Wakimachi

Beautifully preserved merchant quarter in the town of Mima, Tokushima Prefecture, where rows of whitewashed udatsu-walled buildings line a street dating to the Edo period. The distinctive udatsu fire walls rising above the rooflines were originally built as fire barriers between houses but became status symbols, since only prosperous indigo merchants could afford them. Several former residences have been converted into small museums where you can learn about the indigo dyeing trade that brought wealth to this remote valley town. The Yoshida Family Residence is particularly well preserved, with original storehouses and a traditional garden. Wakimachi sees far fewer visitors than similar preserved districts elsewhere in Japan, giving it an authentically quiet, lived-in atmosphere.