Uchiko is an easy day trip from Matsuayama for craft lovers. It's a preserved merchant town in the mountains of Ehime that made its fortune during the Meiji era producing Japanese wax from tree berries. That wealth left behind a main street of historic buildings and a tradition of craft that still runs through the town today. This is also where the founder of Asahi beer was born, and you can visit his family home to see where it all started.
The drive out and back takes you through the mountains with stops at roadside stalls and a michi no eki offering the kind of regional snacks and specialties you won't find back in Matsuyama. Once in Uchiko, you'll visit Uchiko-za, a beautifully restored kabuki theater from 1916, then choose your own craft adventure from candle making, paper making, blacksmithing, or kite making with local artisans. There's a tour and tasting at a regional sake brewery, and if you want to push further into the mountains, you can visit terraced rice fields that show how farmers have worked this landscape for generations. It's the perfect day trip for anyone who wants to get deeper into the mountain culture and craft heritage of Ehime.
