After arriving in Matsuyama City by plane, car, or limited-express train, take a train heading southwest to Uchiko. Leaving the capital of Ehime Prefecture behind and passing through the mountains, you will soon arrive in one of the most charming places on the island of Shikoku. Known for its wax, kites, forested mountains, retro townscape, and pirate cuisine, Uchiko is a town where time flows more slowly. Here’s how to make the most of that during a two-day visit.
Plan your visit: https://uchikogenic.com/en
Elemental Culture
In its early days, Uchiko made its fortune from the production of candles and highly-prized refined white wax. The last keeper of the flame in Ehime is the Omori Japanese Candle Shop, where wax is extracted from sumac berries and applied in layers around wicks made of paper, rush, and silk. Despite sumac being used as a spice to flavor food, it adds no scent to these elegant candles, which have big, strong flames but are dripless and nearly smokeless. The crafting of these candles can be observed at certain times of day.
Wind also has a place in Uchiko culture. The Ikazaki Kite Museum by the Oda River has kites galore, and the Ikazaki Kite Battle Festival features a massive kite that is painted using negative space to reduce its weight and is pulled by 100 people.
From fire and wind, we move to water, an important ingredient in the production of local washi paper. At the Ikazaki Gilding Washi workshop, water meets the element of metal where visitors apply gold, silver, and other colorful leaf to postcard-sized washi with designs pre-applied in natural glue. The metal leaf (not glued) is then brushed away, leaving mesmerizing, metallic patterns on the paper—a one-of-a-kind souvenir of your time in Uchiko.
To complete the elemental tour of Uchiko, stroll through the town’s historic preservation districts, admiring the 150-year-old buildings with their wattle-and-daub walls made from local mud that is covered in white plaster.
Accommodations: A World of Options
It is not enough to spend just one day exploring Uchiko’s culture and history—that would leave a lot of the 300-square-kilometer town yet to discover. That’s why spending the night in Uchiko is a must.
Among the many types of accommodations available in Uchiko, historic buildings-cum-luxury rentals are a popular choice for groups looking for privacy. Ori, limited to one group (up to 6 people) a day, is beautifully situated in the Yokaichi & Gokoku Preservation District. The interior features a classic Japanese design with shoji (paper screens) and tatami (straw mats), while a fully-equipped kitchen adds a homey atmosphere. Nearby are Futae, Hitoe, Kasuri, and Tsumugi—group rentals of a different style, which just became available in the spring, with historically preserved exteriors that contrast with blended traditional-modern interiors.
An elegant blend of the old and the new is also the calling card of Auberge Uchiko. This luxury hotel, prides itself on its wood-fired cooking style and its onsen bath (open to all visitors). Sourced from the Ikazaki hot springs, the Auberge waters are gentle on the skin and reputed to alleviate joint pain and muscle stiffness. The panoramic view of Uchiko from Auberge’s open-air bath is quite stunning.
The hostel-like Uchikobare, in a 170-year-old building, has the atmosphere of a salon—where people from all over the world come together for a hot meal or a drink in the communal-area bar. We recommend the local Aohara rum made with Ehime sugarcane and sake yeast. Uchikobare is all about creating connections in an inviting space, and it’s especially popular with solo travelers.
Ted's Guest House and Activity Center is geared to eco-conscious guests who like to stay active. Its 12 guestrooms have bike racks for those exploring Uchiko on its many bicycle routes, ranging from leisure tracks to serious, multi-kilometer courses. The owner, a Leave No Trace Level 1 Trainer, is dedicated to SDGs and asks that guests bring their own toothbrushes, etc. to lower their environmental impact (bamboo amenities are available for purchase just in case). The roof of Ted’s building offers one of the best views of Uchiko’s natural scenery and townscape.
A Gastronomical Trip Through Uchiko
Since Uchiko’s sister city is Bavaria’s Rothenburg ob der Tauber, it’s not surprising that the town is home to an authentic German restaurant, Zum Schwarzen Keiler. The Charme Bakery also brings European flavors to this part of Ehime with its natural-yeast bread—from savory sandwiches, like cheddar and bacon, to desserts, like chocolate bread with muscat cream and blueberry jam. Given these culinary options, it’s possible to travel internationally through your stomach while in Uchiko. But of course, the town also offers more traditional dining.
Yoshicho is a great place to try taimeshi, a dish featuring sea bream, which is said to have originated with Japanese pirates who ate freshly caught fish with soy sauce on rice. Modern taimeshi, however, also contains a raw egg, which brings a colorful creaminess to the dish without overpowering the sea bream’s delicate, natural flavors. At Yoshicho, the taimeshi set is accompanied by Iyo Satsuma-jiru, a porridge-like dish of minced fish and miso made from barley, a popular grain also used in the production of local soy sauce since the late 19th century.
Buckwheat is another grain that has long been popular in Uchiko. It thrives in mountainous terrain and is the chief ingredient of soba noodles. Earthy-flavored and filling, soba can be enjoyed hot or cold with tempura at Shimohaga-tei. The 140-year-old building that houses the restaurant also has a tranquil garden in the back and a museum and shop on the second floor.
For visitors seeking something other than Japanese cuisine, Yoshoku Mother is recommended. This very affordable eatery offers a Western lunch menu, including hamburg steak and herb-flavored chicken, in a cozy atmosphere reminiscent of a private home. The local vegetables that accompany each dish are the epitome of flavor and freshness.
Uchiko is a popular producer of persimmons, chestnuts, pears, peaches, and grapes. The grapes not only make a great snack when in season but also go into the Uchiko Yume Wine, a local specialty.
Journey Within
Uchiko was once widely known as the gem of Ehime Prefecture, and today, the town preserves its proud heritage for travelers who make the journey and discover its stunning beauty.
Plan your visit: https://uchikogenic.com/en
To get a flavor of the accommodation options available: https://uchikogenic.com/en/stay/
