November 2026 Events in Ehime: Museums, Zoo Lights and Festivals for a Day Out With Children

This guide lists events and exhibitions in Ehime Prefecture in November 2026 that suit a day out with children: museums and workshops, zoo lights, a harbor market, a stargazing night and a sumo tournament. For each one it gives the dates, cost, how to get there and parking, as published by the venue or organizer. All facts were checked on October 5, 2026. Where a page says the workshop language is Japanese, this guide says so. Where a page does not say whether English is supported, this guide does not claim it.

1. All the events at a glance

Depends on the organizer

Parking and prices differ at every venue, so use the table to see which ones need a car. Prices include tax and are in yen.

Event	Where	Dates	Cost
Science Museum special exhibition	Niihama	Oct 3 to Nov 23	Adults ¥400, students ¥200
Setouchi Minato Marche	Imabari	Nov 8 and 22 (usual schedule)	Free entry
Ehime Museum of Art	Matsuyama	Oct 3 to Nov 8; from Nov 21	By exhibition
Tobe Zoo Illumination	Tobe	Nov 7, 14, 21, 22, 28	Zoo admission
Kodomo-no-Shiro	Matsuyama	Through Nov 29	Pass: adults ¥1,200, children ¥500
Starry-sky bar	Kuma Kogen	Nov 6	Adults ¥3,500
History and Culture Museum	Seiyo	Through Nov 23; Nov 15	Adults ¥650
Otsuki Sumo	Seiyo (Nomura)	Nov 24 and 25	¥1,500 in advance

2. What is on?

2.1 Ehime Prefectural Science Museum (愛媛県総合科学博物館), Niihama City

Depends on the venue

The special exhibition “WHO ARE WE: Biology of Observation and Discovery, National Museum of Nature and Science Collection, Vol. 01 Mammals” runs from Saturday, October 3 to Monday, November 23. It shows mammal specimens from the collection of the National Museum of Nature and Science. The special exhibition ticket is ¥400 for adults (high school age and up) and ¥200 for elementary and junior high school students. A ticket for the special exhibition plus the permanent exhibition is ¥700 for adults and ¥200 for students. Preschool children are free. The museum is open 9:00 to 17:30 (last entry 17:00). The museum is closed on November 4, 9 and 16.

Workshops on weekends and holidays at the entrance hall, 10:00 to 11:30 and 13:30 to 15:00, first come, first served, until materials run out:

• “Tail brooch” (しっぽブローチ), faux fur, uses a needle and thread: ¥400, 20 people per session, October 3 to November 23.
• “Terrarium of the forest of life” (命の森のテラリウム), succulents and animal figures: ¥1,200, 5 people per session, November 14 to 23.

Planetarium. The staff’s live-commentary program “Hoshizora Palette” (ほしぞらパレット) is on Friday, November 6 at 14:00 to 14:45, and on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8 at 13:30 to 14:15. The topic is the Earth-centered and Sun-centered views of the universe. Planetarium tickets are ¥580 for adults and ¥300 for elementary and junior high school students and people aged 65 and over. The museum says the content is for upper elementary school children and older; younger children may enter if they are quiet.

Getting there: the museum is about 2 km (about 5 minutes) from Iyo-Saijo IC on the Matsuyama Expressway, with 320 car spaces and 8 bus spaces. From JR Iyo-Saijo Station or JR Niihama Station, a taxi takes about 15 minutes. Ehime Prefectural Science Museum: 愛媛県新居浜市大生院2133-2. Google Maps.

2.2 Setouchi Minato Marche (せとうちみなとマルシェ), Imabari City

Depends on the organizer

A harbor market with up to 100 booths of seafood, local vegetables, food and goods. It is held on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month from 9:00 to 14:00, so November’s dates under that rule are Sunday, November 8 and Sunday, November 22. The organizer says there can be irregular dates and time changes. The official page listed the next market as October 11, so check it before you go. Entry is basically free, though some events charge a fee.

The market is at the “Sea Concourse” of Minato Koryu Center “Harbary” (みなと交流センター はーばりー). It is held in rain unless there is a storm or other danger. Wheelchairs and strollers can enter, and pets can come on a leash. There is no car park for visitors, so use a nearby paid car park. It is about a 20-minute walk from JR Imabari Station, or about 7 minutes by Setouchi Bus from the station to “Imabari Sanbashi”. Minato Koryu Center: 今治市片原町1丁目100番地3. Google Maps. The office is inside the Imabari Regional Tourism Association.

2.3 Ehime Museum of Art (愛媛県美術館), Matsuyama City

Depends on the venue

The museum is open 9:40 to 18:00 (last entry 17:30).

• Jimmy Onishi “Hometown” (ジミー大西「ホームタウン」): October 3 to Sunday, November 8, in the main building’s first floor. Day-of tickets are ¥1,200 for general visitors, ¥1,000 for high school and university students and ¥800 for elementary and junior high school students. People with a disability certificate and one helper enter free. The ticket also lets you see the collection exhibition on the same day. Closed on November 4.
• Mozu Miniature Exhibition 2 “Peek into a small world” (Mozuミニチュア展2): Saturday, November 21 to Monday, January 11, 2027. Advance tickets are ¥1,500 for general visitors and ¥800 for elementary and junior high school students, and day-of tickets are ¥1,700 and ¥900. A ticket with goods is ¥2,600 and is sold only on Asoview. Advance sales end on Friday, November 20, at Asoview, Lawson Ticket, Seven Ticket, Ticket Pia and others. Closed on November 24 and 30. Questions: the exhibition committee at the broadcaster iTV, 089-921-2192 (weekdays 9:00 to 17:30).

Workshops. The museum’s workshop pages say the language is Japanese.

• Marbling an original notebook (マーブリングでオリジナルノート): Sunday, November 8 and 15 at 10:30 to 11:30 and 14:00 to 15:00, in Atelier 2. Materials ¥200, 12 people per session. Elementary school children and younger need a parent. Book through the reservation form on the event page.
• Silk-screen printing (シルクスクリーンの刷り体験): Saturday, November 21, any time from 14:30 to 16:30, in South Building Atelier 1. ¥1,500, about 15 minutes, no reservation needed. You print an illustration by Hiroshi Manabe on a cotton bag in one color.
• Indigo dyeing (インド藍の染め体験): Saturday, November 28, any time from 14:30 to 16:30, in South Building Atelier 2. ¥1,500, about 30 minutes, no reservation needed. You dye a towel with a tie-dye pattern. The museum says travelers to Ehime can also join.

The collection exhibition costs ¥340 for general visitors and ¥230 for high school and university students; junior high school students and younger are free. Getting there: from JR Matsuyama Station, take the streetcar toward Dogo Onsen or Matsuyama-shi Station for 7 minutes, get off at “Minami-Horibata (Ehime Museum of Art)”, and walk 3 minutes. There is no car park for the museum in Shiroyama Park. The Prefectural Office West car park allows up to 2 hours, but spaces are limited, so the museum asks you to use public transport. Phone: 089-932-0010. 愛媛県美術館: 松山市堀之内. Google Maps.

2.4 Tobe Zoo Illumination 2026 (とべZOOイルミネーション), Tobe Town

Depends on the venue

The lights are on Saturday, November 7, Saturday, November 14, Saturday, November 21, Sunday, November 22 and Saturday, November 28 from 17:00 to 20:30. Entry is until 19:30. On November 7 only, the lights are on from 18:00 to 20:30, with a lighting ceremony at 18:00 in the Oasis Garden (in the Animal Stage if it rains). The zoo says you can enjoy the illumination with the regular admission fee. Admission: adults ¥600, high school students ¥200, elementary and junior high school students ¥100, seniors aged 65 and over ¥300. Children under 6 and people with a disability certificate are free.

After 17:00 you can see only the illumination area, and only a few animals: the snake house, flamingos, Indian peafowl and cranes, the outdoor penguin area, the sea lion house and the South American animal house. Greetings and photos with costumed “Mikyan” (18:00 and 19:00) and “Peace” the polar bear (18:30 and 19:30) are held in the Oasis Garden, except on November 7. The zoo’s restaurant SKY GARDEN is open 11:00 to 20:00 (last order 19:30).

Getting there: take an Iyotetsu bus from Matsuyama-shi Station (stop 3) or Iyo-Tachibana Station to “Tobe Dobutsuen-mae”. The zoo is normally closed on Mondays. Parking is ¥300 per car per visit. The car park below the zoo has 300 spaces, and the East car park has 1,700 spaces. You leave free if you exit the same gate within 30 minutes. Tobe Zoo: 愛媛県伊予郡砥部町上原町240. Google Maps. Phone: 089-962-6000.

2.5 Ehime Kodomo-no-Shiro (えひめこどもの城), Matsuyama City

Depends on the venue

To thank visitors for reaching 10 million, the park sells a “play-equipment free pass” (遊具フリーパス) from Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, November 29. It costs ¥1,200 for adults and ¥500 for children, and ¥100 less if you buy it in the Mikyan app. The zip line and the four-wheel buggy are not covered. It is cancelled in rain. Passes are issued by a ticket machine.

“Happy Halloween 2026” is on Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1 from 10:00 to 16:00. It is free, no sign-up is needed, and it is cancelled in rain. The park says children who say “Trick or treat!” get sweets. On Tuesday, November 3 (a holiday), the 42nd Recycle Flea Market is held from 9:20 to 14:00 in the Matsuyama-side parking lot B, also cancelled in rain.

The park is open 9:00 to 17:00 and closed on Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday). The page does not state an entrance fee. Parking is ¥300 per visit. The Matsuyama-side car park has 395 car spaces and the Tobe-side car park has 105. If you use both the Kodomo-no-Shiro car park and the Tobe Zoo car park on the same day, one of the parking fees is waived, for ordinary cars only; keep your receipt and get a certificate at the park’s information desk or the zoo’s management office. By bus, take the Iyotetsu bus from stop B4 at Matsuyama-shi Station to “Ehime Kodomo-no-Shiro” (about 40 minutes, every 30 minutes). Kodomo-no-Shiro: 愛媛県松山市西野町乙108-1. Google Maps. Phone: 089-963-3300.

2.6 Kuma Tabi starry-sky bar (久万旅 星空に乾杯！高原の星降るBAR), Kuma Kogen Town

Depends on the organizer

On Friday, November 6 from 19:30 to 21:30, curators of the observatory (天体観測館) tell stories about the stars. The fee is ¥3,500 for adults and ¥1,500 for elementary school students. Capacity is 30, and the event runs only if at least 10 people sign up. The meeting point is the free site of the Kuma Kogen Furusato Ryokoson Campground (久万高原町下畑野川乙488). The page says autumn nights in Kuma Kogen are cold, so bring warm clothes. Book through the Kuma Kogen Tourism Association, yoyaku_km@kuma-kanko.com (inquiries 9:00 to 17:00).

2.7 Ehime Museum of History and Culture (愛媛県歴史文化博物館), Seiyo City

Depends on the venue

The special exhibition “Iyo Matsuyama Castle: Castle, Palace and Castle Town” runs from Saturday, September 19 to Monday, November 23. A special exhibition ticket is ¥650 for adults (high school age and up), ¥400 for people aged 65 and over and ¥400 for elementary and junior high school students. A combined ticket for the permanent exhibitions and the special exhibition is ¥900, ¥650 and ¥400. Preschool children are free. The museum is open 9:00 to 17:30 (last entry 17:00) and closed on November 4, 9 and 16.

The 18th “Hanibo Acorn Marche” (第18回 はに坊のどんぐりマルシェ), a museum anniversary event, is on Sunday, November 15 from 10:00 to 16:00 in the front entrance, escalator hall and entrance hall. Applications from sellers have closed.

Getting there: it is about 50 minutes from Matsuyama IC to Seiyo-Uwa IC on the expressway, and the museum has 156 car spaces and 8 bus spaces. By train, take the limited express from JR Matsuyama Station (about 1 hour) to JR Unomachi Station, then a bus to “Hakubutsukan-mae” or a taxi (5 to 10 minutes). Museum: 愛媛県西予市宇和町卯之町4-11-2. Google Maps. Phone: 0894-62-6222.

2.8 The 175th Otsuki Sumo (乙亥大相撲), Seiyo City (Nomura)

Depends on the organizer

This sumo tournament is held on Tuesday, November 24 and Wednesday, November 25 at Otsuki Kaikan (乙亥会館) in Nomura, Seiyo City. Wrestlers from the Japan Sumo Association take part, and the city says it is the only tournament in Japan where professional wrestlers face amateur competitors. Admission tickets are ¥1,500 in advance and ¥2,000 on the day, and children in junior high school and younger are free. Advance tickets are planned to go on sale from October 9 at Otsuki Kaikan, Seiyo City offices, Fuji Grand stores, Ticket Pia and Lawson Ticket, among others.

Baby ring-entering ceremony (稚児の土俵入り): a top-division wrestler holds a baby and stamps his feet, on November 24 from 15:45 and November 25 from 15:30. It is for babies born from August 2025 to August 2026 who can hold up their heads. Applications run from October 20 to 30 at the Seiyo Chamber of Commerce Nomura office, 0894-72-0339, and a lottery is held if there are many. The congratulatory fee is ¥35,000 or ¥45,000, depending on the wrestler. Ringside box seats (3 people per box, 54 boxes a day) are ¥15,000 per box with lunch boxes and souvenirs, from the same office and the same period.

A free shuttle bus runs on both days from the Mikame area (三瓶) and Uwa area to Otsuki Kaikan. It leaves the Mikame Branch Office (三瓶支所前) at 8:50, JR Unomachi Station at 9:20, Shimo-Uwa Community Hall at 9:25 and Akema Community Hall at 9:35, and arrives at 10:00. It leaves Otsuki Kaikan at 17:30 and reaches JR Unomachi Station at 18:00. Temporary car parks include the Nomura Elementary School ground. General questions: Seiyo Nomura Tourism Association, 0894-72-1115. Otsuki Kaikan: 愛媛県西予市野村町野村12-10. Google Maps.

3. How do I plan the day?

Depends on the venue

One area a day. Matsuyama, Tobe, Niihama, Imabari, Kuma Kogen and Seiyo are far apart. In Matsuyama you can visit the museum by day and Tobe Zoo for the lights in the evening, using streetcars and buses. If you drive, using both the Kodomo-no-Shiro and Tobe Zoo car parks on the same day waives one parking fee (ordinary cars only).

Without a ticket or booking. The Minato Marche, the Ehime Museum of Art’s silk-screen and indigo workshops, Kodomo-no-Shiro’s Halloween and Tobe Zoo’s lights (with admission) do not need a booking.

With a booking. The marbling workshop, the starry-sky bar and the Otsuki Sumo baby ceremony and box seats need to be booked. Mozu Miniature Exhibition 2 advance tickets end on November 20.

4. Common questions

Does the Tobe Zoo illumination cost extra?

No. The zoo says you can enjoy the illumination with the regular admission fee.

What happens in rain?

The Minato Marche is held in rain unless there is a storm or other danger. The Kodomo-no-Shiro free pass, Halloween and flea market are cancelled in rain. At Tobe Zoo the lighting ceremony moves to the Animal Stage if it rains. Check the official page before you go.

Do children need a ticket for Otsuki Sumo?

Children in junior high school and younger are free. Others pay ¥1,500 in advance or ¥2,000 on the day.

Sources (checked October 5, 2026)

• Ehime Prefectural Science Museum: special exhibition, planetarium events and access
• Setouchi Minato Marche, venue guide and Q&A
• Ehime Museum of Art: Jimmy Onishi, Mozu Miniature Exhibition 2, Jimmy Onishi ticket page, Mozu Miniature Exhibition 2 ticket page, marbling, silk-screen printing, indigo dyeing and visitor guide
• Tobe Zoo: Illumination 2026, admission and parking, access and opening hours
• Ehime Kodomo-no-Shiro: free pass, Halloween, flea market, access and parking and opening hours
• Kuma Tabi: starry-sky bar
• Ehime Museum of History and Culture: special exhibition, Acorn Marche and access
• Seiyo City: 175th Otsuki Sumo