Uchiko
landmark
Uchiko
内子町
Overview
Preserved merchant quarter spanning three centuries with an active 1916 kabuki theater.
A wax and paper production town preserving 600 meters of traditional houses spanning the Edo, Meiji, and Taisho periods. The Uchiko-za theater from 1916 still hosts kabuki, bunraku, and taiko performances.
Local tips
A preserved Edo and Meiji-period merchant town whose wealth came from the Japanese wax trade (mokuro), used for candles, cosmetics, and paper finishing. The Yokaichi-Gokoku historic district has 20 intact blocks of traditional townhouses. Uchiko-za kabuki theater, built 1916, still hosts occasional performances. The Kamihaga Residence was the home of the leading wax merchant and includes a working demonstration of the wax-pressing process. Uchiko is 30 minutes from Matsuyama by limited express on the JR Yosan Line.
Practical info
- Japanese name
- 内子町
- Nearest station
- Uchiko Station (JR Uchiko Line)
- Payment
- Cards accepted
- Reservations
- not required
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