A Short Guide To Visiting Uchiko Japan

An Overview of Uchiko

Uchiko is a small, pleasant town found roughly 40 kilometers south of the city Matsuyama. The town retains its relaxing atmosphere, keeping aspects of traditional, rural Japan intact. Uchiko once served as a prosperous location for wax and paper production until industrialization moved the business elsewhere. Now, Uchiko is an uncommonly peaceful part of Japan, with a well-maintained old district, full scale kabuki theater, lovely forest hiking trails and beautiful, narrow streets.

A Short Guide To Visiting Uchiko Japan

The easiest way to reach Uchiko is by driving with a personal vehicle or using Yosan Line-Limited Express heading south. Both routes take roughly 50 minutes, eventually leading to the quaint Uchiko station.

Uchiko is a small town. It’s easy to walk the entire area without much trouble. However, the terrain surrounding town is quite hilly, making it difficult to explore the countryside without a vehicle. There are no taxi services readily available within town, although inns and some service stations might call one at a guest’s request.

Unlike the largest cities in Japan, most of the locals around Uchiko don’t speak a second language.

This is perhaps one of the nicest towns in Japan if one wishes to avoid crowds while appreciating traditional architecture.

A Short Guide To Visiting Uchiko Attractions

Preserved Historic District and Yokaichi Old Town

Uchiko is well-loved for its many historic buildings and traditional houses. While these can be found throuhgout the town, the two largest concentrations are along Road 54 cutting through the center of town and the Yokaichi Old Town which passes the Kamihaga Residence. The Yoakaichi Old Town is lined with historic buildings over about 600 meters, where residences and warehouses of wealthy merchants once thrived.

Mountain Paths

Though officially unlabeled, there are several hiking paths and mountain trails around Uchikio, with most leading to shines or shallow woodlands.

Ryuow Park

This is a large park situated on a hill overlooking Uchiko. The park is unique for it’s fitness facilities, its hidden cherry blossom grove on the far side of the hill and pleasant views overlooking the Oda River. The park is especially interesting due to it’s giant slide. This slide is made from steel rollers, allowing visitors to “roll” back down the hillside.

Ikazaki Kite Museum

Located next to the Oda River, this museum is dedicated to handmade kites from around the world. The core of the museum is centered around Japanese traditional kite-making techniques and some well-preserved artistic kites.

Kamihaga Residence

This is a beautiful building made of wooden beams, weathered tiles and traditional windows. The building served as the home and workshop for the Kamihaga family, who grew extraordinarily wealthy in the Meiji period through the production of wax. The house now serves as a museum and one of the more beautiful buildings of Uchiko.

Uchiko History Museum

Sometimes called the Museum of Commercial and Domestic Life, this museum is located on the main street of the Yokaichi Old Town District. The interior of the museum is compact, with life-sized figures showcasing how people lived in the 19th century The displays are useful for foreigners, as most of the information written is solely in Japanese.

Uchiko-za

This is a historical, operation Kabuki Theatre in an architecturally significant building, now used for public events. Aside from performing scheduled Kabuki shows, the theatre also does Bunraku Puppet performances.

Koshoji

This is the main Buddhist Temple overlooking Uchiko’s Old Town area.

Read firsthand experiences beyond this short guide to visiting Uchiko and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Blog.

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