Kiso Hirasawa

Kisohirasawa is a district in the mountainous area in the southern part of Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture. Known as a production area for Kiso lacquerware, the historic rows of houses have been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government. It is located on the right bank of the Narai River, northeast of Narai-juku, at an altitude of 900m. It is said that settlements began around the end of the 16th century. In the 7th year of the Keicho era, the Edo shogunate established the route of the Nakasendo, and it began to develop as a craftsman town positioned as a branch town of Narai-juku, a post town. Over the years, it has prospered as the number one lacquerware production area on the Nakasendo Road. Even today, the amount of lacquerware produced is one of the largest in Japan.