Ouchi-juku’s rows of thatched-roof houses (which date back to the Edo Period) are transformed into a winter wonderland during Ouchi-juku Snow Festival, which takes place every February. Bright white snow falls and slowly builds up, as candles burn bright in snow lanterns, bathing the old post town in warm light. Various events are held during the two-day festival, the highlight being the flaming torch parade and fireworks on the first evening.
The 2026 festival will be held Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th February, 2026.
The schedule for last year can be found on the Ouchi-juku Tourism Association website in Japanese, or as below in English. Although this is last year's schedule, the 2026 schedule is identical -- only the dates are different.
Getting to Ouchi-juku BY LOCAL TRAIN & BUS 2025:
Full-size PDFs of the bus schedule
| Website | https://ouchi-juku.com/detail/622/index.html |
|---|---|
| Contact | Ouchi-juku Tourism Association (+81) 241-68-3611 |
| Best Season |
|
| Access | Yamamoto, Ouchi, Shimogo Town, Minamiaizu District, Fukushima Pref. 969-5207 View directions |
|---|---|
| Getting there | By Car: 75 min from Shirakawa I.C. exit off the Tohoku Expressway. (Or 50 min from central Aizu-Wakamatsu City) By Train: 15 min by taxi from Yunokami Onsen Station |
You can try out the Mugenkyo no Watashi River Crossing on the Tadami River for a unique Japanese experience! Sit back, and enjoy the beautiful views as you make your way from one side of the Tadami River to the other. The boat trips are around 15 minutes per way, and run between Hayato Onsen pier and the Mifuke area.Booking & More Information
Mitsutaya is a speciality restaurant with roots dating back to the end of the Edo Period (around 1835). The restaurant is situated in a renovated miso storehouse. It is therefore fitting that the restaurant is famous for a local Aizu meal called 'miso dengaku'. Miso dengaku refers to skewered vegetables and meat which are topped with a miso paste before being cooked over an open flame. The skewers are cooked one by one. Skewer ingredients include konjac, deep-fried tofu, sticky, savory rice balls called 'shingoro mochi', and more. Each small dish is coated in miso for an unforgettable and savory flavor.
Be swept off your feet by the amazing scenery at the Oguninuma Wetlands. These wetlands are located in Urabandai area, and are just one part of the stunning Oze National Park. Lots of people hike here every year at the start of summer to enjoy views of the seasonal yellow flowers, called Nikko Kisuge.
Suzuzen was established in 1832 as a lacquerware wholesale shop. Not only can visitors see process of lacquerware being finished using gold and silver dusted designs called 'Makie', but visitors can also have the opportunity to design their own lacquered product using Makie design techniques, which is perfect to take home as a souvenir. Booking & More InformationSuzuzen is made up of 6 kura (Japanese-style warehouses), which have been renovated. The Suzuzen warehouses include a gallery featuring pieces by contemporary artists who use lacquer in their work, and a cafe which is open for lunch. English-language signs also make the history of lacquer in Aizu accessible for overseas visitors.
Hinoemata Kabuki (a form of traditional Japanese theatre) has been used as a ceremonial practice in Hinoemata Village since the Edo Period. Hinoemata Kabuki, performed at an outdoor theatre, is an extremely important tradition for the village, and is passed down from generation to generation.For more information, read our related blog.
Held in the town of Aizu-Bange to the northwest of Aizu-Wakamatsu City, Otawara Hiki is a fierce display of community spirit and competitive energy that traces its roots back to the Edo period. It's the main attraction of the so-called 'Strange Festival', which takes place on 14 January every year.There is a children's event, featuring local students, before the main bout is fought over a large bale between teams representing the west (the white team) and the east (the red team). Despite the cold, the male participants take part largely in loincloths, while female participants wear a traditional festival light coat. It's said that if the east team wins, business will prosper in the coming year, while if the west team wins, it means there will be a bountiful harvest.The festival was first founded over 400 years ago in the Warring States Period, but was abolished by the Imperial government after the Aizu Domain's loss under the shogun in the Boshin War (civil war) of 1868. The tradition was restarted roughly a century later in 1956, and has continued to this day.Before the tug-of-war, there are taiko drum performances, and afterwards visitors can enjoy a dramatic display of the pounding of mochi by local experts, cheered on by the crowd, and receive a miniature bale said to bring good luck.Members of the public can also join the tug-of-war if they apply in advance. Please contact us for more details.A similar Strange Festival takes place in nearby Aizu-Misato on 11 January, also featuring a tug-of-war over a large bale, albeit wearing more layers than their counterparts in Aizu-Bange.Otawara Hiki– Event Schedule (2026)12:50 Tawara-daiko Performance Taiko drum performance by the Aizubange Town taiko group13:20 East vs. West Kotawara Hiki (Small Bale Pulling) Children compete by pulling a small straw bale (approx. 1.5 m high × 2.2 m long, weighing 1 ton)14:00 Otawara Hiki (Giant Bale Pulling) Teams pull a giant straw bale (approx. 2.5 m high × 4 m long, weighing 5 tons)14:45 Mochi Rice Cake Serving15:00 Fukumame Bale Tossing A total of 365 lucky small bales are thrown to the crowdFood stalls open from 11:00
Nakayama Setsugekka Snow Festival is held every year on the third Saturday of February. The contrast between the snow, moon and candlelight, which becomes greater as the dark of the night deepens, creates a radiant and magical atmosphere. The views to be enjoyed at Nakayama during festival time are so special that Nakayama has been designated as one of Japan's Night View Heritage Sites.
Held every year on July 2, the Ouchi-juku Hange Matsuri (‘mid-summer festival’) is a charming festival with hundreds of years of tradition behind it. The festival takes place at the traditional Edo period post town of Ouchi-juku, about 40 minutes south of Aizu-Wakamatsu City. It features a vivid parade featuring men in black eboshi caps carrying around the mikoshi (portable shrine), as well as the famous red-faced Tengu, supernatural creatures seen as spiritual guardians.Originally held to venerate the spirit of Prince Mochihito, an emperor’s son said to have taken refuge here after the Genpei War, the festival is now a broader community event that prays for household safety and strong harvests.Blessings are invoked at 12:00pm at Takakura Shrine, with the parade starting from 12.30pm and winding its way slowly through the village until about 3pm. They take breaks at several points, so it’s even possible to duck into a nearby soba restaurant for lunch. (A great time to try negi-soba, the Ouchi-juku speciality of soba eaten with a long onion!)