Shimoichi Town

• Nara
• Area Info
• Sightseeing
• Nature
• Spring
• Summer
• Autumn
• Winter

Shimoichi Town, at the entrance to Mt. Yoshino, is a historical town that once flourished as a Yoshino timber and commerce hub, also known as the place where "disposable chopsticks" (waribashi) were first made in Japan. In the Edo period, it was so bustling it was called "Shimoichi Sen-ken" (a thousand houses), remnants of which can still be seen in the heavy townscapes. It is also a production area for "Shimoichi Persimmons," a famous autumn taste; trees laden with fruit symbolize the satoyama autumn. With traditional "hand-made washi" skills and many historic temples, it is a deep place to thoroughly savor Japanese traditional industries and natural richness, not just as a gateway to Yoshino.