Japan in Motion---Pro-web casting from across Japan.

Ouchijuku

South of Aizu-Wakamatsu, but still in Fukushima prefecture, the charming little town of Ouchijuku is a rare example of the past being saved by progress.
Once a popular stop on the Aizu-Nishi Kaido, part of an old post road that ran between Edo (modern Tokyo) and Sendai, Ouchijuku all but vanished from memory after the construction of a more modern road that bypassed the village. More or less abandoned, the town’s wonderful collection of Edo period buildings were left unmolested. An entire street of old, thatch roofed houses survived, only to be rediscovered decades later and turn the town overnight into a tourist hotspot.

There are forty of the buildings along the main road, an amazing number given their age. Since 1981, the town has been designated a national architectural preservation site. Some cosmetic restoration work was done, asphalt was stripped from the road to reveal the old surface, and all power lines were buried. The only traffic up and down the street is on foot, so you’ll need to park at one of the nearby lots and walk into town. The houses are great, with the heavy thatched eaves stretching out over the walls. Many of them have been converted to shops or restaurants, which means you’re free to enter and look around. Or just wander the street, along the cold mountain stream flowing in its stone course through the town. And don’t forget to climb up to the little shrine at the end of the street, where you’ll get the view over the town that shows up in all the tourist brochures. It’s not the flashiest place you’ll visit in Japan, but it’s wonderfully atmospheric almost any time of year. The surrounding mountainsides are especially beautiful in autumn, of course, but the houses themselves probably look their best in winter, heavy with snow. If you visit in the spring or summer, you may be lucky enough to see the roofs being repaired, a difficult job that requires a lot of help from neighbors. There are two small festivals. On July 2nd, Takakura Shrine has its festival, and during the second weekend in February people build and illuminate lanterns of snow, making the town look absolutely magical.
A very pleasant stop as you start out on, or return from, your trip through Tohoku.

>>Access
Fukushima Airport====(90 min. by car)====Ouchijuku
Aizuwakamatsu IC====(35 min. by car)====Ouchijuku

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　-Matt Mangham