八日市護国地区の町並み

The Yokaichi-Gokoku District Streetscape is Uchiko’s main street. Along about 600 meters, roughly 120 townhouses and merchant houses built from the late Edo period through the Meiji period line the road. Many of these buildings are still in active use today. Historically, Uchiko prospered as a production area for washi paper and plant-based Japanese candles (wood wax / mokuro). The “”Wood Wax Museum Kamihaga Residence”” is a museum that uses the former home of the Kamihaga family, who accumulated wealth through wood wax; with English explanations, visitors can learn how wood wax was made and what the town was like in the past. The “”Machiya Museum,”” a restored and repaired townhouse originally built in 1793, is open to the public free of charge and can also serve as a rest stop. For souvenirs, the handmade Japanese candles at “”Omori Japanese Candle Shop””—now said to be the only dedicated Japanese-candle specialty shop remaining in Shikoku—are a good choice; they are known for being less drippy and producing less soot. There are also cafés and shops in renovated old houses, making it enjoyable to drop in while strolling.