In the mountains of Minami-Aizu, buildings built in the style of hipped roofs are neatly lined up at right angles to the old highway in the rice paddies, and the Edo period scenery remains intact,
The town flourished as one of the inns on the Minamiyama-dori (Aizu West Highway) connecting Aizu-Wakamatsu and Imaichi, Nikko, as a “half farmer, half inn”.
It was selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
The Shimogo Machinami Exhibition Hall is located at the site of the Ouchi-juku main inn, and there are many guest houses, souvenir shops, and soba noodle shops.
The town is especially well known for its soba noodles, known as “Takato soba,” and there is a custom of eating soba noodles with green onions instead of chopsticks.
The Ouchi-juku Snow Festival takes advantage of the unique character of the area, with its rows of houses from the Edo period (1603-1867) and a variety of events, such as a period costume contest.
At night, the snow lanterns in front of each house are lit by candlelight, creating a fantastic atmosphere.
15 minutes by car from Aizu Railway Yunoue Onsen Station [6 km].
60 min. by car from Shirakawa IC of Tohoku Expressway via Route 118