The cute village of Uchiko in western Shikoku has a beautiful and well-preserved historical centre with loads of traditional wooden buildings from the late Edo and early Meiji Eras (approx. early 18th to late 19th century).
Uchiko was originally a centre for the production of silk and paper, and became wealthy in the 18th century when people started manufacturing wax from the resin of the Japanese wax tree. Many of the former merchant houses are still around, as are a few historic shops and an impressive kabuki theatre.
We dropped by on our way from Kōchi to Matsuyama and weren’t disappointed. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Uchiko.
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What to See and Do in Uchiko
There is no real must-see sight in the village, except maybe for the Kabuki Theatre. The main reason to drop by is the beautifully preserved historical centre, where we felt like we were transported a few hundred years into the past.
Where to Stay in Uchiko
Budget: Hostel & Tatami Bar Uchikobare (pictured)
Midrange: One of the Inns of Uchiko
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Uchiko-za Kabuki Theatre
This historical Kabuki Theatre is surprisingly large for such a small village, which is a good reminder of how prosperous the village used to be. Apart from the slightly older Kanamaru-za Theatre in Kotohira, it’s the most impressive Kabuki Theatre we came across in Japan.
It was built in 1916 and used not only for Kabuki performances, but also for Bunraku (Puppet Shows), lectures and film screenings. Apart from the pretty audience area and revolving stage, we liked that we could take a peek behind the scenes and visit the actor’s dressing rooms and the ‘secret’ area underneath the stage.
The theatre lies on the way from the station to the historical centre. Take the third street left (to the north) after exiting the station, and then turn left into the first street after crossing the little canal. You can check the current opening times here.
Uchiko Yôkaichi District
Yôkaichi is the historical heart of the village, with the highest concentration of traditional architecture. A lot of the houses are still occupied, but many others have been turned into shops, museums, tea-houses and cafés.
We found it lots of fun to explore the area and peek into the houses (well, the ones we were allowed to, at least). Most of the interesting buildings are located along the town’s main street, which runs from north to south through the village. You can get a map of the sights in the area at the train station in Uchiko or you can simply click here.
Something we especially liked was the Omori Japanese Candle Shop, where we watched a bit of the process that’s involved in making the candles. The people running it told us that it’s the last remaining Candle Shop in the village. To find it, just look for the paper lantern with a yellow candle in front of the building.
Directly to the north is the small, free Machiya Museum, which is a recreated traditional town-house that we found worth checking out. The Omura Residence and Honhaga Residence a bit further north can’t be entered, but we found the buildings impressive from the outside.
The Japanese Wax Museum is located in the Kamihaga Residence, another former merchant’s house, and is said to have displays on the history of the village and the wax producing process. It was closed when we were there, but it seems worth checking out when it’s open.
Finally, there are also a number of small shrines hidden in between the buildings, including a really pretty Inari Shrine with a number of red toriis leading up to it a bit north of the Kamihaga Residence. As I wrote before, most of the sights are rather low-key, but the main reason to come here is the atmosphere, which Uchiko certainly doesn’t lack in.
Map of Uchiko’s Sights
All of the places mentioned above can be found in this map of Uchiko.
Practicalities
How to Get to Uchiko and Away
By far the best way to get around Japan is by using the country’s impeccable train system, which is fast, comfortable and efficient. A regional JR-Railway pass allows for unlimited use of Shikoku’s JR railways for 3, 4, 5 or 7 days, which is a fantastic deal. You can order your pass on this site.
You can easily reach Uchiko by JR train from nearby Matsuyama in the north (about 25 mins.) or Ozu in the West (about 15 mins.).
Getting Around in Uchiko
All the sites I mentioned above are pretty close to each other, and the historical centre is small enough to make walking the best way to get around Uchiko.
To get from the JR train station to the historic centre, you’ll have to exit the station to the east, take Honmachi-Dori (the third intersecting road) to the left (north) and follow it for about 5 mins. into the historic Yôkaichi District.
The Best Hotels in Uchiko
Because it’s so close to Matsuyama, we decided to visit Uchiko on a day trip. That said, we really liked the atmosphere and If we should come here again, we’d definitely spend a night in the village.
Hostel & Tatami Bar Uchikobare, which has a Dormitory, seems to be the only real budget option. If you’re not on a tight budget, there are a couple of traditional inns, which you can find on this website.
Where to Eat in Uchiko
Many of the old merchant houses in the Yôkaichi Area have been turned into cute little cafés and teahouses. There are also a couple of restaurants, mainly along Honmachi-Dori, the road leading to the train station.
Where to Go Next
Matsuyama, the biggest city on Shikoku and home to the bathhouse from ‘Spirited Away’
Kōchi, Shikoku’s most beautiful city (at least in my opinion)
The Iya Valley– The best place to seriously get off the beaten track on Shikoku