Japan Travel: Kiso Ohashi bridge historic Narai town, Nagano, Japan
【★017★Nagano Kiso Valley Narai Kiso Ohashi】
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KISO OHASHI bridge spans the Narai River, which runs parallel to the main street. Extending 30 meters, it is one of Japan’s longest wooden bridges. It was built in the 1990s, not so long ago.
During the Edo Period, Narai marked the halfway point between Kyoto and Edo to travelers along the Nakasendo Route. It was the most wealthy post town of the Kiso Valley, and was sometimes referred to as “Narai of a Thousand Houses”. Visitors will understand why it is called this when comparing Narai to the other former post towns in the area; the preserved houses stretch on much longer in Narai than elsewhere.
Strolling down the long Narai’s main road is not without interest, though the restored houses are very similar to each other. Among the buildings, two are former residences open to the public, while others are souvenir shops, restaurants and minshuku. Narai’s main drawbacks are that the Honjin and Wakihonjin (the main inns of former times) no longer remain, and that vehicular traffic is allowed on the street.
AloJapan.com