Nov. 3, 2024
Ouchi-juku is a traditional Japanese town since Edo period. It is near the national highway 121, about 100km from Nikko. It is a popular tourist spot because the street is full of Japanese old style houses with roof made of thick layers of straw. It is as if you have returned to the past through a time machine.
From highway 121, there was a small winding road leading Ouchi-juku. It was dark without street lights, very quiet and very few cars. When we arrived there, it was already after dark. The parking lot was closed at 5PM, so after 5PM there were only a few random tourists driving past. However, it was surprisingly more interesting than another other old towns that I had ever visited.
After dark, there were only a few walking people, barely any cars. Restaurants and souvenir shops were closed, only the guesthouses were open, but they only served the people who were staying overnights.
There were no street lamps at all, only the dim lights at the doorway of every houses, and the pale moonlight and stars showing the shape of the deep mountains behind.
We had to walk with torch light, careful not to step into the narrow sewer running between the houses and the street. However, it was very peaceful and quiet, not scary at all. At the end of the street, there is a street stairway leading to the local temple. It was not big at all, but under the moonlight it looked elegant. There was another narrow long stairway leading into the mountains. Of course, we did not intend to go there.
The visitor center in front of Ouchi-juku was already closed, but the toilet was still open, and you can there park freely. I was surprised that even the visitor center/toilet was built in such a style similar to the traditional houses around, clean and well-equipped. The michinoeki and visitor centers in Japan are always amazing. There was a poster showing how Ouchi-juku looked in winter, under the deep snow. It looked like a totally different world, looked like what we could from TV drama.
I was so glad that we have visited the old town at night. It was totally different experience, perhaps even better experience! If you want to go shopping and eating, it may not be right for you, but if you just want to feel the atmosphere, then you should definitely try!
