Ouchijjuku

Ouchijjuku

Ouchijuku is a former post town along the old Aizu-Nishi Kaido trade route, which connected Aizu with Nikko during the Edo period. In the past, trade was mostly done on foot, which is why there were these old post towns where traders found food and shelter on their long marches. Ouchijuku still looks like it did in the Edo period. There are no ugly electricity pylons and large billboards in the whole town. The place is also characterized by its beautiful main street on which almost all houses are accommodated with a variety of small shops with handicrafts, restaurants and small guest houses. The thatched roofs reminded me to the village of Shirakawa-go, where you can also find many of those houses. I really liked the small shops that sold handicrafts or sake and really looked like from another time. At the end of the 500 meter long streets is a small shrine with a viewing platform on a slightly higher mountain, which offers a perfect view of the whole place.