Tokushima Mima City Historic Street: Home of Artisans

Luxurious homes were constructed featuring udatsu and onigawara during Edo period

The "Wakimachi Udatsu Street" in Mima City has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and is included in the top 100 streets and urban landscapes of Japan. During the Edo period, Mima Wakimachi was a distribution center for natural indigo, where merchants utilized the convenient Yoshino River waterway to transport indigo dye across Japan. Wealthy merchants built luxurious homes featuring udatsu (firewalls) and onigawara (demon tiles) to showcase their prosperity.

The main street, approximately 430 meters long, is lined with buildings constructed from the Edo to Showa periods, where you can still see the family crests of wealthy merchants and exquisite onigawara decorations, showcasing the region's former glory.

Wakimachi Udatsu Street is one of the best-preserved udatsu areas in Japan. (Photo: Tokushima Tourism Association) Udatsu are firebreak walls on traditional Japanese rooftops, adorned with family crests and onigawara. (Photo: Tokushima Tourism Association)

What is Udatsu Traditional Japanese wooden houses are closely built together, making them vulnerable to spreading fires. Udatsu are short walls that project from the ends of the roofs, originally designed as firebreaks. Due to the high cost of constructing udatsu, they became a symbol of wealth among affluent families.

INFO:

Wakimachi Udatsu Street

Address: Wakimachi, Mima City, Tokushima Prefecture

Access: Take a bus from JR "Anabuki" Station to "Wakimachi Road Station," then walk about 10 minutes.

Website: Wakimachi Udatsu Street

Artisan Spirit: The Town of Awa Indigo

The building housing the Mima City Traditional Crafts Experience Center, Miraikoubou, is modeled after the former Wakimachi Tax Office.

The indigo dyeing technique in Tokushima dates back approximately 800 years, making it one of Japan's primary sources of natural indigo dye. The traditional dyeing craft known as "Awa Ai" is highly valued in Japan, with July 24 designated as "Tokushima Indigo Day." Mima City has flourished since the Edo period due to Awa indigo dyeing, where the natural dye derived from the dried leaves of the plant Polygonum tinctorium is known as "sukumo."

In Tokushima, ancient methods using naturally fermented wood ash water combine with other materials to create the natural dye "Awa Ai." The lengthy process of creating dye from the plant requires artisans to perform complex procedures repeatedly, resulting in a dwindling number of craftsmen who can produce Awa Ai dye. At the Mima City Tourism Exchange Center's indigo dyeing workshop, visitors can experience using natural indigo dye and purchase various indigo-dyed crafts, immersing themselves in the charm of Tokushima's natural indigo dyeing.

Fabrics made with natural indigo dye have insect-repelling and antibacterial properties, and Awa indigo dye is less prone to fading over time. The indigo dyeing workshop at the Mima City Tourism Exchange Center offers a traditional Awa indigo dyeing experience.

INFO:

Mima City Tourism Exchange Center Indigo Dyeing Workshop

Address: 45-1 Wakimachi, Mima City, Tokushima Prefecture

Phone: 0883-52-5168 / 090-3188-3711

Hours: 10 AM - 4 PM (Last registration at 3 PM)

Website: Indigo Dyeing Workshop

Preserving a Century-Old Craft: Mima Washi Umbrella

Washi umbrella artisans not only explain the craft and history but also guide participants through the steps of paper pasting, drying, shaping, and decorating.

The Awa indigo-dyed washi umbrella is one of Tokushima's traditional crafts, dating back to the Edo period. During its peak in the 1950s, there were about 200 umbrella shops and manufacturers in the area, producing around 900,000 umbrellas annually! As times changed, the craft of Tokushima umbrellas began to decline. Fortunately, recent years have seen the formation of a group called the "Mima Washi Umbrella Making Group" by enthusiasts to continue promoting umbrella-making techniques and prevent this traditional craft from fading away.

The Mima City Traditional Crafts Experience Center, located in the Wakimachi Udatsu Street, is the only place in Shikoku where visitors can experience making washi umbrellas. The center showcases various umbrellas, washi paper, frames, and handles, and offers experiences creating washi umbrella-shaped lampshades.

Exquisite umbrellas combine the high-level techniques of Awa washi and indigo dyeing.

INFO:

Mima City Traditional Crafts Experience Center, Miraikoubou

Address: 92 Wakimachi, Mima City, Tokushima Prefecture

Hours: 9 AM - 6 PM

Website: Miraikoubou

Rare Finds: Awa Odori Bamboo Puppets In the western region of Tokushima, bamboo has been used to create warrior puppets for centuries. After the war, Mr. Yoshiharu Fujita, who served as a lecturer in art at Tokushima University, developed the "Awa Odori Bamboo Puppet" based on these puppets, establishing the traditional craft's status. Unfortunately, the number of artisans capable of making Awa Odori bamboo puppets has dwindled. However, "Jidaiya," located in Wakimachi, is the only specialty store in Japan for Awa Odori bamboo puppets. Visitors can watch artisans intently handcrafting bamboo puppets, each measuring only 5-6 centimeters tall, showcasing unique expressions and dance movements, demonstrating remarkable skill!

Mr. Hidenobu Fujisawa, the responsible person at Awa Odori Bamboo Puppet Village Jidaiya, has been awarded as an "Outstanding Craftsman of Tokushima Prefecture" and creates Awa Odori bamboo puppets in the shop. The Awa Odori bamboo puppets crafted by Mr. Fujisawa each have unique expressions and movements.

INFO:

Awa Odori Bamboo Puppet Village Jidaiya

Address: 124 Wakimachi, Mima City, Tokushima Prefecture

Phone: 0883-53-1015

Hours: 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM (Closed Tuesdays and Fridays)

Website: Jidaiya