The village of Ouchishuku is located in the mountains about 40 minutes by car from Aizu Wakamatsu. The old highway still passes through the village. The road is lined with about 50 thatched-roof houses, so the architecture has changed little in the last 200 years. Suzuki Gihei, owner of one such minshuku called Iseya, occasionally has overseas guests who come for a taste of life in old Japan. Suzuki's wife, Kichiko, is surprised yet proud that they enjoy the wild plants she prepares for meals.
Guests often strike up friendships during their stay.
A night at a minshuku is a good way to learn more about the Japanese and their way of life, and you'll find the rates, with two meals included, quite reasonable. Ouchishuku is exceptionally beautiful after a snowfall. The Aizu district, far from the coast, gets more snow than anywhere else in snowy Fukushima Prefecture. Soon the thatched roofs of Ouchishuku will be covered in snow, creating a stunning winter postcard scene. To Kitakata from Aizu Wakamatsu, about 15 min.