On our second day in Aizuwakamatsu we decided to head south to the former postal town of Ouchijuku (大内宿) which lies along the Aizu-Nishi Kaido trade route, which connected Aizu with Nikko during the Edo Period.
To get there you take a scenic train, complete with tatami mat seating, from Aizuwakamatsu to Yunokami Onsen (湯野上温泉駅) and then switch to a bus the rest of the way. That was the plan at least.
![Tatami Train](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18895553978_f06ac85576_b.jpg)
When we arrive at Yunokami Onsen I realised I had stupidly forgotten to withdraw enough cash and there wasn’t an ATM nearby. As is so often the case in Japan, a kind stranger came to the rescue – Akira Hoshi, who works for a local tourist organisation, generously gave us a lift in his car to the nearest ATM and then took us all the way to Ouchijuku! ありがとうございましたあきらさん?
![Ouchijuku Post Town](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/19077603502_0cf3b78e00_b.jpg)
Set amidst rolling mountains, the old town of Ouchijuku consists of a dusty main street lined by beautifully restored thatched buildings, which house a variety of small shops, restaurants and traditional inns. Some of these buildings are said to be over 300 years old.
![Water](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18462547153_32ba62b043_b.jpg)
Restrictions set by the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period (1640) required travellers to make their long journeys on foot and as a result, post towns like Ouchijuku developed along the routes to provide travellers with food, accommodations and rest.
![Thatched Roofs](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/19086494561_00103c834f_b.jpg)
![Refreshing Lemon Soda](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18895509560_ed297c8879_b.jpg)
Parallel streams running along each side of the road are used to naturally keep drinks cool.
![Outpost](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18895561018_fbeb6c27f5_b.jpg)
![Ouchijuku Restaurant](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/19057007706_f9ac2efd51_b.jpg)
![Bright Banners](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18895562758_b09377a8e6_b.jpg)
![Ouchijuku Spirits](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18462542683_8751a93707_b.jpg)
![Old Timer](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/19083252755_39f70bcef1_b.jpg)
![Flying Fish](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/19086502931_bc623fbff2_b.jpg)
Bright carp-shaped koinobori (鯉幟) wind socks flutter in the breeze.
![Thatched Shop](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/19077605312_cb24dc1025_b.jpg)
![Purple Cascade](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18897090029_01c1996dcf_b.jpg)
![Tillage](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18895564518_ea4e160425_b.jpg)
![Overlooking Ouchijuku](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18462552673_2922984032_b.jpg)
At the top of the street, a steep staircase leads up to a small shrine from where a panoramic view of Ouchijuku and the surrounding mountains can be enjoyed. Except for the occasional electricity pylon the environment is pristine.
![Omiyage](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/19086504171_b2344cd3f9_b.jpg)
![Open Hearth](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/19057022866_c6e0ac0f32_b.jpg)
The Aizu region is famous for its buckwheat noodles and many of the restaurants in Ouchijuku offer the town’s unique handmade Negi-soba alongside other specialities like locally caught char fish roasted on sticks.
![Char Fish](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18462560633_77ddf051ed_b.jpg)
![Making Soba](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18460740904_c7585b225f_b.jpg)
These guys made it look easy but making soba actually requires a lot of skill and patience.
![Soba Master](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/19057025476_a100f8899f_b.jpg)
![Freshly Made Soba](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18895572088_58a37c6baa_b.jpg)
![Negi (Green Onion) Soba](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18895574698_309f48a60a_b.jpg)
Negi-soba is served with a leek used for eating instead of the usual chopsticks! Delicious.
![Sleeping Shopkeeper](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/19077621122_371737c43b_b.jpg)
The afternoon heat was a little much for some people.
![Dusting Down](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18897106739_6325a3bf01_b.jpg)
A shopkeeper watering the ground to keep the dust down. Period crocs optional.
![Breaktime](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/18460753694_14dac500b3_b.jpg)
If you have time to spare on your way back be sure to check out the open-air foot spa next to Yunokami Onsen Station. It’s free and the perfect place to wait for your train!
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