History & Culture
The Heike clan fleeing civil strife in the Heian Period established a unique culture here.
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Awa-Ikeda Tobacco Museum
As a key point for transportation, Ikeda retains the old atmosphere of a post town that developed as a location for the tobacco industry from the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate to the Meiji period. You can still see the residences of tobacco merchants, and there’s a museum too. Even today after the passage of over 100 years, you can imagine the prosperity of those times. In the courtyard garden, different flowers bloom in season.
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De Rijke Park
In the park there’s a resting place in the form of a Dutch windmill and in spring, about 15,000 tulips flower. Next to the park is the De Rijke dam, designated a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
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Hashikura-ji Temple
TThis temple is said to have been founded by Kobo Daishi. In 789 when Kobo Daishi was 16 years old, he climbed this mountain and built a temple. Later, by imperial edict of Emperor Saga, he carved an image of a Thousand-Armed Kannon and en-shrined it here.
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Higashi-Iya History and Folklore Museum
This museum displays many exhibits that tell of the life in the home of the Heike. There are also replicas of the red pennants of the Heike.
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Kawano Mericlone & Anmitsukan
There’s a cymbidium showroom and shop for the general public. During the flowering season from the end of November to March, it’s a riot of colour. The queen of cymbidiums, Anmitsu Hime, and the king, Marie Laurencin, and popular types like Princess Masako have a sweet scent and colours that complement each other.
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Miki Family Residence
This imposing thatched, hipped roof building is thought to have been built in the early Edo period. As the oldest private house in Tokushima Prefecture, it was desi-gnated an important national cultural property. It’s mentioned in 45 old documents (prefecturally designated cultural properties). Today, the 28th generation of the family maintains it.
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Mima Tourist & Cultural Information Centre
The Mima Tourist & Cultural Information Centre is located in a quasi-western-style structure built in 1988 to resemble the Meiji period taxation office that used to stand here.
Since the inauguration of Mima City, it’s been used to present exhibits on the past and present of Wakimachi and serve as a base for volunteer tourist guides. -
Nagaike Headman’s Residence
TThis headman’s residence was built in 1791. The grounds have an area of about 1,820 square metres. Located in a residential area about 50 m west of the street of double udatsu, it has a quiet appearance.
It’s designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Tsurugicho. -
Old Streets of Sadamitsu
Sadamitsu flourished from ancient times as a commercial centre. From the Edo period, tobacco was the source of its prosperity, and the Awa domain produced numerous wealthy merchants.
The ‘udatsu’ roof ornaments on the merchant houses are a testament to their pros-perity. These were originally built as firewalls, but they came to represent symbols of wealth. Over time, their design became increasingly flamboyant. -
Old Streets of Tsuji
The traditional old streets of Tsuji in Ikawa, Miyoshi, where the manufacture of cut tobacco flourished from the Edo period.
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Old Streets of Wakimachi with ‘Udatsu’
Located at a key point on the north shore of the Yoshino River where traffic on the Muya and Sanuki highways cross, Wakimachi is also ideally placed for ship transport on the Yoshino River.
The old streets were originally built around Waki Castle, and the town developed as a trading center for indigo. Today, you can see 85 buildings dating from the Edo to the early Showa periods, built using traditional methods, with the majority from the Meiji period. -
Orimoto-ya
This building from the Edo period maintains its old exterior with udatsu. It was rebuilt in the early Meiji as a sake merchant’s, before the peak of the region’s pros-perity. Designated a national cultural property.
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Residence of the Kitake Samurai
This the biggest samurai residence in the Iya region. It was built about 250 years ago. The Oeda district of Higashi-Iya is where the Heike clan settled after their defeat at the Battle of Yashima. The spear-shaped Japanese cedar in the garden is worth a look.
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Teramachi
One quarter of the town has a high concentration of temples and gardens. You can enjoy strolling from one temple to the next experiencing the quiet atmosphere of history.
-
Unpen-ji Temple
At an elevation of 911 m, this is the Shikoku pilgrimage temple located at the highest location near the peak of the Shikoku mountains. It was known for its difficult access. Today you can take a cable car to the top.
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Wakimachi Odeon Theatre
Building a theatre in Wakimachi was first proposed in 1933. The following year, the Wakimachi Odeon Theatre was built with a modern western-style exterior and a traditional Japanese theatre interior with a revolving stage. It was later used as a cinema.
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Yoshida Family Residence
The residence of Yoshida Naohei, an indigo merchant, built in 1792. This was one of the wealthiest establishments in Wakimachi. The site covers nearly 2,000 square metres. Five buildings including the main building and storehouses surround an inner garden. It was built from the mid to late Edo period.
Today, it’s open to the public as a municipally designated cultural property. You can enjoy the superb architecture and experience the life of indigo merchants in old times.
-
Awa-Ikeda Tobacco Museum
As a key point for transportation, Ikeda retains the old atmosphere of a post town that developed as a location for the tobacco industry from the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate to the Meiji period. You can still see the residences of tobacco merchants, and there’s a museum too. Even today after the passage of over 100 years, you can imagine the prosperity of those times. In the courtyard garden, different flowers bloom in season.
-
De Rijke Park
In the park there’s a resting place in the form of a Dutch windmill and in spring, about 15,000 tulips flower. Next to the park is the De Rijke dam, designated a nation-al Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
-
Hashikura-ji Temple
This temple is said to have been founded by Kobo Daishi. In 789 when Kobo Daishi was 16 years old, he climbed this mountain and built a temple. Later, by imperial edict of Emperor Saga, he carved an image of a Thousand-Armed Kannon and en-shrined it here.
-
Higashi-Iya History and Folklore Museum
This museum displays many exhibits that tell of the life in the home of the Heike. There are also replicas of the red pennants of the Heike.
-
Kawano Mericlone & Anmitsukan
There’s a cymbidium showroom and shop for the general public. During the flowering season from the end of November to March, it’s a riot of colour. The queen of cymbidiums, Anmitsu Hime, and the king, Marie Laurencin, and popular types like Princess Masako have a sweet scent and colours that complement each other.
-
Miki Family Residence
This imposing thatched, hipped roof building is thought to have been built in the early Edo period. As the oldest private house in Tokushima Prefecture, it was desig-nated an important national cultural property. It’s mentioned in 45 old documents (prefecturally designated cultural properties). Today, the 28th generation of the family maintains it.
-
Mima Tourist & Cultural Information Centre
The Mima Tourist & Cultural Information Centre is located in a quasi-western-style structure built in 1988 to resemble the Meiji period taxation office that used to stand here.
Since the inauguration of Mima City, it’s been used to present exhibits on the past and present of Wakimachi and serve as a base for volunteer tourist guides. -
Nagaike Headman’s Residence
This headman’s residence was built in 1791. The grounds have an area of about 1,820 square metres. Located in a residential area about 50 m west of the street of double udatsu, it has a quiet appearance.
It’s designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Tsurugicho. -
Old Streets of Sadamitsu
Sadamitsu flourished from ancient times as a commercial centre. From the Edo period, tobacco was the source of its prosperity, and the Awa domain produced nu-merous wealthy merchants.
The ‘udatsu’ roof ornaments on the merchant houses are a testament to their pros-perity. These were originally built as firewalls, but they came to represent symbols of wealth. Over time, their design became increasingly flamboyant. -
Old Streets of Tsuji
The traditional old streets of Tsuji in Ikawa, Miyoshi, where the manufacture of cut tobacco flourished from the Edo period.
-
Old Streets of Wakimachi with ‘Udatsu’
Located at a key point on the north shore of the Yoshino River where traffic on the Muya and Sanuki highways cross, Wakimachi is also ideally placed for ship transport on the Yoshino River.
The old streets were originally built around Waki Castle, and the town developed as a trading center for indigo. Today, you can see 85 buildings dating from the Edo to the early Showa periods, built using traditional methods, with the majority from the Meiji period. -
Orimoto-ya
This building from the Edo period maintains its old exterior with udatsu. It was rebuilt in the early Meiji as a sake merchant’s, before the peak of the region’s pros-perity. Designated a national cultural property.
-
Residence of the Kitake Samurai
This the biggest samurai residence in the Iya region. It was built about 250 years ago. The Oeda district of Higashi-Iya is where the Heike clan settled after their defeat at the Battle of Yashima. The spear-shaped Japanese cedar in the garden is worth a look.
-
Teramachi
One quarter of the town has a high concentration of temples and gardens. You can enjoy strolling from one temple to the next experiencing the quiet atmosphere of history.
-
Unpen-ji Temple
At an elevation of 911 m, this is the Shikoku pilgrimage temple located at the highest location near the peak of the Shikoku mountains. It was known for its difficult access. Today you can take a cable car to the top.
-
Wakimachi Odeon Theatre
Building a theatre in Wakimachi was first proposed in 1933. The following year, the Wakimachi Odeon Theatre was built with a modern western-style exterior and a traditional Japanese theatre interior with a revolving stage. It was later used as a cinema.
-
Yoshida Family Residence
The residence of Yoshida Naohei, an indigo merchant, built in 1792. This was one of the wealthiest establishments in Wakimachi. The site covers nearly 2,000 square metres. Five buildings including the main building and storehouses surround an inner garden. It was built from the mid to late Edo period.
Today, it’s open to the public as a municipally designated cultural property. You can enjoy the superb architecture and experience the life of indigo merchants in old times.