Shirasawa-juku is a historic area located in the northern part of Utsunomiya that flourished as a post town along the Oshu Kaido, from the Edo period through the Meiji era. As the first post station on the Oshu Kaido after it branched from the Nikko Kaido in Utsunomiya, the town is said to have been lively and energetic, with daimyo processions, officials, merchants, and ordinary travellers constantly passing through. As an important highway linking Edo with the Tohoku region, the Oshu Kaido played a vital role in transportation and exchange, and Shirasawa-juku served as a key hub supporting this movement. The town was lined with inns, merchant houses, temples, and shrines, nurturing a way of life and culture closely tied to the highway. Even today, historic buildings and streetscapes remain scattered throughout the area, allowing visitors to sense the atmosphere of a former post town. At the entrance to Shirasawa-juku stands a small Jizo Hall, long worshipped as a place to pray for the safety and well-being of travellers and regarded as a symbolic boundary marking the start of the post town. From this point, walking further reveals a large zelkova tree traditionally said to mark the entrance to the town, along with a small structure believed to have served as a public toilet in the Edo period, now appreciated as a photo spot. Climbing Yagenzaka leads to the main hall of Shirahige Shrine, and after descending the stone steps, a gently turning waterwheel can be seen beside the canal near the torii gate, creating a peaceful scene that recalls a time when farming life and the post town coexisted. Shirasawa-juku is an inviting walking destination where visitors can enjoy scattered traces of history while strolling through the town and imagining the footsteps of travellers from centuries past.

Photo courtesy of Utsunomiya Convention & Visitors Bureau