Nanukamachi Street, Aizuwakamatsu

Named after the market held on the seventh day of every month, this town was the center of the castle town during the feudal domain era, with Omachi Yotsukaku, the main road of the Nikko, Echigo, and Yonezawa highways among the five highways of Aizu, running through it.

It flourished as the western gateway to the castle and was lined with wholesale stores, inns, and restaurants.

Nanoka-machi Street runs for about 700 meters from JR Nanoka-machi Station to Hideyo Noguchi Seishun Street. Stepping into this street, one is surrounded by retro buildings from the early 20th century, creating an atmosphere as if stepping back in time.

The street is lined with stores selling traditional crafts such as painted candles, Aizu lacquerware, and Aizu cotton, allowing visitors to enjoy a stroll while experiencing the traditional culture of Aizu.

The buildings of various designs are well worth seeing, so take your time and enjoy the atmosphere of the town.

There is also a wide variety of gourmet foods such as Japanese sweets and sake breweries, and you will have a hard time choosing which one to try. Choosing souvenirs is sure to be fun as well. The “Haikara-san” bus, a sightseeing bus, also adds to the retro mood of the town.

In addition to fashionable stores, the area is also dotted with spots related to the Shinsengumi, such as Amidadera Temple, where Saito Hajime’s grave is located, Shimizuya Ryokan, where Hijikata Toshizo stayed, and the Aizu Shinsengumi Memorial Museum.

It is recommended to stroll around the area while thinking about the atmosphere of those days.

The “Station Cafe” in Nanokaicho Station is an antenna store selling products from 17 municipalities in the Aizu region. The café is a great place to take a relaxing break while enjoying the lovely sundries.

Shirokiya Lacquer Ware Shop
Shirokiya Lacquer Ware Shop is an Aizu lacquerware store with a 300-year history since its establishment. Inside the store, more than 1,000 items, ranging from modern accessories to classic lacquerware, are on display and for sale. It also functions as a museum of Aizu lacquerware and can be visited free of charge. The building is also registered as a designated historical landmark of Aizu Wakamatsu City, and the exterior alone gives visitors a sense of Taisho Romanticism.

Mitsudaya
Mitsudaya is a restaurant where you can enjoy the aroma of “miso dengaku” in a converted miso warehouse. Visitors can savor the charcoal-grilled miso dengaku while sitting around the hearth. Mitsudaya is also a designated historical landmark of Aizu Wakamatsu City.

Dengaku in Aizu
At Aizu no Dengaku, you can enjoy charcoal grilled dengaku carefully prepared in the restaurant. A set menu is also available for a great price.

Suehiro Shuzo Kaegura
At Suehiro Shuzo’s Kaegura, visitors can tour six sake breweries and a three-story wooden residence. Tours and tastings are free of charge. Visitors can also enjoy coffee and other beverages made with sake brewing water at the attached cafe “Anzu.

Coffee shop Anzu
At the cafe Anzu, located inside the sake brewery, visitors can enjoy original sweets and coffee made with sake brewing water.

Hoshiban Picture Candle Store
Hoshiban Picture Candle Store is a long-established store that has served the Aizu domain and is the manufacturer and seller of the original Aizu Picture Candles. It has kept up the tradition since the Edo period, and is now taken over by the ninth generation. Visitors can try their hand at painting picture candles (reservation required).

(Reservations required).

Each candle is carefully painted one by one.
At Hoshiban Picture Candles, you will find a variety of hand-drawn picture candles with different patterns.

Cotton threads
Cotton thread is a handmade store using Aizu cotton. The shop sells everything from fabrics to cut-up pieces, and is closed on Thursdays.

Nagamonya Nanoka-machi Store
Nagamonoya Nana-no-Machi Store is a long-established confectionery shop that has been making sweets for over 150 years since its establishment in 1848. The shop sells sweets made with walnuts from Aizu and other cute candy.

Inside Nagamonya
This is a view of the inside of Nagamonya’s store.

Shibukawa wholesale store
Shibukawa Tonya is an authentic local restaurant of Aizu, where you can feel the atmosphere of the Taisho Era (1912-1926). The “Matsuri Gozen” dish is popular and can be enjoyed starting at 2,100 yen. Adjacent to the restaurant is a ryokan (Japanese-style inn) that is like a hideaway for adults. The building is also designated as a historical landmark of Aizu Wakamatsu City.

Aizu Furusato Antenna Shop Eki-Cafe
The Aizu Furusato Antenna Shop Eki Cafe is located in the JR Nanokaicho Station building and is an antenna store that offers a wide variety of specialties from the 17 municipalities of Aizu. In the café space, you can enjoy a cup of coffee brewed with water. Visitors can take a break in the retro Western-style station building.