奈良井宿は、長野県塩尻市に位置する中山道六十九次のうち、34番目の宿場町です。
木曽路のほぼ中央にあり、江戸時代には「奈良井千軒」と呼ばれるほど多くの旅籠や商家が軒を連ね、木曽路随一の賑わいを誇りました。
現在も街道沿いには、当時の姿を色濃く残す木造家屋が約1kmにわたって続き、国の重要伝統的建造物群保存地区に選定されています。
町並みは単なる観光地として整えられたものではなく、今も人々の暮らしの場として息づいており、宿場町本来の空気感を感じることができます。
周囲を山々に囲まれ、清流とともに形成された奈良井宿は、街道・自然・生活が一体となった、日本の宿場文化を今に伝える貴重な場所です。
写真は、1月中旬に撮影。
Narai-juku is the 34th post town of the Nakasendo route, located in Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture.
Situated near the center of the Kiso Valley, it once flourished as a major stop for travelers during the Edo period and was known as “Narai Senken,” meaning a town of a thousand houses.
Today, traditional wooden buildings line the old highway for nearly one kilometer, preserving the historic townscape that has earned Narai-juku designation as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Rather than being a reconstructed tourist site, Narai-juku remains a living town where daily life continues within its historic setting.
Surrounded by mountains and shaped by its natural environment, Narai-juku offers a rare opportunity to experience the atmosphere of a genuine Japanese post town, where history, nature, and everyday life coexist.
The photographs were taken in mid-January.
