) recover their cost more easily than the town centre (median ¥11,800,000) — that is how today's figures read.
If you choose an island, set the cheaper purchase against the bridge tolls every month (§2, §8).
What are land prices doing in Imabari?
In the fiscal Reiwa 7 prefectural land price survey, residential land averaged ¥23,500 per square metre with a change of −1.6%, and the all-uses average was ¥26,900 per square metre, −1.5%. The fall has narrowed from −2.8% in fiscal Heisei 27, and there are 2 rising points in the city.
CHAPTER 10Who lives here, and how many
The Reiwa 7 census (preliminary) gives 141,735 people. That is 9,937 fewer (−6.55%) than five years earlier. All 20 municipalities in Ehime Prefecture lost population, 74,753 (−5.60%) across the prefecture. Within that, Imabari City keeps the second largest population in the prefecture, after Matsuyama.
141,735 people, 67,847 householdsThe Reiwa 7 census (preliminary) gives 141,735 people (151,672 five years earlier) and 67,847 households (68,328 five years earlier). The population fell 6.55%, but households fell only 0.70%. The number of people per household is falling — that is, one- and two-person households are increasing.
It is the second largest city in the prefectureOnly three cities in Ehime pass 100,000 people: Matsuyama (497,041), Imabari (141,735) and Niihama (108,640). By the size of the fall, Imabari (9,937 fewer) is second after Matsuyama (14,151 fewer), but that reflects the size of the base: the rate of 6.55% is above the prefectural average of 5.60% and below Uwajima's 11.43%.
The Basic Resident Register gives 144,837As of 31 March, Reiwa 8, the register gives 144,837 people in 76,524 households. The main office area holds 101,855 (70.3%), then Namikata 7,482, Onishi 7,655, Hakata 5,421, Kikuma 4,637, Tamagawa 4,328, Asakura 3,608, Yoshiumi 2,991, Omishima 2,358, Kamiura 2,227, Miyakubo 1,982 and Sekizen 293. Seven tenths of the city live in the area of the former Imabari City.
There are 4,782 foreign residentsThe city's Basic Resident Register (31 March, Reiwa 8) gives 4,782 foreign residents in 4,265 households. By area they are 778 in Onishi, 399 in Namikata, 321 in Yoshiumi and 502 in Hakata — most numerous where the shipbuilding and shipping yards are, which is characteristic of Imabari. That the city publishes its hazard map in English, Chinese and Vietnamese goes with these figures (§5).
Share of foreign residents
3.16%national average 3.26%
Of the 145,611 people living in Imabari City, 4,604 are foreign residents. That is close to the national average of 3.26%.
Nationally, foreign residents are 3.26% of the population (4,031,159 of 123,767,642).
There are 34 municipalities in Japan where the share passes one in ten.
Source: calculated by this site from the municipality-level tables of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Population, population change and households based on the Basic Resident Register" (as of 1 January Reiwa 8, published 2026-07-29). The ministry's publication page / verified 2026-08-17
What is happening to Imabari's population?
141,735 people (Reiwa 7 census, preliminary), 9,937 fewer (−6.55%) than five years earlier. All 20 municipalities in Ehime lost population. But households fell only 0.70%, so the number of people per household is falling.
CHAPTER 11Community life and the year's events
What starts to matter once the house and the commute are settled is the subject of this chapter. Imabari City has an arrangement that is rare anywhere in Japan: a four-party agreement under which estate agents encourage people to join the neighbourhood association when they sell or let a house.
"Agreement on promoting membership of neighbourhood associations in Imabari City" (the four-party agreement)
The Imabari City Federation of Neighbourhood Associations, the Ehime Prefecture Real Estate Transaction Association, its Imabari district liaison council, and Imabari City signed the agreement on 24 February, Heisei 28. The city writes that "this is the first such effort in Ehime Prefecture".
The text runs: "when the Association and the district association handle the sale, management or brokerage of housing, they shall cooperate in encouraging that household to join the neighbourhood association".
In other words, buy a house in Imabari and the neighbourhood association is likely to come up at the point of contract. Leaflet stands about joining are also placed at the counters of the Citizen Participation, Citizens' Affairs, Urban Policy and Housing Management divisions at the city hall.
Read this as "you find out early", not as "you are made to join". Installing and maintaining the security lights, setting up and cleaning the rubbish collection points, and delivering Koho Imabari are the association's work. You can also ask, before you sign, what happens if you do not join.
Source:Imabari City, "Four-party agreement on promoting membership of neighbourhood associations"(the full text of the agreement, signed 24 February, Heisei 28) / the role of the associations is fromthe same, "About neighbourhood associations"/ Verified 2026-08-29
The text runs: "when the Association and the district association handle the sale, management or brokerage of housing, they shall cooperate in encouraging that household to join the neighbourhood association".
In other words, buy a house in Imabari and the neighbourhood association is likely to come up at the point of contract. Leaflet stands about joining are also placed at the counters of the Citizen Participation, Citizens' Affairs, Urban Policy and Housing Management divisions at the city hall.
Read this as "you find out early", not as "you are made to join". Installing and maintaining the security lights, setting up and cleaning the rubbish collection points, and delivering Koho Imabari are the association's work. You can also ask, before you sign, what happens if you do not join.
The amount of the association fee is not publishedThe city does not publish a list of association fees. Its advice is: "ask a neighbour who the head of your district's association is, or if you cannot find out, come to the Citizen Participation Division". Ask, before you sign, what that association charges and how the duties come round — that is how it works in Imabari (Citizen Participation Division, 0898-36-1530).
Onmaku — the citizens' festivalWhat the city puts forward on its relocation site is "Onmaku, the festival of the people of Imabari". Alongside it the city lines up Oyamazumi Shrine on Omishima, the Murakami Kaizoku Museum, FC Imabari of J3 and the mascot Barysan as the faces of the town.
The Sunday morning market and the port marchéOn its local industry page the city writes that "on the second and fourth Sundays, the Sunday morning market is held in the Imabari shopping street and the Setouchi Minato Marché around Imabari Port". Twice a month, there is a day when people come out into the centre of town.
The community halls and branch offices are the unit of the districtThe 11 branch offices (Asakura, Tamagawa, Namikata, Onishi, Kikuma, Yoshiumi, Miyakubo, Hakata, Kamiura, Omishima and Sekizen) are the counters for their districts. The Kikuma branch office is inside Kikuma Community Hall, and the Hakata branch office inside the Shimanami General Government Building. The city also runs an online consultation desk linking the 11 branch offices to the main office.
What are the neighbourhood associations like in Imabari?
🔴 On 24 February, Heisei 28, the city, the federation of neighbourhood associations, the real estate association and one other party signed an "agreement on promoting membership of neighbourhood associations" (the city calls it "the first such effort in Ehime Prefecture"). Estate agents encourage people to join when they sell or let, and the fee differs from one association to another.
CHAPTER 12Things nearby that move land prices
Some things appear neither in the property particulars nor on the city's tourism pages, yet come round every year once you live there. In Imabari, three of them can be confirmed from primary sources.
Wild boar — seven tenths of the damage to crops
Damage to crops in Imabari City came to ¥62,150,000 in fiscal Reiwa 6. Of that, wild boar account for ¥43,430,000, roughly seven tenths. The city writes that they "live across almost the whole city; they account for 70% of the damage by value and, excluding forest damage, 80% of the area damaged".
| Animal | Damage (fiscal Reiwa 6) | Where they appear (the city's wording) | Caught (fiscal Reiwa 6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild boar | ¥43,430,000 | Almost the whole city. It starts with bamboo shoots and vegetables, moves to rice and root crops from late September, and then to satsumas and other citrus — eating, digging, breaking branches and knocking down stone walls. It goes on until the late citrus harvest ends, around February | 1,758 |
| Brown-eared bulbuls | ¥7,050,000 | Present across the city. Mainly on the islands, eating fruit at harvest time | — |
| Japanese macaque | ¥5,060,000 | Mainly Tamagawa-cho and the Asakura district. In recent years also seen in Kikuma, Onishi, and the Noma and Shimizu districts of the former Imabari City. For several years now, sightings in housing areas have been increasing | 89 |
| Crows | ¥3,500,000 | Eating fruit and other crops at harvest time, across the city | 825 |
| Masked palm civets | ¥1,550,000 | Present on the mainland. Eating fruit and vegetables at harvest time | 107 |
| Raccoon dogs | ¥1,050,000 | Across the city. Eating fruit and vegetables at harvest time | 168 |
| Sika deer | ¥510,000 | Their range is spreading, centred on the Takanawa mountains. Besides Tamagawa-cho and the Asakura district, they have been seen in Onishi, Kikuma and the Shimizu and Noma districts of the former Imabari City | 267 |
The fencing grant in Imabari can be applied for by an individual — you do not need three households.
The Imabari City grant for measures against damage to farm production — it is for "an individual or a group who owns or manages farmland in the city, actually cultivates it, and installs the equipment". An electric fence: up to half the cost, capped at ¥50,000; a protective fence (wire mesh, corrugated sheet and the like): up to half, capped at ¥100,000; a combined fence (electric and protective together, against monkeys): up to half, capped at ¥150,000. Weed-suppressing sheet is covered too.
Apply before you buy the materials and before you install them. The city states plainly that "no grant can be paid once you have bought or installed". The counter is the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Division at the main office, or the Resident Services Division at any branch office.
On the catching side, the harmful wildlife capture scheme pays, across the whole city, ¥11,000 per wild boar or sika deer, ¥17,000 per Japanese macaque and ¥1,000 per crow. The city writes that "wild boar breed strongly, and although the number caught is rising, the level of damage stays high".
Put the other way round, in the housing areas of the town centre, the east and the south, almost none of this applies. Within the same city, what comes round every year changes with the district.
Source:Imabari City wildlife damage prevention plan (drawn up in fiscal Reiwa 7, running fiscal Reiwa 8 to Reiwa 10, PDF)(the current damage, the trends, the reduction targets and the numbers caught are all for fiscal Reiwa 6) / the fencing grant is fromthe same, "About the grant for protective fencing (Imabari City grant for measures against damage to farm production)"(FYReiwa 8 (2026)) / Verified 2026-08-29
Apply before you buy the materials and before you install them. The city states plainly that "no grant can be paid once you have bought or installed". The counter is the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Division at the main office, or the Resident Services Division at any branch office.
On the catching side, the harmful wildlife capture scheme pays, across the whole city, ¥11,000 per wild boar or sika deer, ¥17,000 per Japanese macaque and ¥1,000 per crow. The city writes that "wild boar breed strongly, and although the number caught is rising, the level of damage stays high".
Put the other way round, in the housing areas of the town centre, the east and the south, almost none of this applies. Within the same city, what comes round every year changes with the district.
Shipbuilding and marine equipment are the city's workplacesThe city writes that "shipbuilding firms are concentrated in the Hashihama district in the north of Imabari". Shipbuilding here began in Meiji 35 with the building and repair of small vessels. The value of manufactured goods shipped is ¥1,045,100,000,000, second in Ehime Prefecture, from 476 establishments with 11,850 employees. The prefecture's land price survey writes that "shipbuilding … has orders in hand and there are signs of a brighter mood, while shipping demand, chiefly ocean-going, is firm".
Towels are being carried by inbound tourismThe same prefectural survey says: "in towel manufacturing, raw material costs have risen and passing them on has lagged, and while personal and gift demand has fallen, inbound and souvenir demand is firm". And also: "because the area is readily affected by its local industries, the effect of the coming economic situation and of the pace of recovery in business activity on land prices needs to be watched". Land prices in Imabari move with shipbuilding and towels.
Cycling is changing the centre of the townThe prefecture writes that "with the cycling boom of recent years, new hotels and rebuilding are seen in and around the city centre", and that "in the Omishima district, where tourist demand on the Shimanami Kaido has recovered, the rate of change is flat". Omishima is one of the few districts in the city where land prices have stopped falling.
Retail in the town centre is hollowing outAt the same time the prefecture writes that "in the city centre, hollowing out is marked as suburban large stores and roadside stores increase, and land prices are soft". The town centre in §2 is convenient to live in and weak as a shopping street — both are happening in the same place.
Are there burdens in Imabari you only find out about once you live there?
Wild boar. Damage to crops in fiscal Reiwa 6 came to ¥62,150,000, of which wild boar accounted for ¥43,430,000, about seven tenths. 1,758 were caught. The fencing grant can be applied for by an individual, capped at ¥50,000 for an electric fence, ¥100,000 for a protective fence and ¥150,000 for a combined fence.
CHAPTER 13What this place makes
What a place earns its living from shows up both at your dinner table and in your work once you live there. The amount raised through the hometown tax scheme is a rough measure of how many products a place has that people all over Japan choose.
¥3,622,680,000
The hometown tax receipts for fiscal Reiwa 7 (139,656 donations).
67th of the 1,788 municipalities in Japan, and 2nd within Ehime Prefecture
67th of the 1,788 municipalities in Japan, and 2nd within Ehime Prefecture
What this town names as its own products
What Imabari City officially lists as "the specialities of Imabari" is not food but these four. Imabari towels (begun in Meiji 27 with four looms, now the largest towel-producing area in Japan; the city writes that "more than half of the national output of 18,271 tonnes is made in Imabari". 108 companies, Reiwa 1); Sakurai lacquerware (begun in the Tempo years, 1830 to 1843, with a distinctive comb joint at the corners of stacked boxes; the maki-e and chinkin techniques were taken up as well); Kikuma roof tiles (about 750 years, from the Koan years, 1278 to 1287; the "smoked silver" tiles were chosen in Meiji 17 for the building of the Imperial Palace); Oshima granite (quarried on Oshima; used for high-grade gravestones, and in the National Diet Building, the Akasaka Palace and the Ehime Prefectural Office); Imabari yakitori, Imabari yakibuta tamago-meshi and Imabari ramen (the three the city presents as "Imabari local food"); and citrus (the prefectural land price survey describes the centre of the farm damage in Imabari as "satsumas and other citrus", grown on the terraced fields of the islands).
Source:Imabari City, "The specialities of Imabari"／Imabari City, "The local industries of Imabari"／Imabari City, "Food, specialities, souvenirs and accommodation"／Imabari City wildlife damage prevention plan (drawn up in fiscal Reiwa 7, PDF)/ Verified 2026-08-29You can support a town without living there
Even if a move is still some way off, you can be involved from today through the hometown tax scheme. Your donation goes straight to the municipality, and you choose what it is spent on. A way to give something back to a place you got to know here.
Source:Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Survey on the state of the hometown tax scheme (conducted FY Reiwa 8)", the table of amounts and numbers received (provisional FY Reiwa 7 settlement), tallied by this site. The rank is out of all 1,788 municipalities in that table / verified 2026-08-14What are the specialities of Imabari?
What the city officially lists is not food but four things: Imabari towels, Sakurai lacquerware, Kikuma roof tiles and Oshima granite. Hometown tax receipts came to ¥3,622,680,000 in fiscal Reiwa 7 (139,656 donations), 67th in Japan.
CHAPTER 14A message from Imabari City
How the receiving side sees it. Imabari City's relocation and settlement concept is "Imabari Time". The city writes: "Each in their own way, everyone can spend their time as they please. That 'Imabari Time' is a large part of what makes living in Imabari appealing." "Why not find your own 'Imabari Time'?"
There is one consultation desk at the main office and one on the islands.
Regional Policy Bureau, Regional Development Division (relocation and settlement section) — Bekku-cho 1-4-1, Imabari City / 0898-36-1514 / oide@imabari-city.jp
Shimanami Development Bureau, Shimanami Development Division (relocation and settlement section) — Hakata-cho Kanoura Ko 1668-30, Imabari City / 0897-72-8772 / sumou@imabari-city.jp
Enquiries about the islands are taken on the islands. As §2 showed, the Shimanami islands and Sekizen are places on completely different terms from the mainland. The city has put a dedicated division there.
Consultations run as a "daily consultation session", open right through the working week. Booking is required, and the hours are 8:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00 on weekdays. In person, by telephone, by email or online — any of them. The subjects you can raise are published too: about Imabari City / about work and starting a business / about daily life / about starting in farming, forestry or fishing / about buying or renting a vacant house / about the relocation grants.
Shimanami Development Bureau, Shimanami Development Division (relocation and settlement section) — Hakata-cho Kanoura Ko 1668-30, Imabari City / 0897-72-8772 / sumou@imabari-city.jp
Enquiries about the islands are taken on the islands. As §2 showed, the Shimanami islands and Sekizen are places on completely different terms from the mainland. The city has put a dedicated division there.
Consultations run as a "daily consultation session", open right through the working week. Booking is required, and the hours are 8:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00 on weekdays. In person, by telephone, by email or online — any of them. The subjects you can raise are published too: about Imabari City / about work and starting a business / about daily life / about starting in farming, forestry or fishing / about buying or renting a vacant house / about the relocation grants.
The vacant-home bank runs on the at-home platformImabari City's vacant-home bank is published on the local authority version of the at-home site (imabari-c38202.akiya-athome.jp). 75 houses for sale are registered. You can browse the list with photographs, which makes it a separate way in from the private listings in §4 (151 on SUUMO).
The cost of a trial stay is covered tooCome to Imabari! Come back to Imabari! grant for trial-stay support — for someone living outside Ehime Prefecture who has had a relocation consultation with Imabari City, the accommodation cost for them and one companion is subsidised at up to ¥5,000 per person per night, for up to 6 nights in the same year. The city is putting money behind coming to look first.
There is a grant for the letting side as wellSumo Imabari! grant for housing improvement and letting — someone who owns a vacant house registered in their sole name in the city can receive part of the renovation cost if they register it on the Imabari City vacant-home bank for 2 years or more and let it to a mover under a tenancy agreement. There is a way in for the side putting a house out, not only for the side buying.
Regional revitalisation volunteers, and a trial versionBesides the regional revitalisation volunteer scheme, the city also recruits for a "trial regional revitalisation volunteer" scheme. A hometown working holiday is running as well. Several ways in that are not moving house all at once are on offer.
Does Imabari welcome people moving in, and where do I ask?
The city's relocation and settlement concept is "Imabari Time". There are two consultation desks: the Regional Development Division at the main office (0898-36-1514) and the Shimanami Development Division on Hakatajima (0897-72-8772). They take bookings every weekday.
CHAPTER 15A year in Imabari
Figures alone do not convey it, so here is what happens in this place from January to December. Temperatures and rainfall are the long-term averages for the Imabari AMeDAS (30-year average, 1991–2020).
| Month | Temperature (daily high / daily low) | What happens this month |
|---|---|---|
| month 1 | 9.8°C / 1.8°C / rain 49.6 mm | The coldest month of the year. Winter days (mornings whose low falls below 0°C) number 20.1 a year, gathered in this month and February. The windscreen freezes in the morning |
| month 2 | 10.3°C / 1.7°C / rain 59.8 mm | The month with the coldest mornings. The city writes that wild boar damage "goes on until the late citrus harvest ends, around February" |
| month 3 | 13.6°C / 4.3°C / rain 96.6 mm | Rain starts to increase. The month when the change of fiscal year moves the most people in and out. The first round of the vacant-home renovation grant opens in early April, so have your preliminary talk during this month |
| month 4 | 18.8°C / 8.8°C / rain 97.0 mm | The first round of the vacant-home renovation grant (7 to 28 April in fiscal Reiwa 8). If applications exceed the budget it goes to a draw. The Sekizen ferry timetable also changes this month (from 1 April, Reiwa 8) |
| month 5 | 23.6°C / 13.7°C / rain 111.8 mm | The gentlest weather of the year. The towel fair at Texport Imabari is around May. The second round of the vacant-home renovation grant runs from 11 May, first come first served while the budget lasts |
| month 6 | 26.4°C / 18.4°C / rain 196.2 mm | The rainy season. The wettest month of the year. This is the month to open the city's combined disaster map (mainland and islands editions) again (§5) |
| month 7 | 30.7°C / 22.7°C / rain 191.8 mm | The second wettest month after June. The beaches open. Onmaku, the citizens' festival, falls around now as well |
| month 8 | 32.2°C / 23.9°C / rain 93.8 mm | The hottest month. Even so, tropical nights number 10.8 a year, less than half Matsuyama's 26.2. The wind off the sea brings the night down (§6) |
| month 9 | 28.2°C / 20.4°C / rain 165.2 mm | The typhoon season. The third wettest month. Boats stop in bad weather — in the settlements you can only reach by boat, such as Sekizen, Kurushima and Umashima, this is the month that bites hardest |
| month 10 | 22.9°C / 14.6°C / rain 122.2 mm | The citrus harvest begins. The towel fair at Texport Imabari is around October. The city writes that wild boar damage runs "to rice and root crops from late September" |
| month 11 | 17.3°C / 8.9°C / rain 69.6 mm | The rain eases. The satsuma harvest. On the city's figures, this is the peak of wildlife damage to citrus |
| month 12 | 12.2°C / 4.1°C / rain 59.4 mm | The driest stretch of the year begins. The fiscal Reiwa 8 deadline for the migration support grant is 26 February, Reiwa 9 — moving before the year is out leaves room to spare |
The information on this site is gathered by an AI that visits primary sources — municipalities, the Japan Meteorological Agency, national statistics — on a regular cycle, and it is updated with a source and a date of verification attached.
What is a year in Imabari like?
June is the wettest month at 196.2 mm, with July next at 191.8 mm. April brings the first round of the vacant-home renovation grant, and September is the month when typhoons stop the boats.
CHAPTER 16The people who run this city
When you are thinking of moving, who is running this city and where they are taking it is, I think, something the people about to live there want to know even more than those already living there. This chapter sets out, with sources, only what Imabari City publishes itself. 🔴 As of 28 August 2026, following the official site, I (the AI) found 6 of the 6 below. The mayor of Imabari City is Tokunaga Shigeki (confirmed on the city's own page).
| What is published | Published | What you can read |
|---|---|---|
| About the mayor | The mayor's room | Name, career, greeting |
| Policy address | Policy statements and addresses | What they say they will do this year |
| List of council members | List of city council members | Who the members are, and their groupings |
| Council broadcasts and recordings | City council internet broadcasts | Whether you can watch the council in session |
| Searchable minutes | [3rd regular session] The preliminary minutes have been published. | Whether you can search past debates by wording |
| Master plan | The comprehensive plan and other plans | How many years ahead this town has decided |
The mayor of Imabari CityTokunaga Shigeki. Date of birth:Showa 44 (1969), 11/10 .
🔴 Age and gender have not been guessed from the name.Only what is published is reproduced here, as published.Imabari City introduction page →
🔴 Age and gender have not been guessed from the name.Only what is published is reproduced here, as published.Imabari City introduction page →
How much of the council can you see?A list of members, live or recorded broadcasts of full sessions, and searchable minutes — where these three are published, you can read a town's debates for yourself before you ever move there.
🔴 The names, photographs and social media of individual council members are not carried on this site. We point you to where you can read them.
Once you have moved, when your own turn to decide comes round is something those three will tell you.
🔴 The names, photographs and social media of individual council members are not carried on this site. We point you to where you can read them.
Once you have moved, when your own turn to decide comes round is something those three will tell you.
How many years ahead has been decidedIn Imabari City,The comprehensive plan and other plans. A master plan usually sets outwhat the town has decided to do and by whenand ,where it intends to halt its population decline. 🔴 The period and the population target are not copied out on this site — plans get revised, and a misreading changes the meaning.Please check the official text from the link below.The comprehensive plan and other plans →
🔴 What I do not do in this chapter1. I do not guess sex or age from a name. Only what is published is shown. 2. I do not write that anything is good or bad. Only what is being put forward, and where it comes from. 3. I do not compare election candidates.
🔴 And mayors change. This site always records the date it checked (28 August 2026), and reopens the original page every time to check by machine that the name is still there. If you notice something has gone out of date even so, please let us know.
🔴 And mayors change. This site always records the date it checked (28 August 2026), and reopens the original page every time to check by machine that the name is still there. If you notice something has gone out of date even so, please let us know.
Who runs Imabari City now?
The mayor of Imabari City is Tokunaga Shigeki (confirmed on the Imabari City official site on 29 August 2026). What this site looks for is the 6 things: an introduction to the head of the authority, the policy statement, the list of council members, the broadcasting of council meetings, a search for the minutes, and the comprehensive plan. 🔴 No judgement of good or bad is made here. Only whether something is published or not.
CHAPTER 17Where to go on a day off
What does not show up in the numbers of a house search, yet bears directly on how satisfied you are once you live somewhere, is days off. This chapter counts, on the same measure for every area, the places you can go on a day off around Imabari (the Shimanami Kaido) and the places family and friends can stay when they visit. This is a town with Setonaikai National Park. The area currently has 14 hot spring and day bathing facilities, 1 amusement park, zoo or aquarium, and 5 roadside stations. 🔴 All the counts are the numbers registered in the map data (OpenStreetMap) — in reality there may be more.
| What | Number counted, and names |
|---|---|
| ⛰ National and quasi-national parks | Setonaikai National Park |
| ♨ Hot springs and day baths | Kogane-yu, Honmachi Onsen, Koiike-yu, Seseragi Koryukan, Horai Onsen, Naniwa Sauna, Kurhaus Imabari, Shimanami Onsen / Kisuke no Yu, 14 facilities in all |
| 🏯 Castles and castle sites | Noshima Castle site and Amazaki Castle site (2) |
| 🎡 Amusement parks, zoos and aquariums | Noma Uma Highland |
| 🖼 Museums, galleries and memorial halls | Jozenji Treasure Museum, Imabari Castle, the Murakami Santo Memorial Museum, the Imabari City Asakura Furusato Art and Tumulus Museum, the Murakami Suigun Museum, the Imabari City Kono Art Museum, the Imabari City Tamagawa Museum of Modern Art (Tokusei Memorial Hall) and the Imabari City Kikuma-cho Kawara-kan, 22 in all |
| ⛩ Shrines and temples | 186 shrines and 117 temples. Those with a Wikipedia article are Temple 59 Iyo Kokubun-ji, Temple 54 Enmei-ji, Temple 55 Nankobo, Temple 57 Eifuku-ji, Temple 58 Senyu-ji, Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine, Koun-ji and Toen-bo |
| 🚗 Roadside stations | Shimanami no Eki Mishima, Yoshiumi Ikiiki-kan, Imabari Tatara Shimanami Park, Imabari Yunoura Onsen, Hakata S・C Park (5) |
| 🐕 Dog runs | Not found in the map data |
Somewhere to stay — for family and friends, and for your own travels
| What | Number counted |
|---|---|
| 🏨 Hotels and ryokan | 28 |
| 🏠 Guesthouses and hostels | 18 |
| ⛺ Campsites and auto-campsites | Mijikajima Camping Ground, Kamoike Coastal Park, Tatara Camping Ground, Karei-yama Observation Park Camping Ground, Kyukamura Setouchi Toyo Seaside Camping Ground, Shimegaura Park Camping Ground, Osumikaihin Koen Camping Ground and Sakuraikaihinfureaihiro Camping Ground, 17 in all |
| 🏕 Glamping | Not found among the campsite or hotel names |
| 🚐 RV parks (overnight in your vehicle) | Shimanami Kaido RV Park Seaside M, RV Park Shimanami Kaido Omishima |
This table is the result of me (an AI) putting the same question to the map data for every area (areas are retrieved in batches, so the verification date on some pages is a day apart). Facilities not registered on the map are not counted. "Not found" does not mean "there are none" — nor that the town is any the lesser for it.
Sources: the counts and names of facilities fromOpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) / RV parks fromJapan RV Association, list of certified "Kuruma-tabi" RV parks / roadside stations fromMinistry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, list of "michi-no-eki" roadside stations / national parks are determined by overlaying the area data of the Ministry of the Environment Biodiversity Center with the National Land Numerical Information administrative boundaries (for quasi-national parks the municipalities concerned are checked on the page the park name links to) / checked 2026-08-28Are there places to go on a day off, and places to stay?
Counting from the map data (OpenStreetMap), there are 14 hot spring and day bathing facilities, 1 amusement park, zoo or aquarium, 5 roadside stations, 28 hotels and inns and 18 guesthouses. Facilities not on the map are not counted, so in reality there may be more (details in §17).
What I (an AI) was able to find on this town's official site
This site reads the official sites of every area it covers on the same 30 items, out of 100, to measure how quickly someone thinking of moving can reach the information they need. The site measured was that of Imabari City, and the total was 59 points (measured 28 August 2026).
"Not found" does not mean "there is none." It means I followed the official site and could not find it. Tell us the published page and the next measurement will reflect it.
| Area | Score | What was found |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started with a move | 14 / 20 | Has a relocation and settlement page, has a dedicated relocation site, has an enquiry desk (department, telephone, opening hours), and 1 more |
| Housing | 9 / 15 | There is an akiya bank; listings carry photographs, price, year built and floor area; completed deals are organised |
| The money side of living here | 3 / 15 | Water and sewerage charges can be read from a quick-reference table; national health insurance tax and property tax are explained |
| Disaster information | 17 / 20 | Hazard maps are published by district; flood, landslide and earthquake are all covered; they are machine-readable (a map system or text PDF); and 1 more |
| Industry and local produce | 8 / 10 | A list of local speciality products is on the official site; hometown tax results are published year by year; there are support schemes for businesses and industry |
| Transport | 4 / 10 | There is a community bus timetable |
| Can an AI read it? | 4 / 10 | Every page carries an updated date; statistics are published as Excel or CSV; open data is published |
See all 30 items and the pages used to judge them
3 / 3 There is a relocation and settlement pageImabari City grant to support employment for U/I/J-turn students Go and see → 3 / 3 There is a dedicated relocation site
Imabari Kurashi Go and see → 3 / 3 A contact point (department, telephone, opening hours)
3 of department, telephone and opening hours were stated Go and see → 5 / 5 Support schemes state amounts and conditions
Both amounts and conditions Go and see → 0 / 3 There is trial housing or a trial-stay scheme
Not found 0 / 3 Vacancies in trial housing are published
Not found 4 / 4 There is an akiya bank
There is a municipal akiya bank 1 / 4 Listings carry photographs, price, year built and floor area
27 of 75 (36%) have all 4 items 4 / 4 Completed deals are organised
No completed deals appear in the list 0 / 3 The conditions of use are stated
Not found 1 / 5 Water and sewerage charges are readable from a rate table
There is a water and sewerage page Go and see → 0 / 5 Child-raising support is specific about amounts and scope
Not found 2 / 3 There are explanations of national health insurance tax and fixed asset tax
Either the rate or the amount is stated Go and see → 0 / 2 Tie-ups with banks for mortgages and the like
Not found 5 / 5 Hazard maps are published by district
31 documents by district Go and see → 5 / 5 Flood, landslide and earthquake are all covered
Flood / landslide / earthquake Go and see → 0 / 3 The year the assumptions were last reviewed is stated
Not found Go and see → 4 / 4 Is it machine-readable (a map system or a text PDF)?
Viewable in a map system Go and see → 3 / 3 Disasters are announced through more than one channel
Disaster email / disaster app / social media / municipal loudspeakers Go and see → 5 / 5 A list of local speciality products is on the official site
6 items (the city's official site) Go and see → 1 / 3 Hometown tax results are published year by year
1 fiscal year is recorded Go and see → 2 / 2 There are support schemes for businesses and industry
For businesses Go and see → 4 / 4 There is a community bus timetable
Go and see → 0 / 3 Fares are stated
Not found Go and see → 0 / 3 The date of the last revision is given
Not found Go and see → 1 / 3 Every page carries an updated date
1 of the 14 pages read Go and see → 0 / 2 There is a sitemap.xml
Not found 0 / 2 Site search runs on the server side
We could not find a search form Go and see → 2 / 2 Statistics are published as Excel or CSV
Go and see → 1 / 1 Open data is published
Go and see →
Compare with other towns → For municipalities and local organisations (get in touch here) →
Measured by this site. The URL of each official website was taken from the municipality information published by Furusato Choice. The score is a score for publishing information, not a score for how good a place is to live / checked 2026-08-28Compare with other areas
Every page has the same 17 chapters in the same order. Move between them and you can compare the same line.
Areas in Chugoku and Shikoku
Hatsukaichi (Miyajima, a World Heritage site; 23 minutes to Hiroshima)Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshimalistings227 listings / ¥2,000,000–Yonago (Mount Daisen and Nakaumi; the merchant town of San'in)Yonago City, Tottorilistings165 listings / ¥2,980,000–Kochi (yosakoi, the Sunday market and the trams)Kochi City, Kochilistings823 listings / ¥1,000,000–Fukuyama (a castle town where the Nozomi stops; the city of a million roses)Fukuyama City, Hiroshimalistings551 listings / ¥1,000,000–Places you could look at for a similar price
Fukui (Ichijodani and the Asuwa River, the Hokuriku Shinkansen)Fukui City, Fukuilistings145 listings / ¥2,200,000–Osaki (Furukawa and Naruko Onsen)Osaki City, Miyagilistings148 listings / ¥2,200,000–AtamiAtami City, Shizuokalistings180 listings / ¥2,300,000–Akita (the Kanto festival and the port, on the Sea of Japan side of Tohoku)Akita City, Akitalistings259 listings / ¥2,000,000–Is there a mistake on this page?
This page is made by an AI. A number transposed, a scheme that has since changed, a link that no longer works — if you find one, please tell us. No name and no email address are needed. Just what is wrong, and how.
Anything you report is checked by me (an AI) against the primary source before it is corrected. When it is corrected, the "Last verified" date on this page changes.
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