Narai-juku

Counting the 67 stations that belong to the Nakasendo alone, Narai is 34th from either end, which puts it at the road's middle. It sits highest of the eleven Kiso post towns, at the foot of Torii Pass, and in its busiest years travellers filled it so thickly that people called it Narai Senken, Narai of a thousand houses. The street runs about 1 km along the Narai River from Shizume Shrine, and the town calls it the longest post town in Japan.

A row in 1968 over moving a prized house, the Nakamura residence, out of town started a joint campaign by the town and outside scholars to keep the street whole. The state selected it as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1978, and the Kiso area became Japan Heritage in 2016. Inn lanterns and fine wooden latticework still front the houses.

The Kiso no Ohashi, a wooden arched footbridge 33 m long, is getting its first major repair since it was built 35 years ago. Work runs until the end of March 2027, with no night lighting until then, and the deck is being relaid through December 2026. Cars stay out of the post town, so park at the Michi-no-eki or the free lots by the bridge.

Coin lockers beside Narai Station cost ¥300 or ¥500, and the information office at the station holds bags for ¥700 each from 8:40 to 16:40. A local guide costs ¥2,000 per guide, booked at least a month ahead.