Japan Heritage Mitarai Historic Streetscapes Preservation District

Osakishimojima Island is one of the islands on the Akinada Tobishima Kaido, which is connected by seven bridges. The island is known for its citrus fruits such as Ocho mandarin oranges, and a stroll through the Mitarai district, lined with merchant houses, teahouses, and boatyards, is recommended.

The Mitarai district is a port town that prospered in the Edo period (1603-1868) as a transit point for maritime traffic in the Seto Inland Sea and a town of waiting for the wind and tide. It was designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government in 1994 and as a Japan Heritage Site in 2018.

The village is lined with buildings from the Edo period, Meiji period (-1912), Taisho period (-1926), and early Showa period, and if you walk down the narrow alleys, you will find many photogenic spots, such as the “Wakaebisuya-ato remains of Wakaebisuya”, a teahouse from the Edo period, and Otomeza, a theater built in 1937. There are also cafes, lodging facilities, souvenir stores, and an exhibition room with a collection of old Japanese toys in renovated old buildings.

Enjoy a leisurely stroll through history at the harbor with its tall stone lanterns and "Rekishi-no-mieru-oka-koen Park", a hilltop park with a panoramic view of the beauty of the Setouchi islands.