Ouchi-juku

【Unchanging aspiration, golden post town】 The Edo landscape and the pride of its guardians breathe in "Ouchi-juku"

In the mountains of Shimogo Town, Fukushima Prefecture, there is a place that seems to have captured the breath of the Edo period. It flourished as a post town on the Shimotsuke Highway connecting Aizuwakamatsu and Nikko, known as "Ouchi-juku". Selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the government in 1981, this area is not just a sightseeing spot; it is a "living history textbook" where people continue their daily lives while passing on the heritage of their ancestors to the next generation.

■ A crossroads where time stands still, with thatched roofs

The sight of thick thatched-roof houses lined up neatly on both sides of the highway instantly invites visitors into a world from hundreds of years ago.

• Three principles to protect: The people of Ouchi-juku have upheld the strict three principles of **"not selling, not renting, and not destroying"** to protect this precious landscape, firmly maintaining them to this day. This reflects the "Aizu spirit" that values the pride and tradition of the land over immediate convenience.
• Continuing human activities: It is not a place frozen like a museum; laundry flutters at the eaves of houses, and the voices of children resonate. Because it is a landscape imbued with the warmth of daily life, it exudes a deep nostalgia and warmth that cannot be experienced elsewhere.

■ Listening to history in the wind that crosses the highway

Surrounded by the quiet air of the mountains, one listens to the sound of pure water flowing through the waterways.

• The brilliance of the four seasons: The beauty of fresh greenery, the cool summer breeze, the golden landscapes of autumn, and the winter snow that envelops everything in white. No matter which season you visit, the unchanged beauty preserved by the three principles gently heals the hearts of travelers.

The sky that Edo travelers must have gazed upon, and the passion that the guardians have connected. Why not visit Ouchi-juku to experience the "timeless beauty" that has not faded even after three hundred years?