At Japan Dreamscapes (JDS), we specialize in going off the beaten path for photo tours, so when everyone else is on a Hokkaido Photo Tour, JDS will whisk you away to Ouchi Juku in Fukushima, a town established during the Edo Period, close to the year 1640 yet preserved to maintain the same Edo Period appearance that it had when first established.

Ouchi Juku is a post town, a town famous for its concentration of inns and shops.  During the Edo Period, Ouchi Juku was part of the path that samurai traveled between Aizu, Fukushima and Nikko, Tochigi.  Part of the effort of preservation are the thatched roof homes that are still immaculately preserved to retain the feel that a samurai would have as he strode the unpaved road through Ouchi Juku.  As you walk the same samurai path, you will see photo ops in every direction as you snap pictures of the picturesque winter landscapes as part of your winter photo tour.

Ouchi Juku is cradled by mountains such at Mt. Eboshi and Mt. Ono which make breathtaking backdrops as the snow covered peaks provide a frame around the thatched homes and main thoroughfare in town.  The snow serves as an accent to each of your photographs.

Part of the JDS photography tour experience is respecting and taking part in local culture.  One of the Ouchi Juku’s featured cultural elements is deliciously prepared fish cooked using the traditional iriori, or sunken hearth, that are part of the historical experience that a photo tour of Fukushima’s traditional town provides.  You may first photograph the glistening, succulent fish and then give your camera a rest as you enjoy a glorious meal cooked the same way that samurai would have enjoyed the same feast nearly 400 years ago.