Name: Shikoku: Stepping Back in Time in a Small Japanese Town
Uploaded: 2026-03-07T17:36:34.000Z
Duration: 11 min 50 s
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Some of the most rewarding trips I've had in Japan happen when I get to step off of the beaten track and just lose myself in a quiet part of the countryside.

That makes you ask, what's the story here?

And the beautifully preserved town of Uchiko here in Shikoku is just that kind of place.

To reach Uchiko, most will need to go through Matsuyama, known for its beautiful castle and the traditional hot spring resort of Dogo Onsen.

To get there, you have the choice of flying into Matsuyama Airport, taking a Shinkansen Unlimited express train via Okayama, or if you're coming from Hiroshima, a car ferry or high speed hydrofoil from Hiroshima Port.

From Matsuyama, It's a pleasant 30 minute ride through the countryside by limited express to Uchiko Station.

After arriving at Uchiko's little station, we set off for the town's historic area, about a 15 minute walk with a quick stop at the Uchikoza Theater along the way.

Behind me is the Uchikoza Theatre, a fully equipped kabuki theatre built in 1916 and a major attraction of the town.

Beautifully decorated inside and out, it also has a lot of hidden features, including trapdoors and secret passageways.

it's currently closed for renovation and is going to be covered up until spring of 2020.

The main part of the historic district is called Yokaichi, or Eighth Day Market.

For most of its history, the town was a minor rest stop on the busy Ozu Highway.

That all changed in the late Edo period, when the local economy began to boom.

Suddenly, local merchants had the money for beautiful new houses, many of which survive today.

Many of the buildings here are typical of the Edo and Meiji periods.

Narrow at the front with elaborate lattice work covering the doors and windows, plaster walls and tiled roofs.

The main reason for the town's new prosperity was wax made from sumac berries, an ingredient widely cultivated in the hills nearby.

But its merchants also traded in paper, silk and local handicrafts.

At its peak, there were 23 different wax producers operating in the town.

Wax that would go on to become everything from crafting materials to hair pomade.

Today, we can still find traces of those local industries, like the Omori Candle shop, a traditional business run by the same family for about 200 years, and

Here in Ehime Prefecture, craftspeople from the Omori family have been working in a small space just like this for seven generations.

Japanese traditional candles, like this are quite different from western ones.

Inside the wick is actually hollow which draws the molten wax back up and feeds the flame even more efficiently.

While tourism was still a new phenomenon when the town reached its peak, we know that Uchiko was well known throughout the region and would have drawn its share of visitors.

Today, the old town district is a great spot to explore for a relaxing couple of hours.

With various little shops and cafes to discover both on the main street and nearby.

I have been to so many preserved historic districts and yet there's something really special about this one.

Apart from how beautifully the houses themselves have been preserved, you can really get a sense of the town's story and the locals.

Some of the nicest people I've met on my travels.

Another highlight of the town is the Kamihaga Residence and Wood Wax museum.

Built in 1894, it belonged to one of the town's wealthiest families and the as their home and business premises.

You can find out all about the wax making process itself in the museum area, housed in what was once the factory floor.

Inside, a series of dioramas show the day to day tasks of running a profitable wax business.

And you can still see a display case from when the family presented their wax to an international audience at the Paris World Expo in 1900.

A huge achievement that would have really put the company and the town on the map.

Just as interesting is the residence itself.

A beautiful old building with tatami matted rooms and lots of eye catching details.

Wax in Uchiko was big business and as the money piled up, security became really important.

Here at the main entrance you you can see a whole series of really sturdy looking locks that were cleverly integrated into the doors.

Just exploring old towns is great, but there's something really special about staying somewhere grounded in that atmosphere.

For our accommodation tonight, we've booked something really exciting.

A beautifully restored old townhouse called Tsumugi, just around the corner from the main strip.

Loads of space, loads of nice traditional fittings, but still feels really modern.

After a long day of sightseeing and I even heard there is a bar.

One of eight similar properties managed by Uchiko no Yado, Tsumugi comes with all the features of a machiya style house, multiple bedrooms and plenty of room to relax in.

It's starting to get dark now, so I'm going to head out and get some dinner.

For dinner tonight, we're stopping at Sushi Izakaya Kotetsu, a traditional restaurant and bar with was just the right balance of coziness and refinement.

Locals have been coming here for years and honestly, it's easy to see why.

Although we haven't actually seen it on this trip, we're just a few kilometers away from the coast here, so the seafood is really nice and fresh.

For the second day of our visit, we're traveling just a bit further outside of the old town area.

So I start the day with a trip to the nearby tourist information centre to pick up a rental bike.

My first stop today is at Karari, a roadside station in a nice spot by the river.

And if you've spent much time in the Japanese countryside, you'll know that every small town seems to have one.

There's a farmers market selling fresh seasonal produce.

There are terraces looking out over the river, and there's even a bakery that the locals rave about.

Leaving Karari behind, I set off along the river to my next stop just as the sun started to show its face again.

I'm sure this will be one of the town's nicest spots in spring when the cherry blossom trees are in bloom.

Next, we're diving back into the town's industrial past with a visit to the Tenjinsanshi paper Factory, founded over 100 years ago.

Here, local craftspeople carry on the practice of making Ozuwashi, a traditional style of paper that can be traced back to ancient times in this part of the country.

As paper, it's known for being smooth to the touch and and durable.

Perfect for calligraphy, shoji screens, and even kite battles.

The process begins with mulberry bark, which is stripped away, softened, and

left to stand in water, releasing the fibers inside and creating a pulp.

The craftsmen use a special screen to scoop up the pulp and spread it evenly into sheets.

This is the part that determines how the paper feels to the touch.

The sheets are put in a stack and pressed to remove the last of the water, then peeled off and left to dry.

The whole process is really tactile and surprisingly satisfying.

My last stop in Uchiko is just across the river and reveals a whole different side to the town.

For more than 400 years, Uchiko's Ikazaki district has been the setting for a spectacular kite festival that takes place every year on May 5.

As part of the celebrations for Children's Day, hundreds of kites, big and small, make an appearance, including some celebrating a child's first festival.

Attached to the strings are special blades used to cut down your opponent's kite.

The museum showcases around 400 kites, including examples from the local festival, traditional designs from all over Japan, and

So that was Uchiko, a beautiful old town and a great place to connect with traditional culture while going off the beaten track in Japan.

For another great video exploring one of Japan's less visited destinations, click on the thumbnail on screen now.