Uchiko
Uchiko, A Small Town In Ehime On Shikoku Whose Old Street Was Made Rich By Wax In The Edo And Meiji Periods, With White Plastered Merchant Houses, A Wooden Kabuki Theatre Of 1916 And Wax Making Workshops. Quiet And Well Preserved. · Uchiko, Ehime
Uchiko is a small town in Ehime on Shikoku, whose old street keeps the look of the wealth that wax and silk brought in the Edo and Meiji periods - confirm. The Yokaichi-Gokoku district is a short lane of white-plastered merchant houses with tiled roofs and latticed fronts, and it is a designated preservation district - confirm. Beside it stands the Uchiko-za, a wooden kabuki theatre built in 1916, still used for performances and open for tours - confirm. The Kamihaga Residence is the home of a wax merchant, and a small museum shows how the wax was made. The pace is quiet and the crowds are light, which is the point of coming. It suits a calm half day for people who like old streets and have already seen the larger sights of Matsuyama. It is worth the detour for the lane and the theatre, but only a short walk, so it is less rewarding if you expect a long list of sights. A limited express runs from Matsuyama in about 25 minutes - confirm.
Uchiko, Kita District, Ehime, a short walk from Uchiko Station on the JR Uchiko line, reached from Matsuyama by limited express, Uchiko, Ehime, Japan
The old street is public and open at all hours, and the houses along it are lived in or used as shops and cafes. The Uchiko-za, the Kamihaga Residence and the wax-making museum keep daytime hours, commonly from about 9:00 to 16:30, with last entry earlier and some closing days or breaks for performances - confirm each. From Matsuyama a limited express takes roughly 25 minutes, and local trains run less often, so check the timetable and the last return. The street is a walk of about 10-15 minutes from the station. IC cards may not work on all Shikoku lines, so carry cash for tickets and shops.