Experience Being a Traveller of the Past
Post towns in Japan, known as Shukuba (宿場), are places designated for travellers to rest during their journey. Narai-juku in Nagano Prefecture was one of the longest post towns located in the middle of the Nakasendo, an important trade route that connected Kyoto to Edo (now modern-day Tokyo) during the Edo period (1603-1868). Narai-juku attracted around 600,000 visitors in 2019.
Renovated from a 200-year-old traditional building, BYAKU Narai is an inn that has 12 guest rooms spread across two buildings, all with varying concepts.
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©NOSIGNERThe inn also offers unique facilities for an authentic experience such as Kura (嵓), a restaurant that has its menu curated by Zaiyu Hasegawa of the famed Den restaurant in Tokyo, and utilizes elegant Kiso lacquerware as part of the dining experience. TASTING BAR suginomori inherits its name from the building that was once home to a miso brewery and allows guests to try some of the locally brewed sake, while SAN-SEN, the private hot spring within the establishment provides relaxation with its all-natural bath waters drawn from the Shinano River.
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©ONESTORYAn oasis within Narai-juku, BYAKU Narai is highly recommended for any traveller looking to delve deeper into the local culture that existed along the Nakasendo and wants to experience the essence of traditional Japanese hospitality.
Address: 551 Narai, Shiojiri, Nagano 399-6303, Japan
Access: By train from Tokyo, take Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano station, then take Shinonoi line to Shiojiri. Continue on Chuo Honsen line to Narai-juku station. BYAKU Narai is a 5-minute walk from Narai-juku station.
Website: BYAKU Narai (Japanese Only)
