![[Mima City, Tokushima Prefecture] A touring spot to visit by motorcycle | The soothing Udatsu townscape.](https://motopeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/4174-1760971320579.jpg)
A row of proud houses with udatsu roofs hang from their roofs.
Udatsu Townscape is located in Wakimachi Minamimachi, Mima City. The address and coordinate points below point to Ai Land Udatsu Roadside Station. From Tokushima City, take the Tokushima Expressway and exit at Wakimachi Interchange. The total distance is approximately 50 km, or less than 50 minutes by car. The roadside station is easily accessible, taking about five minutes from the interchange. Alternatively, exit at Tonari Interchange on the Tokushima Expressway and take Prefectural Route 12, which will take you to the station in about an hour. If you’re heading for the mountain pass leading to Mt. Tsurugi, this is a convenient place to take a break. It’s also a good first rest stop on routes through the inland of Shikoku toward Ehime Prefecture or Kochi Prefecture.
We recommend parking your motorcycle at Ai Land Udatsu Roadside Station and enjoying a leisurely stroll around the nearby Udatsu Townscape and the open Yoshino River. Both are within walking distance of the roadside station. It’s refreshing to soak up the refreshing air at Wakimachi Submersible Bridge, a famous filming location for movies and TV shows. If you come at dusk, be sure to burn the spectacular sunset into your memory.
The area’s former prosperity was fueled by commerce related to indigo dyeing, a dyeing technique using materials extracted from indigo. Thanks to the favorable water transportation on the Yoshino River, Minamimachi and other areas developed as a distribution center for indigo. From the Meiji period onward, various businesses, including cocoon brokers and kimono merchants, thrived and lined the streets. The main house and the storehouse behind it are also symbols of the prosperity of the time. The stately, stately building with its raised udatsu roof exudes the atmosphere of a bygone era. It’s a great place to take your time and enjoy a rest and sightseeing experience.
The stately appearance of the town, which once enjoyed great prosperity, remains intact.
From the roadside station, you can stroll through the Udatsu townscape. There are toilets at the roadside station. As you walk through the town, you can enjoy eating, drinking, and shopping for souvenirs.
55 Wakimachi, Wakimachi, Mima City, Tokushima Prefecture (approximately 6 minutes by car/approximately 3.5km from Anabuki Station on the JR Tokushima Line)
At Udatsu Sabo, located in the community center within the townscape, you can enjoy “Obanzai” (side dishes) and sweets made with seasonal vegetables.
One of the cafe restaurants, “Aigura,” offers rare limited edition ice cream.
Near the Udatsu townscape, there is also an open view like this.
The 207m-long Wakimachi Submerged Bridge spans the Yoshino River, which flows east to west on the south side of the town. It is also famous as a filming location for movies. The site was once the site of the Mainakajima Ferry, and a stone monument remains to this day.
Tokushima Prefecture Tourism Information Site “Awa Navi”
URL: https://www.awanavi.jp/archives/spot/19082
The real roof tiles and plastered walls create a truly stately appearance. The Udatsu streetscape was built in the traditional style in the early 1700s.
The townscape then changed during the Edo and Meiji periods, and in 1988 it was designated by the national government as an “Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.”
