Matsushige: Rivers, Local Cuisine and Cultural Heritage

Matsushige combines a coastal location with river landscapes, regional agriculture, and historic traditions. Its landscapes, local produce, and community history offer different points of interest to help you plan your trip.

River Delta and Coastal Location

The eastern side of Matsushige lies on the coast, while the Kyū-Yoshino River and the Imagirigawa flow through the town. Matsushige formed as a low-lying delta at the mouth of the Yoshino River. Land reclamation created new areas for cultivation. River courses, the coast, and the use of the land are therefore among the town’s defining geographical features.

Regional Products and Matsushigate

Matsushigate Asaichi sells fresh fish and vegetables directly to customers. Sweet potatoes are also among the region’s notable products: Naruto Kintoki grown in Matsushige are distributed nationwide under the name “Matsushige Bijin” for their attractive color and shape.

Another specialty is made from juvenile Japanese anchovies landed at Nagahara Port. They are first boiled and then dried in the sun. The white products from Matsushige are called Taibaku Chirimen. Pears of the Kōsui and Hōsui varieties are also grown in Matsushige. Amamori seaweed grows in Nagahara; the entire harvest is processed into dried nori in an automated, hygienic factory and shipped out. An indigo field is also cultivated next to the Matsushigate facility.

Museum and Puppet Theater

The Matsushige History and Folklore Museum focuses on the community’s history and folklore. Its themes include people’s struggle with water and Awa puppet theater Jōruri; visitors can also view artworks and cultural properties there. The Puppet Theater Materials Museum displays heads, puppets, and paintings related to Awa puppet theater, as well as numerous wooden puppets and puppet heads made by the puppeteer Tenkūkyū.

Puppet theater Jōruri performances are held free of charge at the History and Folklore Museum at 10 a.m. on the second Sunday of every month. Check the museum’s latest announcements before visiting.

Historic Sites and Religious Traditions

The Rokujizōson in Nakagirai stands on the grounds of the former Kōmyō-an. It was built on February 15, 1581, and is considered the oldest surviving stone cultural property in Matsushige. Bekkuura is also designated as a historic site by the town. It lies on the present-day boundary between Nagahara and Toyooka; there, Miyoshi Nagaharu took his own life in 1577 while fleeing to Awaji.

Matsushige is also home to the small pilgrimage site Shimo-Saigoku Sanjūsankasho, with its 33 sacred sites. In the early Meiji period, the priests Kinkame Giyū and his helpers established it using sand they brought back from the sites along the Saigoku pilgrimage route. The complex includes the Fudōin Shrine, whose ceiling features a painting donated around 1886: two depictions of celestial maidens, each about one meter tall, are surrounded by 45 flower paintings, each approximately 30 centimeters on a side.

Festivals and Local History

Every year on August 23, the Buddhist Jizō-bon Festival, also called Nijūsanya, is celebrated at Donkaiji Temple in Nakagirai. Niagari Ondo and circle dancing are the main events. At the autumn festival at Kasuga Shrine in Sasakino, the Sasakino Festival Association leads the procession. The Kitaji, Hacchōno, and Yamanote districts take turns every two years presenting lion dances, Ner i, and danjiri floats.

Documents from Kasuga Shrine in Sasakino also shed light on local history: they cover land reclamation in Sasakino village during the Edo period, as well as the lives and culture of its residents.

Park and Airport

Tsukimigaoka Kaihin Park has an expansive lawn, a play area, and barbecue facilities. At the airport, you can find your way around using specific facilities: Tokushima Awaodori Airport is officially called Tokushima Airport, has the codes TKS and RJOS, and is located in Matsushige. Check-in counters are on the first floor; the arrivals hall has an information desk and a rental car counter. The information desk provides details about onward transport, tourism, and services in the building.

The airport’s third floor has souvenir shops, cafés, a food court, restaurants, and an observation hall where you can watch planes nearby. Check the latest airport information before your trip if you plan to use these facilities.

Discover more destinations: Anan, Komatsushima, Naka, Mima, Naruto, Obatake, Toyooka, Miyoshi.

Return to the regional travel overview: Tokushima Prefecture.