The character read "e" means "love," and "hime" refers to an unmarried woman of good family. One theory: the term was found in the Kojiki ("Record of Ancient Matters"), and a bureaucrat gave the name to the prefecture when prefectures were formed.

The LandSurrounded by the calm Seto Inland Sea in the north, the Uwa Sea in the west and Shikoku Mountains in the south, Ehime Prefecture, with an area about 5,672km sq. and a population of over 1,500,000, lies in the northern part of the island of Shikoku, the smallest of the four major islands of Japan.

Its capital, Matsuyama, is the largest city on Shikoku, with a population of over 460,000 and abundance of historical and cultural resources such as the famous Matsuyama Castle and Dogo Hot Spring Spa, the oldest in Japan.

Ehime, which sounds feminine to Japanese ears and literally means "beautiful maiden", is blessed by a mild climate with an average low of 5.3degrees C (42degrees F)in January and an average high of 27degrees C(81degrees F)in August. It offers natural beauty such as the Seto Inland Sea National Park, Ashizuri Uwakai National Park and Mt. Ishizuchi, the highest mountain in western Japan, and attracts millions of tourists annually. It has an average annual rainfall is about 1,300mm, however, most of it falls during the rainy season from mid-June to mid-July.

Total Area
Matsuyama City: 1,121 km2
Ehime Pref.: 5,674 km2

Population
Matuyama City: ~ 460,000
Ehime Pref.: ~ 1.5 million

Major Industries
Machinery/Shipbuilding
Petrochemical
Textiles
Agriculture (40% fruit)
Forestry
Fishing

Major Products
Fish
Citrusfruit
Towels
Pearls

Geography
The coastline is highly convoluted, with many small islands and is the fifth longest (1,626 km) coast among Japan's prefectures. Some 71% (4,014 sq. km) is mountainous and/or wooded, with Mt. Ishizuchi rising 1,982 meters to be the highest peak in western Japan. Several natural parks including Seto Inland Sea National Park occupying 414 sq. km.

Climate
Ehime's coastal region has a mild (average 15 - 16｡C) climate and little rain (1,200 - 1,600mm) but the southwestern parts are wetter (1,600 - 2,000mm annual rainfall) with snow in winter. Matsuyama's average temp is 15.8｡C (highs: 20.2; lows: 11.7) with an annual average 1,286 mm rainfall.