Ouchi-juku

Ouchijuku is one of the most charming and atmospheric historical towns I have visited in Japan. The entire street is lined with beautifully preserved thatched-roof houses, and walking through it feels like stepping back into the Edo period. The town has been carefully maintained and still carries the quiet charm of an old post station from the 1600s. There are small eateries, souvenir shops, and local crafts along the main path, and the surrounding scenery adds to the sense of stepping into a living museum. It is a great place to explore slowly and enjoy the history, culture, and traditional architecture of the Aizu region. A very memorable stop that is worth the visit.

Visiting Ouchi-juku on a weekday was wonderful because there were few tourists, allowing for a peaceful experience. The famous observation deck offers a stunning panoramic view of the entire village, with its iconic thatched roofs and surrounding scenery. I also enjoyed trying the local specialty, negi soba—soba noodles eaten using a green onion stalk instead of chopsticks—which was a unique and delicious cultural experience. Overall, it’s a charming historic village with beautiful views and tasty traditional food.

A pleasant way to spend an hour. It's one main street with tourist shops and soba restaurants. Theres some small shrines and a photo spot up some step old steps. Always crowded on the weekend with a lot of tour buses. Some local crafts and produce. It can be quite cold. No entrance fee but there is a parking fee of ¥500.

do note of your step when you walk and dont fall into the open drain along the path, the villagers and staff tries their best to clear the snow to show the drain during winter less crowded alternative for shirakawago

Interesting traditional thatched houses. A more modest place compared to Shirakawa-go. Just a single street and one museum house - 250 Yen entry for adults.

Nice place to walk around. I think it looks different at different seasons. If it snows, I think it will look really fabulous. Parking cost 500¥

11/25/23🍂🌨️🛖 Ōuchi-juku is a must-visit if you’re interested in Japan’s old-town charm. The preserved thatched-roof houses and historic atmosphere make it feel like you’ve stepped into the Edo period. There are plenty of shops selling local goods, crafts, and souvenirs, as well as restaurants—especially famous for their handmade soba noodles. The area is well set up for visitors, with a parking lot nearby and easy walking access to all the main spots. A great place to explore, take photos, and enjoy a traditional Japanese experience!

the famous spring onion soba was so famous. I had to wait 2 hours to get to eat one of the most famous soba places in that area. Although there are plenty of other soba places for you. And the water here was so clean and cold in summer.

Ōuchi-juku 大內宿 was a very interesting place. It was an important post town during the Edo Period for hundreds of years. It served as shops, inns and restaurants for travelers in and out between Aizu and Nikko . There's unpaved main street. At street-sides, there's thick thatched roof buildings, which house stores, eateries and minshuku (民宿居, small traditional Japanese inns).