[1 hour by car from Matsuyama City] A hidden gem in Ehime Prefecture! Welcome to the townscape of Unomachi

• Table of Contents
• Uonomachi is here! Welcome to Ehime Prefecture, Ehime Prefecture
• Access to the Unomachi Streets
• Unomachi has been designated as a traditional buildings preservation district.
• Discover the deep Japanese culture hidden in small towns!
• Recommended spots
• Other recommended spots
• If you're tired of overtourism, come to Uwa Town!

Uonomachi is here! Welcome to Ehime Prefecture, Ehime Prefecture

Unomachi, Uwacho, Seiyo City, is a town located in the upper left of Shikoku, Ehime Prefecture, an hour's drive west of Matsuyama City.

Access to the Unomachi Streets

If you are using a rental car or taxi, it is 50 minutes from Matsuyama IC on the Matsuyama Expressway to Seiyo-Uwa IC, or a 4-minute drive from Seiyo-Uwa IC.

If you take the bus, it takes 1 hour and 25 minutes from Matsuyama Airport to Uwajima Bus Unomachi Office, then it is a 10 minute walk from the office.

If traveling by train, it takes an hour on the express train from JR Matsuyama Station to JR Unomachi Station, and then it is an 8-minute walk from Unomachi Station.

Unomachi has been designated as a traditional buildings preservation district.

Although it is now a quaint and quiet town, it used to be a bustling town with men in topknots and people wearing kimonos passing by. The town's history dates back to 1651, and at its peak it flourished as a post town connecting the neighboring towns. It has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government.

Unomachi is a hidden gem in Ehime Prefecture that is still unknown to many people. When you look up at the sky, you can see a beautiful view of traditional tiled roofs lined up against a sky without power lines.

Discover the deep Japanese culture hidden in small towns!

If you come to Unomachi, try walking around the town while looking at the "Uonomachi Walking Map," a hand-drawn illustration by locals that is full of local love. Although it is a small town, you will be able to discover deep Japanese culture that is unique to the locals.

If you look closely at this map, you will see that within the oval frame, 1) Kaimei School, 2) Uwa Folk and Historical Museum, 3) Suemitsu Family Residence, 4) Uwa Sentetsu Memorial Museum, 5) Kyumusashi, and 6) Uwa Rice Museum are written. Let me introduce these first.

Recommended spots

①Important Cultural Property Kaimei School You can learn about the history of education in Japan

Kaimei School

109 3-chome, Uenomachi, Uwamachi, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture 797-001...

Built in 1882 (Meiji 15), it is the oldest elementary school building in Shikoku. The exterior is a pseudo-Western style building with Western-style arched windows, and in 1997 it was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. We offer a "Meiji Classroom Experience" where you can experience a class from the Meiji period.

Hotels near Kaimei School

Daiichi Business Hotel Matsuya

Ehime Prefecture > Seiyo

4.2 /5

Very Good

7 reviews

$40～

Uwa Folk and Historical Museum: See how people lived in the past

Uwa folk and historical museum

106, 3-chome, Uenomachi, Uwamachi, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture 797-00...

The museum has a collection of about 6,000 items of daily life and business tools used locally between 1800 and 1980. In addition to viewing, there are also plenty of experience corners, including a treadle sewing machine and old crane games. A retro tourist spot where you can experience Japanese history and culture.

Hotels near Uwa folk and historical museum

Daiichi Business Hotel Matsuya

Ehime Prefecture > Seiyo

4.2 /5

Very Good

7 reviews

$40～

③ Suemitsu Family Residence: Former sake brewery built in 1770

Suemitsu House

3-179-2 Uono-cho, Uwa-cho, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture Prefecture 797...

Located in a part of the Unomachi Townscape, a nationally designated Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, the Suemitsu House is a historic structure built as a sake shop during the Edo period. Built in 1770 as a sake brewery, the Suemitsu House was remodeled in 1895 but most of its original appearance remains. At key points within the facility, you can see ideas for making effective use of the limited space and ingenious ideas for making the house more livable.

Hotels near Suemitsu House

Daiichi Business Hotel Matsuya

Ehime Prefecture > Seiyo

4.2 /5

Very Good

7 reviews

$40～

Uwa Sentetsu Memorial Museum: Introducing great people from Uwa Town

Uwa Sentetsu Memorial Museum

4-327 Uenomachi, Uwacho, Seiyo City Ehime Prefecture 7970015

In the permanent exhibition introducing the great men and women of Uwa Town, you can experience making and wrapping medicine as Siebold's daughter, Kusumoto Ine, the first Japanese female doctor. The seasonal exhibits for traditional Japanese events such as Hinamatsuri and Tango no Sekku are a must-see. You can see gorgeous Hina dolls, palace decorations, and a giant 8-meter carp streamer. In addition, painting exhibitions, calligraphy exhibitions, and art exhibitions are also held. Rental spaces (Japanese-style room, citizen gallery, and second floor exhibition room) are also available.

Hotels near Uwa Sentetsu Memorial Museum

Daiichi Business Hotel Matsuya

Ehime Prefecture > Seiyo

4.2 /5

Very Good

7 reviews

$40～

5. Experience life in the old days, including cooking in the Kyumusashi stove

Old Musashi

797-0015 229 Uwamachi 3-chome, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture

It is called "Old Musashi" because during the Meiji period, the business was called "Musashi (ya)." The shop offers experiences of life in the past, such as a "stove cooking experience" where you can cook rice using old household tools and a hearth, and a "laundry experience" where you can do laundry using a well and a washboard.

Hotels near Old Musashi

Daiichi Business Hotel Matsuya

Ehime Prefecture > Seiyo

4.2 /5

Very Good

7 reviews

$40～

⑥ Experience mopping the 109m corridor at the Uwa Rice Museum

Uwa Rice Museum

797-0015 2-24 Uwamachi, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture

This rice museum is a relocated and preserved version of the "former Uwamachi Elementary School building." The "mopping experience" that takes place in the 109m long wooden corridor is popular. The old classrooms are also used as a shared office and meeting rooms.

Hotels near Uwa Rice Museum

Daiichi Business Hotel Matsuya

Ehime Prefecture > Seiyo

4.2 /5

Very Good

7 reviews

$40～

Other recommended spots

Kokemushiro Moss Garden Cafe

2099 Shinzato, Uwa Ehime Prefecture Prefecture, 797-0037

Kokemushiro Moss Garden Cafe is a gallery and cafe with a beautiful moss garden and clean, refreshing air. The moss, which is still growing every day, shows different expressions with each season. The brilliance of the moss after rain is especially worth seeing. The light filtering through the trees onto the moss covered in dew creates a fantastical atmosphere. You can enjoy coffee and moss buns inside the cafe.

Recommended for those who want to spend a quiet and peaceful time. The coffee and homemade chiffon cake surrounded by moss are exquisite.

Straw Mammoth

232 Iwaki, Uwa-cho, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture, 797-0026

Straw mammoth art is located a three-minute walk from Iyoishijo Station in Uwacho, Seiyo City. This straw mammoth was created in 2011 as a collaboration between Musashino Art University in Tokyo and local volunteers to liven up the lotus flower festival. With the cooperation of local residents, the mammoth's straw is replaced every year from March to April. In spring, it can be seen against the lotus flower, the city's flower. In summer, against the green rice paddies where rice has grown. In autumn, against the rice fields where the rice has been harvested. In winter, it is lit up with straw groves. You can see the straw mammoth in all four seasons. Every year during the lotus flower festival on April 29th, the place bustles with activity and has become something of a symbol of Uwacho.

A mother and baby mammoth appear in a rice field. On a snowy day, the landscape looks like it's from the Ice Age.

If you're tired of overtourism, come to Uwa Town!

Uwacho is surrounded by mountains and hills at an altitude of 200m, and has a mild climate and is rich in nature. This area, known as the Southern Ehime region of Ehime Prefecture , is said to be a laid-back place where time flows slowly. It is the perfect town for those who are tired of crowds and want to avoid overtourism. If you like local Japanese things, please come to Uwacho.