繁中 Rail passes Plan a trip
秋
Currently in season
AutumnOct–Nov
Now at Narai-juku · leaves on the pass
Colour on the Torii Pass path and over the Kiso-no-Ōhashi, which is lit after dark until late November. Weekday mornings are quietest.
春 夏 秋 冬
Checked 27 Oct 2026 8 min read
In brief

Narai-juku (奈良井宿) is a preserved Nakasendō post town in Shiojiri, Nagano, with about 1 km of wooden houses along one street. Walking it is free, and Nakamura-tei, a merchant house, is ¥300. From Matsumoto take a local train on the JR Chūō Main Line (about 40 min); Narai Station is a few minutes' walk from the street. Allow 2–3 hours, or half a day with the Torii Pass walk.

A post town with a station

Unlike Tsumago and Magome further south, Narai-juku has a JR station at the edge of the old street, so it works as a half-day from Matsumoto with no bus. Travellers once rested here before Torii Pass. Today the street is shops, cafés and a few inns, among them BYAKU Narai.

At a glance

Narai-juku in one table

WhatDetail
What it isA preserved post town on the old Nakasendō road: the 34th of its 69 stations and the second of the 11 in the Kiso valley. A protected area about 1 km long and 200 m wide, an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings since 1978.
CostWalking the street is free. Nakamura-tei, a preserved merchant house, is ¥300 (free for junior high school and under).
HoursThe street is always open. Nakamura-tei opens about 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) and closes earlier from December to March; some winter days it is shut, so check before you go.
From MatsumotoAbout 40 min by local train on the JR Chūō Main Line: 17 min to Shiojiri, then about 23 min to Narai. Only local trains stop at Narai, so look up the timetable and the last train back.
From TokyoAbout 2h 40m to Shiojiri by limited express Azusa, then the local train to Narai.
Time needed2–3 h for the street, the Nakamura-tei and the bridge; half a day with Kiso-Hirasawa; about 2.5 h more for the Torii Pass walk.
Best timeWeekday mornings, and the leaves on the Torii Pass path in autumn. The Narai-juku Festival and Kiso Lacquerware Festival run from the first Friday to Sunday of June.

Checked 27 Oct 2026. Nakamura-tei opening hours differ by 30 minutes between sources, so treat them as approximate. Train times: JR Chūō Main Line, local trains.

What to see

Four things to do in Narai-juku

01

The street奈良井宿の町並み

From Narai Station, a few minutes on foot; the street runs about 1 km

More than 50 historic buildings line the old road, with deep eaves and latticed fronts, and many are now lacquer shops, cafés, small museums and inns. In its Edo-period heyday the town was called Narai of a thousand houses (奈良井千軒). Stone water troughs with running spring water stand along the street. Nakamura-tei (中村邸), a comb wholesaler's house, shows the narrow, deep merchant plan from inside (¥300).

Length
about 1 km
Historic buildings
50+
Nakamura-tei
¥300
02

Kiso lacquerware木曽漆器

Shops along the street; the workshops are one stop away at Kiso-Hirasawa

Narai is known for Kiso lacquerware (木曽漆器), made in this valley and centred on Kiso-Hirasawa, one stop towards Shiojiri (1.8 km). Narai's shops sell bowls, trays and chopsticks beside handmade goods such as the wooden combs of nearby Yabuhara. The Narai-juku Festival and Kiso Lacquerware Festival run from the first Friday to Sunday of June.

Made in
Kiso valley
Workshops
Kiso-Hirasawa
Festival
first weekend of June
03

Kiso-no-Ōhashi木曽の大橋

By the Michi-no-Eki Narai Kiso-no-Ōhashi, about 5 min from the street

A red wooden arch bridge over the Narai River, built in 1991 from Kiso hinoki cypress 250 to 300 years old, 33 m long and without piers: the longest of its kind in Japan when it was built. It is lit after dark from early April to late November, and it frames the town in autumn.

Built
1991
Length
33 m
Lit
Apr–Nov, after dark
04

Torii Pass to Yabuhara鳥居峠

Yabuhara Station to Narai Station, about 2.5 h on foot

The Nakasendō climbs out of Narai over Torii Pass (鳥居峠, about 1,200 m), and the path survives. Both ends are JR stations, so the walk is Yabuhara to Narai, downhill into town. A shrine at the top holds many small statues and stands in for climbing Mt Ontake, which shows on clear days. Keisai Eisen drew the pass in his 1830s Kisokaidō series, the print above.

Walk
about 2.5 h
Top
about 1,200 m
Train back
about ¥200
Getting there

Local trains on the Chūō Main Line

LegHow and timeFare
Matsumoto → Shiojiri17 min by JR local trainSee the Matsumoto page
Shiojiri → Naraiabout 23 min, JR Chūō Main Line localUnder ¥1,000 from Matsumoto. The JR Pass is valid; the Arch Pass lists only the Ōito and Shinonoi lines on this side
Tokyo (Shinjuku) → Shiojiriabout 2h 40m, limited express AzusaReserved fare on the JR East tables
Narai → Kiso-Hirasawaone stop towards Shiojiri, 1.8 kmLocal fare
Yabuhara → Narai (Torii Pass walk)about 2.5 h on foot; the train from Narai to Yabuhara is a short rideabout ¥200 for the train

The limited express Shinano does not stop at Narai. Plan around the local timetable on the day (Jorudan or Google Maps), check the last train back and keep a margin: trains are infrequent, and fewer late in the day. Narai Station is on the street, so you need no bus.

Practical tips

Before you go

Small things that make the day easier.

  1. 01
    Check the timetable first. Only local trains stop here. Note the last train back to Shiojiri or Matsumoto before you leave.
  2. 02
    Come on a weekday morning. The street is quieter, the light is soft and the shops are opening. Winter is cold, since this is the highest of the Kiso stations.
  3. 03
    Take a bear bell on Torii Pass. Nagano issued alerts for Matsumoto and Kiso earlier in 2026. See the bears page.
  4. 04
    Allow for the June festival. The Narai-juku Festival and Kiso Lacquerware Festival, first Friday to Sunday of June, bring the crowds and the best lacquer selection.
  5. 05
    Wear shoes for stone and slope. The street is paved, but the pass path is a forest track and can be wet.
FAQ

Narai-juku questions, answered

How do I get to Narai-juku from Matsumoto?

Take a local train on the JR Chūō Main Line: 17 min to Shiojiri, then about 23 min to Narai, around 40 min in all. The limited express does not stop at Narai, so check the local timetable and the last train back. Narai Station is a few minutes' walk from the street.

How long do you need in Narai-juku?

Allow 2–3 hours for the street, Nakamura-tei and the Kiso-no-Ōhashi bridge, half a day if you add the lacquer workshops at Kiso-Hirasawa, and about 2.5 hours more for the Torii Pass walk.

How long is the Torii Pass walk from Yabuhara to Narai?

About 2.5 hours on foot. Both ends are JR stations, so you take the train to Yabuhara, walk over Torii Pass (about 1,200 m) and finish in Narai. The train back from Narai to Yabuhara costs about ¥200.

What is Kiso lacquerware and where can I buy it?

Kiso lacquerware (木曽漆器) is lacquered wooden tableware made in the Kiso valley, centred on Kiso-Hirasawa, one stop from Narai. Shops along the Narai street sell bowls, trays and chopsticks, and the Narai-juku Festival and Kiso Lacquerware Festival run from the first Friday to Sunday of June.

Is Narai-juku better than Tsumago and Magome?

It is a different stretch of the same road. Narai is the easiest from Matsumoto, with a station at the edge of the street, and its street of about 1 km still has shops and inns in use. Tsumago and Magome are further south in the Kiso valley, nearer Nagoya.

Where should I stay in Narai-juku?

BYAKU Narai has 16 rooms in four old houses and a former sake brewery on the street, from about ¥58,300 a person with dinner and breakfast. La Terra Narai is a small stay in the town. Or stay in Matsumoto and come by train, 40 min each way.

Where to stay

Sleep on the street, or in Matsumoto

Narai's own rooms are few, so book BYAKU Narai well ahead. Scores are Agoda's.

Our featured ryokan

BYAKU Narai

ビャク ナライ · 16 rooms on the street · 9.7 on Agoda

Sixteen rooms in four old houses and a sake brewery founded in 1793, one MICHELIN Key, a spring-water public bath and dinner in the old brewery. Narai Station is 5 min on foot. From about ¥58,300 a person with dinner and breakfast.

luxury ryokan
Check rates ↗
In the town

La Terra Narai

in Narai-juku · 8.2 on Agoda

Three rooms in the post town itself, scored 8.2 by 57 Agoda guests: a night on the street without the luxury price.

small stay
Check rates ↗
Rail base

Dormy Inn Matsumoto Natural Hot Spring

天然温泉 梓の湯 ドーミーイン松本 · 5 min from the Castle exit · 8.7 on Agoda

A natural-spring bath and the chain's free late-night ramen, 40 min from Narai: the practical base for day trips on the Chūō Line.

business hotel
Check rates ↗

BYAKU Narai is on the luxury ryokan page with the full account. To compare rates, BYAKU Narai on Rakuten Travel.

Continue exploring

More from Nagano

← Back to Nagano
Nagano, the first stop
→
Hub
Nagano
→
Town
Matsumoto
→
Sight
Kamikōchi
→
Stay
Luxury ryokan
→
Town
Takayama
→
Pass
Hokuriku Arch Pass
→
You've finished Narai-juku · Up next
Day trips · 3 of 7MatsumotoMatsumoto Castle is ¥1,200 by timed e-ticket, 08:30 to 17:00. Kusama museum, Nakamachi…Read the guide → 8 min

More in Nagano

ObuseObuse is 25 min from Nagano by Nagaden (¥870): Hokusai Museum ¥1,200, Gansho-in's phoenix…Read the guide → 6 min Ryūō Sora TerraceSORA terrace by train from Toyama or Nagano: the 166-person ropeway to 1,770 m, October…Read the guide → Autumn KamikōchiKamikōchi 2026: open 17 Apr–15 Nov, no private cars. From Matsumoto 1h 30m by train and…Read the guide → Summer Tobira Onsen MyōjinkanOur standout stay in Nagano: a 1931 onsen inn at 1,050 m above Matsumoto with One…Read the guide → 7 min

Carry on along the Hokuriku Shinkansen

Tap a stop
Naganoyou're here Myōkō+0:25Hub → Itoigawa+0:38Hub → Kurobe+0:52Hub → Toyama+0:44Hub → Kanazawa+1:04Hub → Fukui+1:29Hub →

Booking links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. How we choose