Narai-juku is one of the most popular towns to visit on Japan’s Nakasendo trail. With a glimpse of its streets lined with old wood facades, it’s very easy to see why. For my second trip to Japan, I opted to make Narai-juku a stop and it was a very lovely place that definitely lived up to the hype.

Some of Narai-juku’s History

Narai-juku is part of the Nakasendo trail, which is an Edo-period road that connected Tokyo to Kyoto (circa 1603-1868). It’s one of the 69 post towns where people would stop to rest. Many of these towns are still preserved and people come from around the world to walk the historic trail.

It was from this town that Narai-juku flourished, becoming the wealthiest of the towns on the Nakasendo trail. From that, it also became the biggest and was nicknamed “Narai of 1000 houses.” You can easily see what Narai-juku looked like during the Edo period because it is just so well preserved.

Visiting Narai-juku Today

Not a lot has changed in Narai-juku since the Edo period. The old town is actually quite large, about a 10 minute walk from one side to the other, lined with beautiful old buildings. Some of the buildings date all the way back to the 17th and 18th centuries!

From the train station at one end of the village, the old town ends at the Shizume Shrine on the other end. It’s a small but lovely shrine with a beautiful big torii gate (so it’s hard to miss). Nearby you’ll also want to see the notice board which is characteristic of the post towns on the Nakasendo trail.

You’ll also want to go down a side street to the back street running parallel to the main road. Here you can find the Kiso-no-Ohashi bridge, which is actually a 1990s era bridge made of beautiful old wood. There’s also more antique stores down this way.

Another place I got to visit was up the other way, Hirodensandaiho Temple – which you can see from the main road. It’s up a slight hill. This area is all wooded and it’s quite lovely with little shrines and torii gates. You can easily follow the path back here to see a few different places.

There are signs there for the “ruins” of Narai Castle but this is up a much steeper hill and there’s no path other than a slight clearing in the trees. I got a bit of the way up but it was so steep and narrow that I was pretty winded and not very determined to go on. Unfortunately like many Japanese castle ruins, there really isn’t anything to see.

The main activities in Narai-juku are really exploring, shopping, and eating. There are lots of shops but they’re not typical souvenir shops, rather those that sell local crafts and specialties. I got some beautiful artwork by a local artist, some sake made in the Nagano area, and some delicious snacks. There’s also a lot of wood crafts like bowls and chopsticks, and lots of antique stores. Narai-juku is touristy in a way but it’s still a lovely place to browse.

I went on a Monday and knew ahead of time that lots of businesses would be shut. However it was still a nice experience and maybe less crowded than it would’ve been on a business day. Several stores are still open and a handful of restaurants. I wonder what it’s like when everything is open, though, and there’s even more to see.

Because of this, one place I didn’t get to was the Nakamura Residence which was closed. It’s the home of a merchant built in about 1830 and is typical for the houses of Narai-juku. There’s also the Kamidonya Shiryokan which is another merchant residence and is more of a museum showcasing life in Narai-juku during the Edo period. I recommend making a note of where it is and that it’s marked by a large stone since it’s otherwise unmarked in English and easy to miss.

I spent about 2 hours in Narai-juku and had a decent amount of time to walk around, see the shrines, get a quick lunch, and do some shopping. If you go on a day that’s not a Monday, I’d recommend adding some more time for the house museum and more stores that might be open. If you’re looking for a sit-down lunch, you should add a bit more time for that too.

Narai-juku is such a small place that a half-day is sufficient to see it. But whatever amount of time you end up spending there, I definitely recommend putting it on your bucket list. It’s a beautiful place that’s very much deserving of your time.

Book an Organised Tour

Book Your Stay in Narai-Juku

About the Author

Leave a Reply