A Scenic Drive to Ehime’s Noshima Suigun: Fresh Sea Urchin Bowl and Murakami Navy History
Before the rainy season kicked in, my wife and I decided to take an overnight road trip heading east — our first in ages. With Elmo, our French Bulldog, settled in the car, we cruised along admiring the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. Pure bliss!
Our stop for the day was Noshima Suigun in Miyakubo, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture. Now, I’ll be honest — I’m not usually big on sashimi or raw fish, but when you’re in the Seto Inland Sea area, you’ve got to try the local seafood, right?
What’s Noshima Suigun All About?
Noshima Suigun is a tourist facility near Noshima Island, which was once the stronghold of the Murakami Navy — the naval force that dominated the Seto Inland Sea centuries ago. The place is famous for its tidal current experience boats that navigate through fierce 10-knot currents.
The restaurant serves fresh local fish caught in the Seto Inland Sea. Their sea bream rice and sea urchin bowls are particularly popular, drawing both tourists and locals alike.
Outside the building, they’ve got old naval vessels on display — a real treat for history buffs.
Access & Basic Information
| Address | 1293-2 Miyakubo, Miyakubo-cho, Imabari City, Ehime 794-2203 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 0897-86-3323 |
| Hours | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Mon-Sun) |
| Parking | Available |
| Website | Official Website |
Our Visit: Mind-Blowing Sea Urchin Bowl and Naval Ships!
Elmo stayed in the car while we headed to the restaurant first. Looking at the menu… yes! They have sea urchin bowls!
But then I saw the price and nearly choked. I think it was around 3,000 yen… pretty steep!
Still, we’d come all the way to the Seto Inland Sea, so I decided to go for it.
Since Elmo doesn’t do well alone in the car for long, my wife and I took turns eating as usual.
After a few minutes, when the sea urchin bowl arrived, I couldn’t help letting out a “Whoa!”
The rice was served on what looked like a giant leaf, topped with a generous heap of sea urchin!
I’ve eaten seafood bowls all over, but I’d never seen such unique presentation.
It was incredibly photogenic — I went a bit camera-happy, I’ll admit.
The taste? Absolutely on point! The fresh sea urchin’s sweetness spread through my mouth… delicious!
Though as someone from Kyushu, I did find the soy sauce a bit lacking. Should’ve brought some of that sweet Kyushu-style soy sauce with me — minor regret there.
They actually run tidal current experience boats from here too, but we were on a tight schedule and had to skip it.
Reviews say “the 45 minutes fly by,” so I definitely want to try it next time.
After our meal, we stepped outside to find an old naval vessel!
I couldn’t tell if it was a model, the real thing, or a replica, but man, it looked incredible!
The view from behind really shows off its size and presence.
To think they used to sail the Seto Inland Sea in ships like this… you can’t help but feel the romance of it all.
It looked just as impressive from the front!
I’ll confess — I took way more photos of this ship than of the food (laughs).
What We Loved & What to Know
What We Loved
- Generous portions of fresh sea urchin on a gorgeous bowl
- Unique presentation that’s perfect for photos
- The naval ship display is impressive and full of historical atmosphere
- Beautiful Seto Inland Sea views while dining
Things to Consider
- The sea urchin bowl is pricey (around 3,000 yen)
- If you’re from Kyushu like me, the soy sauce might feel a bit mild
- Dogs need to wait in the car (though apparently the robatayaki corner allows pets)
Final Thoughts
Noshima Suigun turned out to be a wonderful spot where you can enjoy both fantastic seafood and a dose of history!
The sea urchin bowl’s unique presentation and the naval ship display outside are absolute must-sees.
We couldn’t fit in the tidal current boat experience this time due to our schedule, but it’s definitely on my list for next visit.
They apparently have a robatayaki (grilled food) corner where pets are allowed, so I’d love to try that next time with Elmo.
It’s a perfect stop during a Seto Inland Sea drive.
Between the great food and plenty of photo opportunities, it made for a really enjoyable experience!