What Is Uchiko? The Wax Town of Yokaichi and Gokoku

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide explains what Uchiko is and why its old streets are protected. It uses English pages from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and from Visit Ehime Japan, the prefectural tourism site. All pages were read on 2026-10-04. The pages are short, so this guide is short on figures and says plainly where a page gives none.

The short answer

Uchiko is a town in Kita-gun, Ehime Prefecture, whose old merchant district is a protected historic townscape. JNTO says the Yokaichi-Gokoku district is Shikoku's first Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. It is a street of old houses, not a theme park, and many of the buildings are still used as galleries, shops, eateries and hotels.

What stands in the district

Visit Ehime says around 93 buildings from the Edo, Meiji and Taisho periods line a 600-meter stretch of the main street through the old town. The Edo period ran from 1603 to 1867, the Meiji period from 1868 to 1912 and the Taisho period to 1926. Visit Ehime adds that other properties have been repurposed as galleries, shops, eateries and boutique hotels, and that several residences once owned by local merchants can be toured.

Why it grew rich

Visit Ehime says Uchiko flourished during the Edo and Meiji periods as a major producer of lumber, silk and wax. The wax is the best-known thread. The Japanese Wax Museum and Kamihaga residence page says the family were great wax merchants, and that the main building and the boiler room remain intact. An archive center there introduces how wax production worked. The Japanese word for this wax is mokuro, which Visit Ehime also uses.

The Honhaga residence

Visit Ehime says the Honhaga Family Residence was built in 1889 by the leading Kamihaga family of wax production. It stands out even among the extravagant houses of the district. The page says it has been designated an important cultural property and that the ornamental roof tiles and plaster decorations show the prosperity of the time. Because the building is still in use, you cannot see every part, but the exterior and the garden are worth the visit.

The theater

Visit Ehime says the Uchiko-za theater was built in 1916 for kabuki and bunraku and was saved from demolition and restored in 1985 by the local community. JNTO says it is one of a handful of such theaters that still hold performances. Our separate guide covers visiting it, including a closure notice that you should read first.

A town people still live in

JNTO's page on a bridal photoshoot offered in the district says a local family donated a collection of 10 uchikake, bridal over-kimono, to the community so that they could be worn again. It says a portion of the proceeds goes to the Township Preservation Society, which helps maintain the town's traditions. We mention this only to show that the preservation work is carried by local people. We have not checked the price or the booking terms.

A good plan for a half day

Start with the Preservation Center, then walk the main street, then pick one or two houses to tour rather than all of them. Visit Ehime says a combined ticket covers the wax museum and Kamihaga residence, the theater and the museum of commercial and domestic life. The official pages give opening hours of 9:00 to 16:30 for both merchant houses, so plan to arrive well before closing.

Reading the buildings

The pages give a few things to look for. Visit Ehime says the Honhaga residence has extravagant ornamental roof tiles and plaster decorations. For the wax museum, it says the main building and the boiler room remain intact. JNTO describes the theater's facade as contrasting white plaster and dark wood walls under a clay tiled roof. None of the pages gives a walking route, so a good habit is to look up at the roof lines and then down at the doorways as you go along the street.

The Preservation Center

Visit Ehime says the Preservation Center, located in an old merchant house, explains the history of the area and the ongoing conservation efforts. The page does not give its hours or admission. It is the best place to ask what is open on the day, and what has changed since the pages were written.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• The exact number of wax-trade houses and how many are open to visitors.
• Whether the 93-building figure counts every building in both Yokaichi and Gokoku.
• Prices and terms of the bridal photoshoot.

Related guides

• How do you get to Uchiko from Matsuyama and walk the old town?
• How do you visit Uchiko-za and the wax merchant houses, and what should you check first?

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. Yokaichi and Gokoku Historical District (Visit Ehime Japan) — (buildings, trade)
2. Japanese Wax Museum and Kamihaga residence (Visit Ehime Japan) — (wax merchants)
3. Honhaga Family Residence (Visit Ehime Japan) — (1889 house)
4. Uchiko-Za (Visit Ehime Japan) — (theater)
5. Bridal Photoshoot Experience in Historic Uchiko (JNTO) — (preservation district)
6. Uchikoza Kabuki Theater (JNTO) — (theater)