Step back into a trade route town from days gone by
Narai-juku was once the wealthiest of the eleven post towns on Kiso's Nakasendo Trail. Its main street stretches over a kilometer. In its heyday, the town was known as “Narai of a Thousand Houses.” Wander down the main path and enjoy.
Only about a 5-minute walk from its closest train station, Narai-juku isn’t hard to find as there are signs everywhere. As you turn around to see the beginning of the trail of dark brown wooden houses and wind chimes dangling from shopfronts, you might want to pinch yourself to make sure you haven’t time traveled three centuries backward.
The two-story wooden buildings house everything from soba noodle restaurants and sake shops to souvenir vendors and lacquer-ware artisans. Look inside the early 1800s Nakamura Residence with its elegant garden to see how Narai merchants used to live. The historic temples and atmospheric shrines just off Narai-juku's main street provide another layer to explore.
Only about a 5-minute walk from its closest train station, Narai-juku isn’t hard to find as there are signs everywhere. As you turn around to see the beginning of the trail of dark brown wooden houses and wind chimes dangling from shopfronts, you might want to pinch yourself to make sure you haven’t time traveled three centuries backward.
The two-story wooden buildings house everything from soba noodle restaurants and sake shops to souvenir vendors and lacquer-ware artisans. Look inside the early 1800s Nakamura Residence with its elegant garden to see how Narai merchants used to live. The historic temples and atmospheric shrines just off Narai-juku's main street provide another layer to explore.
