In Fukushima Prefecture’s Aizu region lies Ouchijuku, a former post town where lodgers travelling to the nearby power base of Aizu-Wakamatsu and further north would stop. Nestled in the mountains, this village has held on to its way of life, nowadays welcoming people from far and wide to experience this Edo-period way of life.

History

Ouchijuku sits on the old Aizu-Nishi Kaido, which connected Imaichi in Tochigi Prefecture with Aizu-Wakamatsu. About 22 km from Aizu-Wakamatsu, Ouchijuku was the last stop north (or first on the way south). This route facilitated trade with the powerful Aizu domain, where one of the most powerful domains north of Edo (now Tokyo) was located.

As a post town, Ouchijuku had industries to support the movement of people up and down the route, including the daimyos (regional feudal lords), who had to move between their holdings and Edo. These included inns, supply posts and shops, stables for horses, etc.- everything a trade or political caravan needed to get from one post town to another.

Ouchijuku served as a post town from the mid-1600s (most likely 1654) until the Boshin War, which ended the Edo period. However, part of the route was closed for about 40 years due to changes in geography caused by a national disaster.

Ouchijuku today

After the Meiji restoration and the dissolution of the feudal system, along with technology allowing people to move farther and faster each day, Ouchijuku was no longer needed as a post town, so many of its industries, such as lodging, stables, etc., were no longer needed. The main inn – the largest building in the village – now serves as the local history museum.

Today, the town is known for its shops, which offer crafts from the local area, and its eateries, and it has maintained its Edo-period aesthetic. Unlike most Japanese villages, towns, and cities, it does not have power lines on power poles overlooking the streets. Instead, the thatched wooden buildings on compacted dirt roads offer a beautiful look at what life would have been like.

Arts, crafts and food

Lacquerware

One of the widely known items from the Aizu area is high-quality lacquerware. Auspicious designs, combining bamboo, pine, and plum woods, set Aizu lacquerware apart from other Japanese ware. Depending on the piece’s outcome, several types of techniques are also used for the top coating.

I would love to post a picture, but I will not because my best one includes a present I will give my grandmother. I will update this later (after June 2025) with that photo. I also got special permission to take that photo, so I do not have any others.

Takato (Negi) soba

Negi in Japanese refers to spring onion/scallions/green onions, and soba is noodles made from buckwheat. While you can find a form of negi soba across Japan, the Aizu region has a unique way of serving it:

Rather than chopsticks, you use the green onion to scoop the soba. The practice is said to have originated with the retainer of one of the feudal lords who ate the soba this way. This novel approach was adopted and has been used ever since.

If you have difficulties with eating it, do not worry. There are also chopsticks on the table that you can use.

Yaki Dango

Dango is a type of snack made from rice in Japan. It is pounded into a paste and then shaped. There are hundreds of different kinds across Japan. In Ouchijuku, they create Yaki dango (yaki = fried), made from premium Fukushima rice pounded into round medallion shapes, coated generously in a savoury miso sauce and then fried. The result is a fantastic snack that they run out of quickly! I loved mine, and if I weren’t trying to watch my figure, I would have gone back and bought the rest!

Getting to Ouchijuku

Although it used to be on an old trade route, getting there is not as easy as you might think. You must take the local Aizu Tetsu train to Yunokamionsen Station from Aizu-Wakamatsu. Directly outside the station is a shuttle bus that will take you directly to Ouchijuku.

You can pay for each portion of the trip individually. The train one-way is ¥1,050 for one person. After that, the bus there and back is about ¥1,000. Alternatively, you can buy a “set” ticket for both. You can get the paper ticket versions from any of the train stations on the Aizu Tetsu line or use the MaaS app for the electronic version (which you can pay using credit cards as well – not always available at the train stations).

If you are driving, this is the parking lot you want to navigate to.

Thanks for reading! Want to do some more exploring? Have a look at the travel map:

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