Mima

Mima (美馬市 Mima-shi) is a city in Tokushima prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It is inland, to the west of Tokushima city. To the north, Mima borders Kagawa Prefecture.

Understand
In 2005, the city of Mima was created from the towns and villages of Mima, Anabuki, Waki, and Koyadaira. (Handa, Sadamitsu, and the village of Ichiu merged into Tsurugi, which is also part of Mima District.) Mima had a population of 28,000 in 2022.

Tourist information



 * The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.
 * The city government's official site has a Japanese-only tourism section with nice photos.

By plane
There are two small airports near Mima city. From Tokushima Airport, travelers can take the bus to Tokushima Station. From there, travelers can get on the Tokushima line (徳島線 Tokushima-sen). Takamatsu Airport, can be accessed from Mima by Route 193. From Mima City Hall, it takes approximately 40 minutes by car. The largest international airport in the vicinity is Kansai International Airport in Osaka (2 hr 45 min from Tokushima city, ¥4000 &mdash; cheaper if you purchase a round trip ticket).

By train
There are three train stations in Mima city along the Tokushima line. These are Anabuki Station (穴吹駅 Anabuki-eki), Oshima Station (小島駅 Oshima-eki) and Sadamitsu Station (貞光駅 Sadamitsu-eki). From Tokushima Station it takes a little over one hour to travel to Anabuki Station, and costs ¥830 (for adults). There is also a limited express train that stops at Anabuki Station. The limited express takes around 40 minutes to get to Tokushima Station and costs ¥2270.

By bus
Several buses travel to or through Mima.



By car
Route 192 connects Mima to Tokushima, while Route 193 connects Mima to Takamatsu. There is an interchange for the Tokushima Expressway near Wakimachi.

By train
There are three train stations along the Tokushima Line that serve Mima City. These are, from east to west, Anabuki Station, Oshima Station and Sadamitsu Station.

By foot
Although the city is rather spread out, some places can be visited by foot. The Udatsu Townscape is about 4 km from Anabuki Station. Tera-machi, the temple district, is about a half an hour walk from Sadamitsu Station.

Udatsu Townscape
The term Udatsu (うだつ) refers to a traditional architectural element unique to this area of Shikoku that is built into the long rows of shop houses. It consists of a brick and stucco wall that juts out of the second floor roof-line between two homes or shops. This allows for not only added privacy from one's immediate neighbor, but was also intended to be flame blocking fixture in the event the connecting apartment were to catch fire.



Tera-machi
Mima is home to several temples with long histories, showing that the region has been culturally advanced since earlier times. During the Kōfun period (3rd-6th century) large grave tombs were built here, and with the spread of Buddhism during the Hakuhō period (645-715), an enormous temple complex was established. The complex consisted of 7 main buildings, which was unheard of for the countryside. The Tera-machi area, also known as Temple Town, is considered to be made up of the Anraku, Ganshō, Saikyō and Rinshō temples, located in the Mima-chō area, near the Sadamitsu train station.

A volunteer guide can be booked for a tour along the temples in tera-machi, in accordance with your personal schedule and preferences. You can contact the Anraku temple for bookings (+81 883-63-2015). Bookings need to be made at least one week in advance.

Watersports
Fishing is popular on the Anabuki River. Amego season opens in March, and Ayu season opens in June.



Festivals
January

February

April

May

July

August

September

October

November

December

Buy
Like many other Japanese cities and towns, Mima city has several famous local food products. Famous agricultural products from Mima are yuzu citrons, grapes and hassaku oranges. Yuzu are harvested in autumn, and are used in the production of, for example, yuzu juice. Hassaku are harvested before the end of December, and are then stored until they are fully ripened (around February). These oranges are slightly sour. Another famous food product is Mima-kara, a spicy condiment (kara means spicy) which is essentially a mix of organically grown green chili peppers boiled down in soy sauce. There are also four local sake breweries in Mima city, namely Tsukasagiku, Myōjō, ōga and Shinomiya. These all sell their own, hand-made sake. Another famous local drink is 'Mima-no-Sato', a shōchū (Japanese gin), made from Kintoki potatoes. Wagasa (Japanese paper umbrellas) and Awa-uchiwa (Awa fans) are traditionally hand-made in Mima. In the past, more than 200 umbrella shops existed in the city.



Go next

 * Check out the tidal whirlpools at Naruto, but confirm the times before you go — they can only be seen at certain times.
 * Shopping or sightseeing in Tokushima, about an hour by train from Anabuki station.
 * Experience the roots of Japan in the hidden Iya Valley, just south of Mima.
 * For white water river rafting head over to Oboke/Koboke
 * Enjoy the capital of Ehime prefecture, Matsuyama, and take a dip in the famous Dōgo onsen spa.
 * Visit the capital of Kagawa prefecture, which is also the biggest city on Shikoku, Takamatsu, beyond the mountains to the north of Mima.