The Old Postal Town of Narai
Back in the Edo Period, Narai was an important postal town that was in the middle of Kyoto and Edo along the Nakasendo Route. Other than this, the town was the wealthiest of all the post towns of Kiso Valley.
Walking down the streets of Narai is like stepping into a time warp. Just arriving in its small station is enough to take you back centuries. Unlike other stations, Narai's has this middle of nowhere feel once you alight. The station lady I met was surprised when I told her I was from the Philippines, and instead of inputting something in a computer, she took out a notebook and wrote things down. Which was very different from the many other stations I got to in Japan.
The rows of preserved houses looked very different from the modern cities of Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo. I didn't see any skyscrapers, glitzy shopping centers and the usual things you'd find in a metropolis. However, there are many restaurants, small shops and inns along the road.
Narai is an old postal town worth going to if you are interested in history and would want to take the road less traveled when you go to Japan. This town is accessible by train as I easily got here from Matsumoto.
