In the western part of Kagawa prefecture there is a port town called Utazu that has prospered as a trading base since ancient times. As it used to be surrounded by saltpans, it was once known as the "town of salt".

Even now in "Komachi", the area to the south of Utazu station there are historical shrines, temples and townhouses, which are remnants of the prosperous era.

Located at the crossroads of the former Marugame and Kotohira highways, in April 2014 Co-machi no Ie was born following the renovation of two traditional Japanese houses. Restored under the supervision of Alex Kerr who has worked on projects to restore traditional Japanese houses in Iya in Tokushima prefecture, and Kyoto, Co-machi no Ie is an accommodation complex that can be rented as a whole.

It includes two buildings: Rinsui, a renovated machiya (townhouse) built in 1868, and Sezan, which has a western-style exterior.

During the restoration of Rinsui, best use was made of its original features such as the floor and central pillars, as well as the thick beams hidden within the ceiling. It's a space that allows you to experience the carpentry skills of previous generations, so typical of Japanese architecture, as well as the calm air of history.

 

In contrast, Sezan features a spacious living room with walnut flooring which was once covered in tatami mats. It's a modern, luxurious space with plenty of sunlight shining in from the large windows on both sides of the room.

Both buildings are fully equipped with the latest facilities such as system kitchens, heating and cooling systems, and hinoki cypress bathtubs, and although they are traditional houses, a lot of hidden work has been put into ensuring comfort equal to or better than visitors’ own homes.

 

At around 30 minutes by train to central Takamatsu city and around 10 minutes by train to central Marugame city, Utazu is conveniently located even if used as a base when staying in Kagawa prefecture.

You can make various plans to tour the islands of Seto Inland Sea or visit art museums, or even go to Kotohira-gu shrine or the sites of the Shikoku pilgrimage. We of course also recommend just taking it easy at Co-machi no Ie and going for walks around the Utazu townscape, which is dotted with shrines, temples and traditional townhouses.

For example, this is the main store of Takahashi Jizo-mochi, a shop established over 100-years ago. It sells ohagi (rice balls covered with for example sweet red bean paste), savory mochi (glutinous rice cakes) as well as mochi with bean flour sprinkled on top, and they're all JPY120 each. Take-out is available, and there is something elegant about buying mochi to go and taking a walk around the area.

Nearby the mochi shop is Gosho-ji, temple No.78 of the Shikoku pilgrimage. It's famous for its Yakuyoke Daishi ('Master of warding off evil') statue, but it’s also worth seeing the colorful ceiling ornaments in the main temple building.

 

If you've come all the way to Kagawa, you'll want to try some local udon noodles, too.

On the edge of Komachi, Ubushina is an udon noodle shop located within the grounds of Ubushina Shrine, a short walk from Gosho-ji Temple.

Apparently a senior priest of the shrine practiced making udon noodles and opened the business. It's one of the udon noodle shops frequented by locals.