Udatsu Townscape — Edo Merchant District

The Udatsu Townscape (うだつの町並み) in Mima City preserves an Edo-period merchant district where wealthy indigo traders built grand machiya (townhouses) decorated with udatsu — decorative fire-prevention walls rising above the roofline, which became status symbols (the phrase 'udatsu ga agaranai,' meaning 'can't get ahead,' derives from houses lacking udatsu). The street features 85+ preserved buildings with white-walled udatsu, lattice windows, and traditional architecture.

The district represents Tokushima's indigo wealth — merchants here controlled the Awa indigo trade that supplied Japan's textile industry during the 17th–19th centuries.