Taimeshi (鯛めし) means “sea bream rice”, Ehime Prefecture’s best-known local dish. It comes in two styles, and you can eat both in and around Matsuyama. This guide compares five restaurants in Matsuyama City and Uwajima City by opening hours, reservations and parking.
In short
- Ehime’s taimeshi has two styles: sea bream cooked into the rice (炊き, taki), and raw sea bream with a sauce poured over hot rice (活き, iki), the Uwajima style.
- Only Akiyoshi (秋嘉) does not take reservations: it seats guests in the order they arrive.
- Taiya (5 spaces by the ferry landing) and Kadoya Bentencho (60 spaces) have their own car parks, and Wabisuke lists contracted lots. Akiyoshi and Kadoya Ropeway Street, both near Matsuyama Castle, have none.
- Taiya takes reservations by phone or the web; Kadoya Bentencho and Wabisuke take them by phone. The Kadoya Ropeway Street page does not mention reservations. Each official page is in Japanese.
Checked with official pages on October 5, 2026.
1. The five restaurants at a glance
Depends on the provider
Akiyoshi is the only one of the five that does not take reservations, and Kadoya Bentencho has the largest car park, with 60 spaces. Akiyoshi, Taiya and Kadoya Ropeway Street are in Matsuyama City. Kadoya Bentencho and Wabisuke are in Uwajima City.
| Restaurant | Hours and closed days | Reservations | Parking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akiyoshi | 11:00–15:00 and 17:30–20:30; closed Tuesday | Not taken | None |
| Taiya | 10:30–14:30; closed Tuesday and Wednesday, with changes | Phone or web | 5 spaces |
| Kadoya Ropeway Street | 11:00–20:30; closed January 1 only | Not stated | None |
| Kadoya Bentencho | 11:00–14:30 and 17:00–21:00; closed January 1 only | Phone | 60 spaces |
| Wabisuke | 11:30–15:00 and 17:00–22:00; closed Wednesday | Phone | Contracted lots |
Times are opening hours; last orders are earlier and are given in each section. “Not stated” means the official page does not mention reservations.
2. Which style of taimeshi do you want?
Official source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)
MAFF’s “Uchi no Kyodo Ryori” (うちの郷土料理) page describes the split by area. In Toyo, around Imabari City, the whole sea bream is cooked with the rice, then the flesh is flaked and mixed in. In Nanyo, around Uwajima City and Seiyo City, raw sea bream slices are marinated in a sauce of soy sauce, mirin, egg, sesame and dashi, then poured over hot rice.
MAFF says that Matsuyama, in the middle (Chuyo), has long cooked the fish into the rice, and that some restaurants there now serve both styles. That is why you can compare the two styles in one Matsuyama restaurant such as Akiyoshi, which lists a Matsuyama-style and an Uwajima-style taimeshi.
MAFF also says taimeshi is eaten all year round, and that sea bream is regarded as a lucky fish, so it is often served at celebrations.
3. Akiyoshi Main Shop (秋嘉 本店): both styles, no reservations
Matsuyama City
The official page describes the shop as a specialist in “Matsuyama taimeshi” and Uwajima taimeshi. Lunch is 11:00–15:00 (last order 14:30) and dinner is 17:30–20:30 (last order 20:00). It is closed on Tuesdays. It does not take reservations: guests are shown to seats in the order they arrive, and the shop closes when the sea bream is sold out.
The Matsuyama taimeshi is cooked in an earthenware pot and served as a set meal with tempura and sashimi. The Uwajima taimeshi uses raw sea bream. The shop also serves sea bream somen noodles (鯛そうめん). It has 44 seats, including a counter, tables and private rooms.
There is no parking, but several coin car parks are nearby, and the street in front of the shop is one-way. Infants are welcome and you may bring baby food. You can pay by credit card or PayPay. The official page says some menus are available in English and Simplified Chinese; it does not say how much of the menu this covers.
Address: 3-5-1 Okaido, Matsuyama City, about 190 m north of Okaido tram stop (大街道駅). Phone: 089-909-7652. Google Maps
4. Taiya (鯛メシ専門・鯛や): cooked-in taimeshi in a heritage house
Matsuyama City
Taiya serves “Mitsuhama taimeshi” (三津浜鯛めし), cooked-in rice with no ingredients other than sea bream. It is open 10:30–14:30 (last order 14:00). The website lists Tuesday and Wednesday as regular closed days but says this can change for holidays and private bookings, and points you to the shop’s Instagram for the latest information. The caption of the shop’s Instagram post below lists its closed days as “irregular” (不定休).
The “Taimeshi Set Meal” (鯛メシ膳) is ¥3,080 including tax. It includes the cooked-in taimeshi, sea bream and seasonal sashimi, a clear sea bream soup, fried fish cake (jakoten) and dessert. The shop is in Mori House (森家住宅), a building the shop’s website describes as a registered tangible cultural property (登録有形文化財) of the Ministry of Education.
Book by phone or through the Tabelog booking link on the shop’s website. The Instagram post also says the shop can discuss food allergies when you book or arrive.
The shop’s own 5-space car park is on the Minatoyama side, in front of the “Mitsu no Watashi” ferry landing. After parking, take the free ferry across (about 2 minutes), then walk about 5 minutes. By train, it is about 10 minutes on foot from Mitsu Station (三津駅) on the Iyotetsu Takahama Line. Another route is about 10 minutes from Minatoyama Station (港山駅) including the ferry. If you want to park closer, the shop says to find a coin car park yourself.
Address: 1-3-21 Mitsu, Matsuyama City. Phone: 089-951-1061. Google Maps
5. Kadoya Ropeway Street (鯛めしかどや ロープウェー街店): Uwajima-style rice near Matsuyama Castle
Matsuyama City
This Matsuyama branch of Kadoya is near the ropeway station for Matsuyama Castle. It is open 11:00–20:30 (last order 20:00) with no midday break, and closed only on January 1. The official page says its top recommendation is Uwajima taimeshi made with Date sea bream (伊達真鯛) sashimi: you mix the sashimi with the shop’s sauce and raw egg and put it on warm rice.
The “Uwajima Zukushi Taimeshi Set” (宇和島づくし鯛めし膳) adds a small box of Uwajima local dishes; the box changes with the season. There are 40 seats and all seats are non-smoking. Private hire is “negotiable”. The page says there is no parking but there are coin car parks nearby. It does not mention reservations, so ask by phone if you need a table at a set time.
Address: Green Forest Sakanoue 1F, 3-7-4 Okaido, Matsuyama City, 5 minutes on foot from Okaido tram stop. Phone: 089-907-5100. Google Maps
6. Kadoya Bentencho (かどや 弁天町店): a suburban shop with 60 parking spaces
Uwajima City
Lunch is 11:00–14:30 (last order 14:00) and dinner is 17:00–21:00 (last order 20:30). It is closed only on January 1, but the page warns that closing time may be earlier depending on the day, so call first on a late evening. The car park has 60 spaces. The shop opened in October 1996 as Kadoya’s first suburban shop. The page says its banquet hall takes up to 70 guests, while the shop details list a banquet room for 64.
For Uwajima taimeshi, sea bream slices are mixed into a sauce with raw egg and poured over hot rice. The menu also has the Kadoya set meal (かどや御膳) and kaiseki courses from ¥3,500 per person. It has 86 seats, including 64 in private rooms and the banquet hall, and all seats are non-smoking.
Address: 1-4-6 Bentencho, Uwajima City, 891 m from JR Uwajima Station (宇和島駅). Reservations and enquiries: 0895-25-2511. Google Maps
7. Wabisuke (旬膳・郷土膳 和日輔): Uwajima taimeshi with Aitai sea bream
Uwajima City
The shop’s website says its Uwajima taimeshi uses “Aitai” (愛鯛), an Ehime brand of farmed sea bream. You put raw egg, the sashimi and garnishes of spring onion, sesame and wakame into a secret dashi, then pour it over warm rice. The website says the dish is said to have begun when the Iyo Suigun (伊予水軍, a local naval force) based on Hiburi Island (日振島) ate sashimi on rice after drinking on their boats. It also serves Iyo Satsuma-meshi (伊予さつまめし) and sea bream somen; the whole sea bream somen must be booked in advance.
Opening hours on weekdays are 11:30–15:00 (last order 14:00) and 17:00–22:00 (last order 21:00); on Sundays and holidays dinner ends at 21:30. The official October 2026 calendar shows Wednesdays (October 7, 14, 21 and 28) as closed days. The Uwajima Tourism and Products Association’s list gives Wednesday as the closed day too (the next day if Wednesday is a holiday); check the shop’s monthly notice.
The access page lists parking in 3 lots with 35 spaces, and a parking notice on the website says guests who park in a contracted lot should bring the parking ticket to the front register to receive a free 2-hour service ticket. The restaurant is a 7-minute walk from JR Uwajima Station. Private rooms seat from 3 to 8 people, and the large hall holds up to 80.
Address: 1-2-6 Ebisucho, Uwajima City. Phone: 0895-24-0028; the website also lists a reservations-only number, 0120-23-2606. Google Maps
8. Which one should I choose?
Depends on the provider
- Cooked-in taimeshi in Matsuyama: Akiyoshi (no reservations) or Taiya (reservations by phone or web).
- Uwajima-style taimeshi in Matsuyama: Kadoya Ropeway Street, which is open through the afternoon.
- Going to Uwajima by car: Kadoya Bentencho has its own 60 spaces, and Wabisuke has contracted car parks. Both are within walking distance of Uwajima Station.
- A larger group: Kadoya Bentencho has a banquet hall (64 to 70 guests, depending on the page) and Wabisuke’s hall holds up to 80.
Hours and closed days change. Check Taiya’s Instagram and Wabisuke’s monthly notice on its website, and call Kadoya before you go, especially for late evenings.
Common questions
Can I reserve a table at Akiyoshi?
No. The official page says Akiyoshi does not take reservations and seats guests in order of arrival. The shop closes when the sea bream is sold out.
Is there an English menu?
Akiyoshi’s official page says some menus are available in English and Simplified Chinese. The pages of the other four restaurants do not say whether English menus or English service are available.
Can I bring a baby?
Akiyoshi’s page says infants are welcome and baby food can be brought in. The other four pages do not state a policy for babies.
Sources (checked October 2026)
- MAFF “Uchi no Kyodo Ryori”: Taimeshi, Ehime Prefecture (Japanese)
- Akiyoshi Main Shop official page (Japanese)
- Taiya official website (Japanese) and its official Instagram post, embedded above
- Kadoya Ropeway Street shop page (Japanese), Kadoya Bentencho shop page (Japanese)
- Wabisuke: local cuisine page (Japanese), access page (Japanese), its official Instagram reel embedded above, and the Uwajima Tourism and Products Association list (Japanese)
