🗺️ Naraijuku奈良井宿

Narai-juku is a post town that stretches about 1 kilometer along the old Nakasendo, making it the longest post town in Japan. It is famous for its difficult sections along the Kiso Road, being one of the 11 post towns, and is the highest in elevation, historically bustling with travelers, earning the nickname "Narai Senken" (Narai's Thousand Houses). The streets still retain a strong Edo period atmosphere, with traditional wooden lattice houses and lanterns in front of inns, and the entire post town has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government. The town is divided into three areas: Kamimachi (Upper Town), Nakamachi (Middle Town), and Shimomachi (Lower Town), with the honjin (main inn), waki-honjin (sub-inn), and toya (inn for travelers) located in Nakamachi at the center of the street. There are shrines on both the north and south sides, and in Nakamachi, there are six water sources and five temples known as "Narai Goji" (Narai's Five Temples). Additionally, various defensive structures established to protect the post town from enemy invasions are also worth seeing. At the boundary between Kamimachi and Nakamachi, there is a bend known as "Kagi no Te" (Key Hand); the boundary between Nakamachi and Shimomachi is marked by a river called "Yokozui" (Horizontal Water); and in Shimomachi, there is a place called "Masugata" where square stone walls and earthen mounds were built. Along the roadsides, there are numerous restaurants offering local cuisine and desserts, as well as shops selling folk crafts, allowing visitors to enjoy a pleasant stroll in a rich historical atmosphere. Today, the former Kushi Inn "Nakamura-tei," which retains the appearance of that time, and the upper toya historical museum displaying ancient documents and other historical materials provide many opportunities to learn about the history of Narai-juku.

The 1-kilometer-long Edo period street still retains a strong atmosphere from that time. You can taste traditional local dishes such as yakitori, goheimochi, wild vegetable cuisine, and Shinshu soba. Traditional crafts like Kiso lacquerware and bentwood are also present here.