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Meiji Jingu Gaien (Outer Garden)
Meiji Jingu Gaien, the outer park of Meiji Shrine, was established in 1926. It features the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery and various sports facilities, such as the Meiji Jingu Stadium, where you can enjoy nature throughout the four seasons.
The rows of golden yellow lights glow at night—it feels so dreamy. Compared to the daytime, the vibe at night is completely different.
Ouchijuku Misawaya
A soba restaurant in Ouchijuku, a nationally designated Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, where around 40 thatched-roof houses line the old highway. Set inside a restored traditional home, the calm, classic Japanese interior features a pendulum clock and an irori hearth with charcoal fire in winter. Don’t miss the rows of soba cups displayed on the wall. A must-try at Misawaya is the signature “Takato Soba,” said to have been loved by the Aizu domain lord.
Eating noodles using a green onion as your chopsticks was honestly mind-blowing the first time I saw it.
The soba goes down really smoothly, and the onion actually pairs surprisingly well with the noodles.
By the end, I was kind of hooked.
Ouchi-juku
More than 30 thatched-roof homes stand in Ouchi-juku, where the townscape still reflects the Edo-Period. It used to prosper as a post station along the former Aizu West Highway 400 years ago.
Thatched-roof houses with fresh snow—once it starts snowing, the vibe is instantly maxed out. It seriously feels like you’ve time-traveled back to old Japan.