Matsushige combines a coastal setting with rivers that flow through the delta and a strong agricultural tradition. It is also known for distinctive local products and a rich cultural heritage. Visitors planning a stay can explore the area through several themes, from landscapes and food culture to puppet theater and historic sites.
River Delta and Coastal Setting
Matsushige formed as a low-lying delta at the mouth of the Yoshino River. Its eastern side faces the sea, and the Kyū-Yoshino River and Imagirigawa flow through the area. Land reclamation opened up new farmland. This geographical history connects the landscape to agriculture, which remains one of the area’s defining features.
Agriculture and Regional Products
One well-known specialty is the Naruto Kintoki variety of sweet potato. Prized for its color and shape, it is sold nationwide under the name “Matsushige Bijin.” Fish processing has also given rise to a distinctive local product: young Japanese anchovies landed at Nagahara Port are first boiled and then sun-dried. The white products from Matsushige are called Taibaku Chirimen.
Other crops grown here include the Kōsui and Hōsui pear varieties. Amamori seaweed is also cultivated in Nagahara. The entire harvest is processed into dried nori and shipped from an automated, hygienic factory. Fresh fish and vegetables are sold directly at Matsushigate Asaichi. Indigo is also grown in a field next to the Matsushigate facility.
Culture, History, and Puppet Theater
The Matsushige History and Folklore Museum explores the area’s history and folklore. Its exhibits include the lives of people contending with water and Awa puppet theater, or Jōruri; visitors can also see artworks and cultural properties. The museum and the Museum of Puppet Theater Materials display heads, puppets, and paintings related to Awa puppet theater, as well as numerous wooden puppets and puppet heads by the master puppeteer Tenkūkyū. Free puppet theater Jōruri performances are held at the History and Folklore Museum at 10 a.m. on the second Sunday of each month. Check the latest information about the program before visiting.
Religious festivals are also part of the area’s history. Every year on August 23, the Buddhist Jizō-bon Festival, also called Nijūsanya, is celebrated at Donkaiji Temple in Nakagirai. Niagari Ondo and a circle dance are the main events. At the autumn festival at Kasuga Shrine in Sasakino, the Sasakino festival association leads the procession. The three districts of Kitaji, Hacchōno, and Yamanote take turns presenting lion dances, Neri, and Danjiri every two years, so the next performance date has not been set.
Historic sites and works tell stories from different eras. The Rokujizōson in Nakagirai stands on the site of the former Kōmyō-an. It was erected on February 15, 1581, and is considered Matsushige’s oldest surviving stone cultural property. Bekkuura, a designated historic site on the present-day boundary between Nagahara and Toyooka, is associated with the year 1577: Miyoshi Nagaharu committed suicide there while fleeing to Awaji. Documents from Kasuga Shrine in Sasakino offer insight into land reclamation in Sasakino Village during the Edo period, as well as the lives and culture of its people.
Planning Your Visit
Tokushima Awaodori Airport is located in Matsushige, Tokushima Prefecture. Its official name is Tokushima Airport, and its codes are TKS and RJOS. Check-in counters are on the ground floor. The arrivals hall has an information counter and a car rental counter; the information counter provides details on onward transportation, tourism, and services in the building. The third floor has souvenir shops, cafés, a food court, restaurants, and an observation hall where visitors can watch planes up close. Check the latest airport procedures before traveling.
Tsukimigaoka Kaihin Park features a spacious lawn, a play area, and barbecue facilities. It is also home to ten cottages in four types, known as “Otsukimi Village.” If you are considering staying here, check availability before booking.
Explore more destinations: Kaiyo, Obatake, Anan, Komatsushima, Tokushima, Miyoshi, Mima, Toyooka.
Return to the main travel guide: Tokushima Prefecture.
