Tarui

Tarui-jukuTarui was the 57th station of the Nakasendo trail that connected Kyoto with Edo and the first station of the Minoji Trail that connected the Nakasendo to the Tokaido trail. During its heyday, there were 315 hotels. The building marked as the Tarui-juku you see today is the Nagahamaya. When the princess traveled through on the Nakasendo, the men who carried her mikoshi stayed here (she of course stayed at the honjin, the primary inn). The buildling became a liquor store once the Nakasendo lost its importance. When the liquor store closed, residents were compelled to preserve the building since it is such an important part of the town's history. Today, visitors can stop for a rest and see a few artifacts inside. Modern Nakasendo travelers should give serious consideration to staying at the nearby Kamemaruya, one of the few hatago that you can actually stay overnight in (see "Sleep" section).

Takenaka JinyaBuilt by Takenaka Shigekado, the Takenaka Jinya was the residence of the Takenaka family who were the lords of the area. The jinya itself no longer remains however, the gate has survived along with part of the moat. The statue in front of the jinya is Takenaka Hanbei, father of Shigekado.

Nangu Shrine

Tarui no IzumiGifu Prefecture has many springs that are known for their pure water. Tarui's water is among them and has been well-known for centuries. It was featured in one of the poems in the Shika Wakashu, an imperial anthology of waka poems, in 1070. Matsuo Basho also stopped here and wrote a poem after drinking the water. Today there is a small, attractive area where the spring water flows and visitors can try it for themselves.

Kamemaruya