Unomachi Old Town & Kaimei School
宇和町卯之町
A well-preserved post-town street in Seiyo City, with white-walled townhouses and lattice windows lining the road. At the end stands Kaimei School, one of Shikoku's oldest surviving elementary school buildings.
Unomachi was a post town on the old Uwajima road. Merchant townhouses dating from the mid-Edo to early Showa periods line the Nakamachi Kaido. In 2009 the district was designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. At the end of the street stands Kaimei School, built in 1882. It is one of the oldest surviving elementary school buildings in Shikoku and is designated a National Important Cultural Property. Its interior has been restored as a Meiji-era classroom, where you can try old-style desks and slate boards. Nearby are the Uwa Folk Tools Museum and the Sentetsu Memorial Hall. Kaimei School is open roughly 9:00 to 17:00, and admission is about 500 yen, including the folk tools museum. Take the JR Yosan Line to Unomachi Station, then walk about 10 minutes. It is about a 30-minute drive from Uwajima.
Opening hours
Neighborhood open all day; Kaiming School 09:00–17:00 (closed Mondays)
Nearby sights
- Museum of Ehime History and Culture
- Uwajima City Historical Museum
- Warei Shrine
- Michi-no-Eki Uwajima Kisaiya Hiroba
- Uwajima Bullfighting Arena
- Ryukoin Temple
- Uwajima Castle
- Tenshaen Garden