{"id":87507,"date":"2021-12-15T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=87507"},"modified":"2021-12-14T17:27:27","modified_gmt":"2021-12-14T08:27:27","slug":"samurai-history-culture-aizu-yonezawa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/samurai-history-culture-aizu-yonezawa\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking in the Footsteps of Samurai in Aizu and Yonezawa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Venturing into the heartland of samurai history<\/a> and culture may be closer than you imagine. If you find yourself in Tokyo\u2019s Asakusa district, then you\u2019ve already taken one step back in time toward Japan\u2019s flourishing Edo period. From Asakusa station, there are easy train connections to the traditional samurai strongholds of Aizu (\u4f1a\u6d25) and Yonezawa (\u7c73\u6ca2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thatched Roofs on the Road to Aizu<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We boarded the train in Tokyo and soon made our first samurai pit stop as we gazed at misty green mountains on the horizon towards Aizu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ouchi-juku<\/a><\/strong> (\u5927\u5185\u5bbf) is an Edo-period post town on the historical route between Nikko (\u65e5\u5149)<\/strong> and Aizu.<\/strong> The main street is lined with preserved houses whose thatched roofs recall the more famous Shirakawa-go<\/a> in Hida, but without the touristy crowds. Houses are still inhabited by residents, while ground floors have been converted into shopfronts selling souvenir crafts, local dishes, and sake, while a few even offer the possibility to stay overnight. We took a leisurely stroll along the central walkway to the end of the road and up the stairs to a hilltop that offers an intimate overview of the neighborhood just below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n