Many stores and warehouses with white plastered walls stand side by side in the old town of Uchiko located 40km southwest of Matsuyama City, the provincial capital of Ehime Prefecture.
This town used to flourish by the manufacturing and trading of Japan wax (Mokuro) as well as Japanese paper (Washi) from the 17th to the beginning of the 20th century. Japan wax particularly was highly reputed in Europe for the raw material of high-end cosmetics. Uchiko’s Japan wax accounted for 30% of entire production of the country in its zenith. As Japan wax, however, was also used for Japanese candles, the amount of output has decreased since the 20th century. The locals, accordingly, began to tackle the practical use of the traditional town scape for the important attraction of agritourism. The old center of the town as shown in the first photo was designated as an Important Traditional Building Preservation District in 1982. The second photo shows a set of old manufacturing tools for Japan wax from the seeds of wax trees. In this connection, Uchiko Town and Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany are sister cities.
Jason Hardy


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