It seems that the city of Sakuragawa, literally translated as cherry blossoms along river, was formed through a merger of towns and villages, and while there are certainly spots comparable to the wild cherry blossoms of Yoshino in Nara, one of merged town of Makabe, which retains the same town layout as it did in the early Edo period like as Tatsuno town, is more famous. I headed for the old townscape, and was surprised to see huge stone lanterns installed at the entrances of private homes here and there.
They were so huge that you would never see them at an inn or temple or shrine, and it seemed like each home was competing to have their own. It seems like people in Tokushima Prefecture are showing off their wealth by building magnificent udatsu at the boundary between houses, but with the recent increase in robberies, the giant stone lantern is intended to appeal to robbers, as if it is asking them to break into its premises. As we drove, we saw stoneworks everywhere, and the rows of stone lanterns waiting to be shipped were a spectacular sight. As I couldn’t buy a stone lantern as a souvenir, I bought a stone chopstick rest instead.
As you enter the town of Makabe, you will come across an old townscape that has been designated an Important Building Heritage District. While some buildings are well preserved, others are in a state of disrepair, and some look as though they will soon collapse if left as they are. I wonder if it could be used as a way to revitalize the town and somehow improve it. There are no shops that you can just drop into while walking around town. I’m sure there are similar places all over the country, but seeing the buildings decaying in the hot sun made me feel more lonely than touristy.
Detour for lunch
There is a lovely little cafe, “Cafe125,” between Makabe town and Amabiki Kannon Temple. The whole house is decorated with handmade dolls and dried flowers.
