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Ouchi-juku
“Ouchi-juku”(大内宿), located in the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, is the old post town remaining the townscape of Edo period (1603-1868). It was established around 1640 and flourished as a post town on the Aizu West Road connected between Aizu and Nikko which was a major route of alternate attendance by federal lords.
photo by Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Association
Houses with traditional thatched roofs from the Edo period are lined up along the road and still remains the original landscape of Japan at present.
photo by Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Association
There are over 40 thatched roof houses opened as restaurants, inns and souvenir shops in this area. It was designated as important preservation district of historic buildings in 1981.
photo by Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Association
photo by Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Association
The Honjin (the accomodation that high status lords and officers stayed in the post town) had been restored and now it’s a tourist attraction where pictures and livingware are displayed to inherit its traditions and customs.
photo by Shimogo-town Tourism Association
Takakura Shrine is one of the main attractions in Ouchi-juku. This shrine is dedicated to the Prince Mochihito Takakura who concealed himself here in Ouchi-juku when he failed to hunt down the Heike family in the late 12th century.
photo by Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Association
photo by Shimogo-town Tourism Association
Winter Attraction “Ouchi-juku Snow Festival”
With heavy snowfall in this region, all thatched-roofed buildings and streets in Ouchi-juku are covered by snow in winter.
photo by Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Association
Big winter event is “Ouchi-juku Snow Festival” which held in the second Saturday and Sunday of Febraury. Every year this festival attracts more than twenty thousand of people from all over the world.
photo by Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Association
The festival’s feature attractions are fireworks and Gojinkataika which presanctified men go around the town lighting up snow lanterns by sacred flame one at a time. Visitors can enjoy the beauty of the post town completely different from what it is in the summer.
photo by Shimogo-town Tourism Association
photo by Ouchi-juku Tourism Association
During the festival, many snow lanterns are decorated on the streets and illuminated the snowy town gleaming light in the evening.
photo by Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Association
The whole town lit up by snow lanterns are really fantastic and romantic!!
photo by Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Association
Popular food in Ouchi-juku is “Negi (Green onion) Soba”
“Negi (Green onion) Soba” is the must eat food when you visit Ouchi-juku.
photo by Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Association
“Negi (Green onion) Soba” is very unique in that you eat using green onion instead of chopsticks. The spicy taste of green onion and Japanese radish (Daikon) and flavor of Soba are mixed up in your mouth and you enjoy the special taste of soba. Negi (Green onion) Soba is so popular as local food in Ouchi-juku that some tourists come here to eat it.
photo by Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Association
Ouchi-juku is a beautiful place as if time seemingly stopped 350 years ago. Why don’t you visit and enjoy the atmosphere of the old times of Japan?
Spot Information
| Name | Ouchi-juku(大内宿) | |
| Address | Yamamoto, Ouchi, Shimogo-machi, Minami Aizu-gun, Fukushima, Japan | |
| Hours | – | |
| Closed | – | |
| Fees | – | |
| Website | http://ouchi-juku.com |
Access
 |
Route1 | |
| About 10 minutes by car from Aizu Line “Yunokami Onsen station” | ||
| View Map |
