Akita-machi — Tokushima's nightlife district

It began in 1872 as teahouses; today it is the largest nightlife district in Shikoku.

In the narrow alleys behind the main streets (Chashio-dōri, less than two metres wide, or Kouta Yokochō, just thirty) you can barely pass one another among izakaya signs and bars that open at sunset: the atmosphere is still that of the mid-twentieth century, having survived the 1945 bombing raids, which were heavy here. Walking there by day means seeing lowered shutters; in the evening everything lights up at once.

It began in 1872 (Meiji 5) as a district of teahouses licensed by the Hachisuka clan, which moved an administrative office there from Tokushima Castle. Legal paid entertainment ended in 1958 with the full enforcement of the Anti-Prostitution Law; the district turned into an area of bars and restaurants, and remains the largest nightlife district in Shikoku.

ℹ️ Public streets, always accessible: individual venues keep their own hours, generally from the evening until late at night. About 10 minutes on foot from JR Tokushima Station.

🚉 Tokushima · 14 min walk

Sources: ja.wikipedia.org · east-tokushima.jp

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