奈良井宿（Narai-juku) / 塩尻（Shiojiri)
旧中山道の奈良井宿は、鳥居峠入り口にある鎮神社を京都側の端に、奈良井川沿いを緩やかに下りつつ約１キロにわたって町並みを形成する、日本最長の宿場です。
江戸時代、京と江戸を結ぶ最も重要な街道だった中山道。その六十九次中、江戸より数えて三十四宿目にあたり、木曽十一宿中、最も栄えたのが奈良井宿とのこと。
天保年間の記録によれば、旅籠、茶屋を合わせて三十九軒が軒を並べて繁栄を誇っていたと記されています。
Narai-juku was one of the post towns on the Nakasendo-highway established by the Edo Shogunate. It was situated midway, 34th post town among total 67 post towns, in Nakasendo. In the Edo period, Narai-juku was flourished by travelers, being called “Narai of a Thousand Houses”, who prepared crossing the “Torii Pass” which was the hardest pass on the Nakasendo.
Even today, Narai has a row of houses which show the peculiar building style of the inns of the days of old. Especially roofs with a gentle slope are projected than the eaves of the lower story and these overhanging roofs are making space of particular atmosphere on the road.
Nakari-juku is about 200m wide and 1km long north to south which consists of Shimomachi(down town), Nakamachi(Midtown) and Kamimachi(Uptown), including two shrines at the northern and southern ends and five temples on the foot of the western backside mountains.
In order to preserve its’ building aspects and environment, Nakai-Juku was designated as “The preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings” in 1978 by the government.
木曽の大橋は総檜造りの太鼓橋です。
A large bridge in the shape of a Japanese drum crosses Narai River. It is considered to be one of a few large bridges without bridge support in Japan. Kiso Ohashi was built entirely hinoki cypress that was more than 300 years old. Evening light-up from April to early November.
鳥居峠は中山道屈指の難所でした。今はハイキングコースとなっています。当時の石畳が一部残っています。
昭和53年、国の重要伝統的建造物保存地区として選定されるほどに、昔ながらの街並みが残されてきた街道沿い。そこはまた、木曽谷の民俗資料の宝庫でもありました。
楢川歴史民俗資料館には、宿場当時の民俗資料が展示保存されています。
象牙が素材の水車ベルトです。水車は往時、櫛を作る時の原動力でした。
塗櫛は、寛政年間に創られ旅人にもてはやされました。島崎藤村の「初恋」にも歌われた”花櫛”の原形です。
塗櫛を作るための道具も展示されています。
曲げ物です。
Magemono, which is known as a local specialty of Narai-juku, is made by bending a thin board made of Kiso or Sawara cypress to form round-and oval-shaped strips to assemble them into a container. It has a history of 400 years in Kiso’s Narai-juku.
Magemono containers are popular as they help prevent rice from going bad and rice tastes good even when eaten cold.
