Little Bridges, Flowing Streams, and Thatched Roofs: A Journey to the Ancient Post Towns of Fukushima’s Countryside

Among the tourist towns in Japan’s Tohoku region, Fukushima Prefecture may not be as well-known as Akita or Iwate, but when it comes to attractions like Aizu-Wakamatsu and Lake Inawashiro, it still leaves a surprisingly impressive impression. Especially, Ouchi-juku, located deep in the mountains of Fukushima Prefecture, is an ancient post town from the Edo period. The thatched-roof houses here are the most beautiful scenery, blending with small bridges, flowing streams, and pastoral landscapes to create a harmonious mountain painting.

Fukushima’s Ouchi-juku was a post station during the Edo period, similar to a Japanese relay town, where daimyo processions traveling to and from Edo Castle for the sankin-kōtai system or taking up official posts in Kyoto would stay and rest. The main road running through Ouchi-juku is called the Shimotsuke Kaido, which was a crucial hub during the Edo period connecting Aizu-Wakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture with the Nikko Kaido in Tochigi Prefecture. Essential goods for commerce and daily life were also transported north and south through this area. At that time, Ouchi-juku was a very prosperous transportation hub.

After the opening of National Route 121 during the Meiji period, Ouchi-juku gradually lost its prominence as it was far from this main road, and visitor traffic dwindled, slowly fading from people’s memories. Although its former prosperity is gone, the villagers here still maintain the old houses left by their ancestors, quietly living in the mountains. Despite the chaos of World War II, many old structures were burned down and rebuilt, but Ouchi-juku miraculously remained undamaged. The unique thatched-roof houses lining the streets were not reconstructed, and time seems to have stood still in the Edo period. This beautiful illusion of the wheels of time having stopped has attracted countless tourists to come and experience it.

Nowadays, although Ouchi-juku has lost its original function as a post town, it has transformed into a tourist village where you can find a wide variety of local handicrafts and enjoy simple yet authentic Japanese countryside cuisine. Aside from sampling delicious pickles, one of the most interesting experiences is that shops in Ouchi-juku allow visitors to make soba noodles by hand. Fukushima Prefecture, blessed with sweet groundwater and a cool climate, produces top-quality buckwheat. When you visit Ouchi-juku, why not join the masters in experiencing the entire process—from kneading the dough, rolling it out, to the delicate art of cutting the noodles—and savor the taste of handmade soba.

The thatched-roof architecture of Ouchi-juku has also been designated as an “Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings,” and is known as one of the “Villages of Thatched Houses” along with Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture and Miyama in Kyoto. If you want to experience traditional Japanese architecture and pristine natural beauty, take a train and embark on a journey to Japan’s rural roots.

Fukushima Ouchi-juku
Address: Ouchiyamamoto, Shimogo, Minamiaizu District, Fukushima Prefecture
Phone: 0241-68-3611 (Ouchi-juku Tourism Association)
Transportation: Take the Aizu Railway from JR Banetsu West Line’s “Aizu-Wakamatsu” Station or Tobu Railway’s “Aizu-Tajima” Station, get off at “Yunokami Onsen” Station, and then take a taxi for about 15 minutes.

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