Matsu Seimenjo: The Hand-Cut Sanuki Udon Shop Locals Queue for in Hashihama, Imabari
Hashihama, a shipbuilding district on Imabari’s waterfront a few minutes from JR Imabari Station, isn’t really set up for tourists — which is exactly the appeal. Tucked into a plain building here is Matsu Seimenjo, a self-service Sanuki-style udon shop where local diners have been lining up for hand-cut noodles long before anyone thought to translate the menu. If you want a bowl of udon priced and cooked for regulars rather than visitors, it’s worth the short detour off the main Shimanami Kaido route.
Why go: a noodle maker’s own udon counter
The name Matsu Seimenjo literally means “Matsu Noodle-Making Works,” and the shop still runs like one: work your way along a cafeteria-style counter: take a tray, add any tempura or onigiri you want from the case, order your noodles at the next station, then pay at the register at the end before finding a seat. It is the same self-service format found all over Ehime, a prefecture with an udon culture nearly as deep as its more famous neighbor, Kagawa. There is no dining room built for photographs or foreign-language service here — just the kind of shop locals actually queue for, at prices set for locals. The shop sits toward the back of a small local shopping complex, behind a more visible Chinese restaurant on the same lot, so it is easy to miss from the road.
What to order
The menu is classic Sanuki-style, and the signature here is kamaage udon: noodles served straight from the pot, dipped mouthful by mouthful into a separate broth. Prices sit firmly in everyday territory on the current menu: kake udon is 390 yen for a regular and 490 yen for a large, kamaage the same 390 and 490, kamatama (finished with a raw egg) 440 and 540, and zaru just 10 yen more than kake. Popular add-ons are tori-ten (chicken tempura) and naga-ten, a long tempura-fried chikuwa (tube-shaped fish cake), either one substantial enough to round out a large bowl of noodles into a full meal.
Our writer actually came in set on kamaage, but was short on time that day, and the staff mentioned that yudame udon could be ready right away—so yudame it was. The noodles are boiled, rinsed in cold water to firm them up, then rewarmed and served in hot water with the same separate dipping broth, eaten just like kamaage. A large bowl with both tempura toppings made a properly filling lunch. The noodles are firm without being tough and carry a clear wheat flavor, and the broth leans a little sweet and strong on its own, balancing out nicely once the noodles are dipped in.
Before you go: hours, the queue, and irregular closures
Matsu Seimenjo opens at 10:30 and serves until the noodles for the day run out, which can happen well before the dinner hour on a busy day. The bigger thing to plan around is that the shop keeps irregular closures (fudoukyu) rather than a fixed weekly day off, so it is worth checking ahead, or simply building in a backup plan, before making a special trip out here. Arriving close to opening, or in the 11:00–12:00 window, gives you the best odds of both a shorter line and noodles still on hand. If the shop happens to be closed or sold out, the same operator runs a sister branch, Matsu Seimenjo Tamagawa, a short drive away in Imabari’s Tamagawa area.
Getting there from JR Imabari Station
By train, take the local JR Yosan Line from JR Imabari Station to JR Hashihama Station — about 5 minutes and 240 yen one way. Local trains on this stretch run roughly once an hour through the day, so it is worth checking the timetable before you set off rather than timing your visit around the train. From Hashihama Station, it is about a 300-meter walk, roughly 4 minutes, to the shop.
Map: Open Matsu Seimenjo on Google Maps (157-1 Hashihama, Imabari)
For cyclists: There is no dedicated cycling path right up to the door, so plan to ride in on ordinary town streets once you are in Hashihama, and use the shop’s own parking area to park a bike while you eat. Hashihama is a working shipbuilding town, and the ride in from the station or the port road takes you past shipyard cranes with the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge in the distance — a scenic detour even before the noodles.
A half-day plan: pair lunch with the ferry to Oshima
Matsu Seimenjo sits in the same waterfront district as Hashihama Port, where the small ferry to Oshima Island and the Geiyo Fortress ruins departs. If you are already coming out this way for the boat, it is an easy add-on to eat udon before or after the crossing rather than treating the two as separate trips. See our guide to Oshima Island and the Geiyo Fortress ruins for the bus and ferry directions from JR Imabari Station. Still need a bike? Our guide to renting a bicycle in Imabari covers where to do that near the station and at Itoyama. To wind down afterward, Kisuke no Yu hot spring near Imabari Station is a good way to end the day before a train home, and if one bowl of udon is not enough of a food stop, our comparison of Imabari’s three famous yakibuta tamago meshi shops covers the city’s other signature dish.
FAQ
How does ordering work? It is fully self-service: take a tray and move along the counter, choosing tempura or onigiri, ordering your noodles, and paying at the register at the end, then carry your own tray to a table and clear your own dishes when you are done.
Is there parking? Yes, the shop has its own parking area.
How long is the wait? The shop is genuinely popular with local diners and can form a line, especially around midday, so arriving earlier in the lunch window helps.
What if it is closed when I arrive? Because closures are irregular rather than falling on a fixed day, it is worth calling ahead if you are making a special trip, or heading to the sister shop in Tamagawa as a backup.
Shop information
Matsu Seimenjo (松製麺所)
Address: 157-1 Hashihama, Imabari City, Ehime
Tel: 0898-43-7273
Hours: from 10:30 until the day’s noodles sell out
Closed: irregularly (no fixed weekly day off)
Please check current hours before visiting, as they may change.
Original article in Japanese: https://starlife2016.net/1104.html
