Ouchi-juku

One of the traditional villages in Japan. Not too many visitors, you can enjoy it very much. Walk up to the observation deck and you will have great view for the whole picture of the village.

You can buy a bus ticket to the Ouchi from the Yunokamionsen Station, turn left from the exit gate. Please check the bus schedule.
Most visitors are locals tourists, not so many foreigners. You can get the english version information from the bus driver.
If you came here in a sunny day, I recommend you to have your mask cause it lil bit dusty.
There are lots of various shop and restaurants.

A beautiful little village set out and built traditonally. The surounds are stunning and the people so warm and welcoming. There are a lot of little shops to look at and plently of small restaurants serving really nice food; mainly soba noodles.

It is a perfect place for a day trip. We opted to stay overnight which would not have been worth it had our hosts not been so amazing and our room so warm and comfortable.

The view in winter is wonderful when there is snow.

It can get slippery so make sure to wear non slip shoes in winter.

There is only a single bus from the local station (Yunokamionsen) so access is a little limited but there is a taxi available for around 2500 yen one way.

If you come here I suggest you also visit Tonohetsuri station and check out the river, Ouchi juku is not that large so you can check out the entirety of the village in an hour.

Best way to get here is to go to the Tourist Info. Center at Aizu-Wakamatsu Station and they'll offer you a package ticket with train and bus timetables. You can flash the ticket to the train conductors and bus drivers as you go. Transport times aren't often, only 4 or 5 times a day, so you'll need to pay attention to the times. It's worth it!

Visited on 25th of January 2024. A superb view and scenery of the shower snow falls. With the negative temperatures and strong winds blown me up, it was worth travelling afar and driving carefully.

Rich in culture and very unique items and fare. Everyone is very friendly and the negi soba is a great experience. We tried many different Sake and Shochu and picked up a few bottles of different varieties at very reasonable prices. There was lots of parking when we arrived and it was easy to navigate the wide walkways. There are multiple restrooms available and we found great places to sit and rest. A great experience 👍

Very beautiful little town full of traditional shops and options to eat.

I really wanted to go but there was too much snow and our car wasn’t ready for it. Make sure you have good snow tires or chains if you go in winter!

Lots of fun old fashioned Japanese snacks/street food to try! Lovely buildings, great place for a stroll. Shops are all located owned and run so they kind of set their own hours. Between 11am to 4pm is probably when most shops are open, but some may open sooner or later depending on the day.

This location evokes nostalgia; dined at a house transformed into a charming restaurant.

A must see when visiting the Fukushima area. Parking is 500 yen per vehicle and there are plenty of spaces near and far. Shopping consists of local handicrafts, made from Aizu cotton, woven bamboo, etc. Most of the restaurants serve soba. One of the restaurants, Minatoya, also serves udon, curry, and tempura for those with a soba allergy. The majority of restaurants and vendors are cash only.

Purchase my ouchi-juku bus 'saruyu-go' 2 days pass at Tourist information centre (Aizuwakamatsu Station) this 2 days pass include the train ticket from Aizuwakamatsu station to Yunokami onsen station (please note if you not a Jr pass holder an additional ¥190 is need from Aizuwakamatsu to Nishiwakamatsu). This day pass also include return bus ticket from yunokami onsen station to ouchi-juku. Time schedule as attached.

The bus only operate from spring to autumn. This year is from 18 march 2023 to 30 Nov 2023.

The bus depart

Allowed 2hours sightseeing around ouchi-juku. Observation deck is at the end and required a bit of climbing. Use the right stairs for more leisure climb.

This was my 2nd time there. I have been to a few other places in Japan where are famous for straw hut houses and this place is by far my favorite. The view at the end of strip up the stairs way is amazing.

Historical post town with thatched roofs. It's beautiful!

Experience old small village life in Japan.

The traditional houses, smile of oba-chan, and chatting with neighbours, brings you to the feeling of peaceful old days. It's truly cozy, warm and calming.

Try famous soba which you eat with scallion as kind of chopsticks! There are some yummy Japanese snacks including tochi-mochi and fried mochi (age-mochi.

The area itself is not so big but there is a nice walk (about 10 mins) up to the hill (a great photo spot). Parking available at 500 JPY.

I like this place. Through back in history. Train ride from Aizuwakamatsu is scenic. Convenient and ¥500 cheaper to buy the return discount ticket that includes train & bus from Aizuwakamatsu to YunokamiOnsen station ( ouchijuku bus stop ). There are some ryokans nearby Yunokami-onsen station. From that station the bus takes you to Ouchijuku.

On this east northern Japan trip, we go to ouch-juku twice and very lucky to see the snow view in the second time. You can see very traditional house and village here. Just like a movie scene. We go there by rent car. Please beware the google directions will lead you through a mountain pathway, the road on the mountain is no people, so the road is snowy, slipping and dangerous. We suggest if you want to drive by yourself, don’t go through the mountain.

Nice place to visit and walk around if you get around here. There are multiple traditional houses and shops. feels a bit commercially created place rather than traditional but still great place.
You can have lunch, eat, buy souvenirs.

Preserved heritage town during the Edo period. Tried the matcha ice cream, so goood!