Ouchi-juku — Attraction in Shimogo

We went here yesterday and the weather wasn’t too bad. It was snowy and -8° around 10am. The road conditions aren’t so bad either. It wasn’t crowded as expected and the village looks much more serene with less people but the shops were open. We ate at the restaurant on the foot of the hill before the shrine. The place in known for its naga negi soba so I tried that. The lady said you’re supposed to use that stick of leek as chopsticks to eat the noodles, which was fairly interesting and difficult. I ended up eating with my chopsticks anyway. We also tried the grilled salted river fish which is a famous food in villages near rivers. The best view of the village can be seen from the hill at the end of the main street. Most tourists go there so just follow where the people go. We bought a Japanese sake as souvenir(since we love sake). Also, the people are super friendly and are very much used to dealing with tourists from everywhere. I would have given this a five star if only it was easier to drive all the way there on winter season. But it was worth it because the village is most beautiful when it’s...

I went there on weekday and it was raining, apparently it was not busy season. half of shops and restaurants were closed, I visited a soba restaurant, they were open but they were cleaning inside and didnt notice me until I came in and say hi. that was pretty disappointing. I had a cold soba noodles with a leek, it was definitely instagramable but tasted just okay.

people at a gift shop near the top of the street were so nice though.

there's only one parking lot, you have no choice to use that parking. when you get in, a staff will be walking to you to charge you 500yen, it doesnt matter if you stay there shorter or longer, you have to pay 500yen (I didn't know that)

I feel like I should visit there on weekend, not rainy day, when more...

Ouchi-Juku, an historical district of preserved thatch-roof buildings in Shimogo, Fukushima Prefecture, was a post station on the pre-modern highway of Aizu-Nishi Kaido (130 km/81 mi) during the Edo Period (1603 to 1868). The post station provided travelers with inns, shops, restaurants, and more.

Nowadays, the village has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, and seems to be a popular tourist destination. Visiting this site allows you to step back in time and enjoy an experience somewhat similar to what travelers would have experienced hundreds of years ago. Except for the souvenir shops, most of the original inns and restaurants are still providing the same services they did during...