Imabari is one of the crossroads of the Setouchi region. It lies on the northern coast of Shikoku in Ehime facing the Geiyo islands of the Seto Inland Sea. The city is the southern terminus of the Shimanami Kaidō highway and cycling route linking Shikoku with the main island, Honshū.

From ancient times, Imabari was the administrative centre of Iyo Province, today’s Ehime Prefecture, and the city is ringed with historic sites, including some spectacular medieval hilltop castle ruins. In the Edo period, Imabari flourished as a castle town. The castle is still there, right in the middle of the city, and the grid-like layout of the streets is typical of an Edo castle town. It’s among these streets that you can find our favourite kimono shop, Ikeda & Co.

There are many places where you can dress in kimono and spend a pleasant few hours taking photos and wandering around town. But most of these establishments are small and cramped like somebody’s wardrobe. Not so Ikeda & Co. With four expansive floors, the premises are positively palatial. Even if you visit with many friends, there’s plenty of room to take your ease. And everywhere there are lovely things to look at and touch.

Mr. and Mrs. Ikeda are now retired, and they’re keen to contribute what they can to the region. Mrs. Ikeda is a very accomplished ceramicist whose tea bowls and utensils, vases, and figurines are produced in an extraordinary range of styles and expressions. A skilled seamstress, she also works wonders with the offcuts of kimono fabric to create table decorations and elegant bags. In addition to these homemade delights, the Ikedas have a storeroom full of inherited ceramics, silks, kimonos, and accessories. These are available for sale at very reasonable prices.

Mrs. Ikeda is also a teacher of the tea ceremony, and one corner of the first floor is an elegant chashitsu tea room where visitors can experience the real thing on comfortable benches rather than kneeling. Another floor with a great expanse of tatami mats is a classroom for the tea ceremony. It can also be used for learning ikebana, Japanese flower arrangement.