Edo

Joined to the north flank of the main hall at Jizoji in Tokushima, this late Edo hall is built around a central goma fire altar, and its carved gable is admired.

Tucked away in Tokushima City's historic Kokufu district, the Zoshu-in Tea Room is a refined late-Edo sukiya building registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property in 2021. Its five rooms—two tea rooms, a mizuya, a waiting room, and a formal upper room—showcase a remarkable variety of prized timbers and carefully varied designs. Set within a ninth-century temple and steps from four Shikoku Pilgrimage sites, it offers a rare, crowd-free glimpse into provincial Edo architectural refinement.

Discover Zoushuin Maikomi-izumi in Tokushima, a nationally registered Edo-period spiral well of a type rarely seen in western Japan. Explore its history, stone craftsmanship, and the rich heritage landscape of Kokufu-cho.

Chiiori, meaning 'House of the Flute,' is an approximately 300-year-old thatched-roof farmhouse nestled in the remote Iya Valley of Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture. Registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property, this Edo-period minka was purchased and restored by American Japanologist Alex Kerr in 1973. Today it operates as an exclusive whole-house rental, offering guests an immersive experience in Japan's vanishing rural heritage.

The Main Hall of Tsubaki Hachiman Shrine in Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture, is a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property built in 1856. Despite its compact 4.7 m² footprint, this late Edo-period shrine showcases remarkably sophisticated craftsmanship including elaborate bracket complexes with diagonal tail rafters, double rainbow-beam gable ornamentation, and dense sculptural decoration. Located in a tranquil coastal village near Gamoda Cape, the easternmost point of Shikoku.

Built in 1862 and only nineteen square metres, Tsurui Yakushido is a three-bay hall above the Iya River, registered in 2019 for its place in the landscape.

Rebuilt in 1833, Tofukuji Main Hall in Tsurugi Town, Tokushima, puts a Shingon worship hall and the priests' quarters under one tiled hipped roof, eight rooms deep.

A late Edo samurai house in Tokushima City, moved from the castle town in 1882 and registered in 2000. Its 13m Hachisuka cherry flowers from mid-February.

Discover Hiuradō, a registered cultural property built in 1788 in Tsurugi Town, Tokushima. The 26th station of the Haba-Shikoku miniature pilgrimage offers serene mountain views, ornate carvings, and centuries of folk faith.

Set within the precinct of Manpukuji, a Koyasan Shingon temple deep in the mountains of Naka Town, Tokushima Prefecture, the Manpukuji Storehouse is a finely preserved two-story earthen-walled (dozō-zukuri) building from the late Edo period. Its carefully applied white plaster and rare 'pine fin' gable ornament reveal the craftsmanship of provincial Japan, and the small structure has been registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan since 2005. We introduce this hidden architectural gem along with the spectacular natural scenery that surrounds it.

Tucked within an 800-year-old Shingon temple in Naka Town, the Manpuku-ji Bell Tower is a Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property. Explore its history, serene setting, and the surrounding natural wonders of rural Tokushima.

Discover the Renkoji Temple Sanmon Gate in Ishii, Tokushima Prefecture—a nationally registered tangible cultural property blending Zen and Japanese architectural styles from the late Edo period.