Play and Connect with Artisans and Merchants: A 3-Day, 2-Night Travel Program Making Mima City Your "Second Hometown"

About this event

Mima City in Tokushima Prefecture is a merchant town that flourished with indigo merchants during the Edo period, and the daily activities of craftspeople and merchants are still very much alive today in its "Udatsu Townscape." Set in this Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, this program invites people working in urban areas to visit Mima 4 times a year for 2-night, 3-day stays to continuously play, assist, and deeply engage with local creators through hands-on experiences. Participants can meet makers across diverse fields such as Awa indigo and indigo dyeing, traditional joinery/woodwork, agriculture, coffee and dining, IT/Web3.0, and arts/creative fields. You can start by casually enjoying the activities as hands-on experiences and workshops, and if you discover a desire to get more involved, you can take a step further to contribute your own skills. Rather than simple sightseeing or permanent relocation, the program aims to create "another place to belong" for you. Throughout each session, programs are designed to foster deep connections between Mima, artisans, and local industries. Examples include hands-on authentic natural ash-fermented indigo dyeing, kumiko woodwork experience workshops, seasonal vegetable harvesting, and crafting your own coffee blend. The 4 sessions are designed to progressively deepen thematic exploration, and the 3rd session (November 21–23) takes place in conjunction with the local event "Wakimachi Udatsu Retro Market," allowing participants to enjoy the experience even more deeply by participating on the side of "creating" and "operating" the market together with local business owners. Single-session participation is also welcome, and ongoing participation enables individuals to deepen their bonds with the people of Mima and gain a deeper understanding of artisan craftsmanship.

Venue

Udatsu Townscape

92 Wakimachi Oaza Wakimachi, Mima, Tokushima 779-3610