There are scenes of old Japan that still remain in Shikoku today. For many Japanese people these places fill them with nostalgia, but for visitors from overseas, these scenes are sure to make a fresh impression. The towns of Uchiko and Wakimachi both have streets that preserve the atmosphere of the Edo period (1603 - 1868). The streets retain traditional architectural elements such as walls and wall fences plastered with white stucco made with lime. In Uchiko, the Ishidatami no Yado accommodation facility features an old-fashioned irori hearth, which is used for both cooking and for heating the room. Guests dine on food made at the hearth. It's a chance to find out what life was like during the Edo period.

There are plenty of nostalgic scenes in the outlying agricultural and fishing villages too. In the fishing village category, the stone walls of Sotodomari are worth a visit. The stone walls make up a platform and protective wall for each house. This building technique is mainly used in constructing castles, but in Sotodomari, it is used to protect the houses from typhoons and strong winds. The sight of the square, geometric stone walls makes a beautiful scene.

The agricultural villages have lots to see. Senmaida terraced rice paddies can be found on Shodoshima Island. The senmaida are narrow rice paddies that fit along the sloped land. The Nakayama Senmaida co-exists with the surrounding nature, and could be said to be an original Japanese scene. Nearby, a Noson Kabuki theater is still standing. Every autumn, live shows are performed at the theater.

Up until the Edo period, most of the houses in Japan's agricultural villages were topped with grass thatch. Thatched roof houses are topped with grasses such as Japanese sliver grass and Japanese blood grass. Shikoku Mura Village is an outdoor museum where old thatched roof houses from the Edo and Meiji periods have been relocated from all over Shikoku.

One area on Shikoku where thatched roof houses can still be seen is the Iya region. In the Ochiai hamlet in Higashi Iya, old traditional houses remain standing today and it’s easy to imagine how life once was for mountain-dwelling farmers. The Chiiori house in Higashi Iya is a 300 year-old thatched roof house that was purchased by Alex Kerr, who is currently restoring it along with volunteer staff members. The house is popular with visitors from overseas.

Moving on from the Edo period to the Meiji period (1868 – 1912), Dogo Hot Spring and the area around the hot spring is full of Meiji-era atmosphere. One of Japan's most revered authors of the Meiji era, Soseki Natsume, set his novel Botchan in the area around Dogo Hot Spring. The Dogo Hot Spring Main Building is the very same bathhouse that the protagonist Botchan used himself, and it remains unchanged from that time to the present day. If you travel by rickshaw, a carriage pulled not by horses but by men, you can get an even deeper sense for what the area was like in times gone by. The other transportation options in Matsuyama City, where Dogo Hot Spring is located, include the convenient Madonna Bus and the old restored steam locomotive, the Botchan Train. Both transportation options take their names from the Botchan novel.