How walkable is Matsuyama?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Matsuyama has a walkability score of 72 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it very walkable: most errands can be done on foot. It is the 39th most walkable of the 70 cities ranked in Japan.
What's within walking distance of the centre
2,486 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Matsuyama. The nearest grocery is about 5 minutes away on foot. Every category earns full or nearly full points.
Groceries
- だいいちフルーツ, 8 min
- Furatto, 10 min
Restaurants & bars
- リストランテ ミカニア, 3 min
- 今治焼き鳥 いここい, 3 min
Shopping
- セブン-イレブン, 3 min
- ロープウェー商店街 (坂の上の雲の町商店街) Ropeway Street, 3 min
Coffee
- お茶屋乙鳥, 3 min
- 10 Factory, 3 min
Banks
- 愛媛県信用農業協同組合連合会（ＪＡ愛媛信連） 愛媛県庁支店, 4 min
- 伊予銀行愛媛県庁支店, 4 min
Parks
- 東雲公園, 9 min
- 八坂公園, 13 min
Schools
- 松山東雲中学・高等学校, 4 min
- 親愛幼稚園, 4 min
Books & libraries
- 書友閣松山店, 6 min
- 向井書店, 10 min
Culture & entertainment
- 松山市三番町, 4 min
- ジョイサウンド, 5 min
Measured from the centre at 33.8430, 132.7684, the point near Matsuyama's middle with the most places in walking range. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the centre there are about 203 street intersections per km², and blocks average 62 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Matsuyama's score of 72 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 96 within 1 km of the centre, 80 from 1 to 3 km out and 62 from 3 to 5 km out. 70% of the sampled area scores 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot. Walkability falls off steeply away from the centre, so check a specific address on the map.
- 90+
- 70–89
- 50–69
- 25–49
- 0–24
Each hexagon is the score at a point, 1 km from its neighbours, across the 5 km around central Matsuyama. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 100 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 96 | 100% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 80 | 77% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 62 | 60% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Hiroshima, Japan | 69 km | 76 |
| Kochi, Japan | 78 km | 61 |
| Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan | 91 km | 60 |
| Kurashiki, Japan | 124 km | 56 |
| Ōita, Japan | 127 km | 66 |
Questions about walking in Matsuyama
Is Matsuyama a walkable city?
Around its centre, yes. Matsuyama has a walkability score of 72 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it very walkable: most errands can be done on foot. Its centre scores 100. The score covers about 80 km² around the busiest point rather than the whole city, and suburbs further out are usually less walkable, so check a specific address on the map. It ranks 39th of 70 cities in Japan and joint 255th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Japan?
Tokyo is the most walkable of the 70 cities ranked in Japan, with a score of 98. Matsuyama ranks 39th with 72.
How does Matsuyama compare with nearby cities?
Matsuyama sits between its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 72, against Hiroshima (76, 69 km away), Kochi (61, 78 km away) and Fukuyama, Hiroshima (60, 91 km away).
Which part of Matsuyama is most walkable?
Matsuyama's most walkable area is its centre, the point near the middle of the city with the most places in walking range, which scores 100. Walkability averages 96 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the south (averaging 82) and falls most to the north-east (21).
How is Matsuyama's walkability score calculated?
For Matsuyama it is the average of 82 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 57 of them score 70 or more. Each point counts groceries, restaurants, shops, cafés, banks, parks, schools, libraries and cultural venues within a 30 minute walk, gives nearer places more weight, and loses up to 20% where streets are sparse or blocks are long, using open map data from Overture Maps (release 2026-09-23.1) and OpenStreetMap. It measures what is within a walk, not what the walk is like: pavements, traffic, safety, hills and heat are not part of the score.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. City position and population from GeoNames.
Ask about walking anywhere in ChatGPT with the How Walkable app, for example "How walkable is Matsuyama?"