Festival/Event Name: Ouchi-juku Snow Festival
Prefecture: Fukushima Prefecture
Area Name: Shimogo-machi

Snow Festival that can feel the taste only in winter

It is a popular place to visit many tourists from summer to autumn, but winter is also tasteful.The houses lined up in the Snowy Mountains, the snow thick on the thatched roofs, the Kamakura made in front of the house, the clean and perfectly clear air.It is as if crept in the world of the old tale.It is “Ouchi-juku Snow festival” that has been done for about 30 years from now when the good of the Ouchi-juku of the snow scene is made to know more.A variety of events are planned, such as the soba-eating competition at Yosakoi, Kagura, and costume competitions.

Warmth and beauty.Snow lanterns and Winter fireworks

“Sacred Tu dai Tu” is held from Saturday evening of Snow Festival.This is a sacred fire from the altar of Takakura shrine where a high Kuramiya is enshrined, and the shuu of the zone figure is a fire which wishes the home safety to the snow lantern made in front of each house.Every time the light lit, it is filled with a fantastic atmosphere.After that, the fireworks festival was also held.The beauty of a spectacular fireworks launch in the clear winter night sky is exceptional.The calm after the end and the town at the night of the Edo post leave nothing to say and taste.

The origin of the name is the Prince of the Heian period.

The Ouchi-juku is a town where legends and romance are alive.It is known for its flourishing as a post town in the Edo period, but there is a legend in the name of the city, and its origin dates back to the end of the Heian period (around 1184 years).The high Kuramiya Saining which was the second prince of Emperor Shirakawa defeated to the fight with the Heike who was the sect of the samurai, and had Michiebi from the capital to the ground in the north.It was called Yamamoto Village at that time with the contribution of about 20 people stop here, it is said that the state of the hometown is similar to “Ochi” which is the residence of the capital, and it is told that it was renewed with “large Uchimura” after that.

The Edo period, which flourished very much as a post town

In the Edo period, the great Uchimura became one of the post towns along the Shimono Road.The Shimono road is about 130 ㎞ of the total length connecting the country of Shimono, the Aizu Castle and the present Nikko City of Tochigi Prefecture.It was the highway where the Sangi of the Aizu feudal lord and the Shibata clan of the Yonezawa clan and Niigata Prefecture which had been friendly relations with the Aizu clan were used as for the transportation of Edo.This Ouchi-juku is said to have been maintained around 1640.At that time, many people came and went as a post town, and it was very crowded.

The landscape and life of a post guarded by villagers

In the modern era, many post towns have lost their appearance for development, and Ouchi-juku has escaped development due to changes in traffic routes.As for the preservation of the village, there were times when opinions were broken in favor and opposite, but there was persuasion of the mayor and the university professor at that time, and it was received the designation of an important traditional building group preservation District of the country in 1981.As of now, about 800,000 tourists a year visit.In order to create a resident charter in the village, and to take over the landscape of the post to the children of the future, the three principles of “do not sell, lend or break” are defended.

Festival/Event Nagoya-juku Snow Festival
Date February 2nd Saturday and Sunday (time varies depending on the event)
Venue Shimogo-cho Ouchi-juku
Tel. 0241-68-3611 (Ouchi-juku Tourist Information Center)
Free of charge Tour
Access Aizu Railway Yuno Onsen Station, about 15 minutes by taxi
URL http://ouchi-juku.com/