Ouchi-juku’s Traditional Houses and Retro Streets

What are the Edo Five Routes?

参勤交代の大名行列

The Edo Five Routes were the major routes connecting Edo, the capital city, with other prominent cities in Japan. The routes were the Tokaido Route and Nakansendo Route, connecting to Kyoto, Koshu Kaido, connecting to Kai province (present day Yamanashi), Oshu Kaido, connecting with Mutsu province (current day Fukushima) and Nikko Kaido, connecting with Nikko Toshogu Shrine.

Routes in Edo Japan (Green = Edo Five Routes; Orange = Subroutes)

The routes were used for travel, and especially for the sankin-kotai policy. The policy forced daimyo, or local feudal lords, to spend a few months every year in Edo. This helped the Edo central government maintain their power over daimyo and to establish better communication with them.

What are Post Towns?

Post towns, called shukuba (宿場) in Japanese, were station-like rest stops built on the travel routes. These post towns had accommodation, shops and more to make travelers feel at home. Just on the Edo Five routes, there were over 200 of these post towns.

In particular, the Nakasendo Route has the most post towns. You can still visit some of these towns today for an Edo Period experience.

To read more about some of the post towns on the Nakasendo route, check out this article:
5 Edo-Style Post Towns on the Nakasendo Route

About Ouchi-juku

鶴ヶ城に近いことから、大いに栄えた大内宿

Ouchi-juku locates on the Aizu Nishi-kaido route, a sub route that connected Aizu (present day Fukushima) and Nikko (in present day Fukushima). It locates in present day Fukushima’s Minamiaizu District.

About Aizu Nishi-kaido

The Aizu Nishi-kaido Route connected Aizu (present day Aizu-Wakamatsu city in Fukushima) and the Shimotsuke Province (present day Imaichi city in Tochigi).

It played a significant role during the sankin-kotai for the leaders of the Shibata and Yonezawa domains.

The history of Ouchi-juku

Ouchi-juku was built in around 1640, and was the third post town from Aizu-joka, the first stop.

Since it located close to Tsurugajo Castle (20 kilometers away), Ouchi-juku flourished and had special accommodation sites, called honjin, to house daimyo, or feudal lords.

However, the post town was not chosen to be a part of the new Shin-Nikko-kaido route. As the new route prospered, Ouchi-juku became less and less used, and eventually turned into a farming village.

Restoring the streets

In 1967, Professor Aizawa from Musashino Art University visited Ouchi-juku to research the Edo-style buildings. He then began advocating for the preservation of these houses and streets.

With the construction of the Ouchi Dam in 1977, the houses were in danger, as some of the houses were changed into tin-roofed ones with the construction insurance money.

However, in 1981, the Ouchi-juku area was designated as an important historical preservation building district. The tin roofs were returned to the original thatched roofs, electricity wires were buried underground, and the streets were revived into its original Edo-style aesthetic.

Ouchi-juku’s Edo-style streets

As a result of these conservation efforts, the streets of Ouchi-juku are now once again thriving. The thatched roof houses are now home to shops and restaurants, and over a million visitors come every year.

About the thatched roof houses

A thatched roof house

Thatched roof houses are representative of olden day Japan. They date back as long ago as the Jomon Period (12,000 to 2,400 years back).

These roofs are made of susuki grass and other reed-like plants. Those plants were great for roof making, since they kept the house cool during summer and retains heat well in the winter.

But won’t these roofs leak when it rains or snow? The roofs are placed in a slanted shape, so that the water can run down them and fall to the ground. Also, using an irori hearth indoors helped prevent leakage, since the smoke from it would help evaporate the moisture in the roof.

In snowy areas like Fukushima, the roofs are made with a steeper slope to help the snow slide off of it.

Ouchi-juku in the winter

Inside these houses

Since some of these houses are currently used as shops, museums and restaurants, you can see what they are like inside.

Ouchi-juku Machinami Tenjikan Museum

Ouchi-juku Machinami Tenjikan Museum is located in the center of Ouchi-juku. This museum uses the building that was once the honjin, an accommodation facility meant for the usage of prominent figures such as daimyo (feudal lords).

The entrance of the honjin is made wide enough for the guests to enter without having to step out of their kago, or their transportation baskets in which they are carried in, and this is built accurately. The dining room, too, is designed just as how it was in the Edo Period.

The irori hearth, too, has fire burning it, making the honjin feel as if it is currently in use.

Irori

Some other traditional houses on display are the Abe Clan’s House and Sato Clan’s House (both prominent daimyo families). The Abe Clan’s House is now a shop that sells traditional dolls, and the Sato Clan’s House serves as a restauraunt.

Stroll Ouchi-juku’s streets!

Here are some spots in Ouchi-juku that you can’t miss.

Map of Ouchi-juku (Photo credit: 大内宿観光協会)

Photo spots

If you want a panoramic view of Ouchi-juku, then Miharashi-dai is a great spot. It locates on a hill, and the view from it is post card-like.

The view from Miharashidai

Local foods

Negi-soba

Takato-soba is an Ouchi-juku specialty dish. It is also called negi-soba, meaning green onion soba. Instead of using chopsticks, you use the green onion to scoop up the noodles. Apparently it’s not as difficult as it sounds! (But if you prefer chopsticks, then the restaurants have them prepared.)

Other foods, such as tochi-mochi and shingoro, are perfect for snacking on.

Tochi-mochi is a rice cake made from horse chestnut and rice.

Tochi-mochi

At Kadoya, you can try their specialty tochi-mochi that takes 13 days to make. The rice cakes go very well with red bean paste and kinako (roasted soybean flour).

Shingoro is a savory rice cake snack that is glazed with miso sauce.

Shingoro

At Minatoya, you can see shingoro being grilled. The scent of the grilled miso paste is sure to make you hungry.

Paint your own akabeko!

Akabeko

Akabeko is a traditional toy from the Aizu region, and is a small red cow. In Tohoku dialect, “beko” means cow.

It is made from hardened washi paper, and it is made so that its head bobbles. From long ago, akabeko dolls are said to bring luck children and protect them.

Akabeko can be found all over souvenir shops in Fukushima, and at Ouchi-juku’s Minatogawa-ya, you can paint your very own.

Events

Here are some events held at Ouchi-juku.

Ouchi-juku Snow Festival

Ouchi-juku Snow Festival

The Ouchi-juku Snow Festival is held every second Saturday and Sunday of February. The snowy streets are decorated with hand-made snow lanterns, and the thatched roofs are covered in snow.

Snow lantern

During the festival, some people dress up in Edo Period-style clothes, such as kimonos. On the two days of the festival, there is a fireworks display, soba-eating contest and more.

Ouchi-juku Fire Prevention Drill

Fire Prevention Drill (Credit:下郷町)

The Fire Prevention Drill at Ouchi-juku is held on September 1 every year. The fire drill is held to prevent fires, since the thatched roofs are extremely susceptible to catching fire.

This fire drill is quite intense, with hoses spraying water meters high up into the air. This is a popular event that attracts visitors.

Take a trip back in time at Ouchi-juku!

Ouchi-juku is a magical destination that will make you feel as if you’ve returned to the Edo Period. Pay a visit to this post town to explore the wonders of feudal Japan!

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