Uchiko, Ehime Prefecture, Japan 05:26

Uchiko sits in a mountain valley approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture. During the late Edo and Meiji periods, the town generated immense wealth by producing high-quality hand-loomed washi paper and vegetal wood wax exported worldwide. Today, preservation efforts maintain the town's architectural heritage alongside rural landscapes, local craft traditions, and seasonal agriculture.