Kamimachi District Townscape in Sakawa

The Kamimachi District of Sakawa Town flourished in the Edo period as the castle town of the Fukao family, chief retainers of the Tosa Domain (present-day Kochi Prefecture). Merchants built their homes and storehouses here, shaping a townscape of white-walled merchant houses, sake breweries, and traditional shops that still survives today. Recognized under the Historical Landscape Maintenance and Improvement Plan, the streets retain the quiet elegance of an Edo-period town.
Sakawa was also known as a center of learning and culture under the Fukao lords, who established a school called “Meikyokan” that nurtured future leaders and intellectuals. From this environment came figures such as Tanaka Mitsuaki, a Meiji-era statesman, and Makino Tomitaro, the renowned botanist often called the “Father of Japanese Botany.” Appropriately for his birthplace, Sakawa is also known for seasonal attractions like Makino Park, which has lovely cherry blossoms.
In any season, a walk through the Kamimachi district is a chance to experience the atmosphere of a genuine Edo-era merchant town still alive in Shikoku.