Narai was the most prosperous and largest town in Kiso area.
  In 1840s, there were more than a thousand of houses, and 39 shop-eaves of inns and restrants stood side by side in the town. It was also one of the largest Stage-Towns in Nakasendo.

  Narai was given a special high status among the Stage-Towns of Kisoji. For its scale as a town-village was remarkably large on the base of its history and geographic position.
  Fortunately thanks to the hurdle of Torii Ridge-Pass, it had been growing as a prosperous commercial twon.

  The Shogunate government forced every town in Nakasendo to prepare at least 25 units of walkers and horses for transporting lords in proportion to its economic capability. Then Narai was obliged to prepare 58 units.
  Its economic capacity was evaluated as such a grade.
  
  The office (shop-house) holder managing the operation of personnels and horses was called Toiya, under whose supervision some staffs supported the management of transportation.
  There were two Toiya shop-houses exceptionally in Narai as remarkably large town. Each Toiya took charge of managing the transportation in turn for half a month. One of them was the Tezukas whose shop-house has been conserved until now.
  In the shop-house the managing staffs received the orders from officers of Shogunete government or Owari clan, and arranged the relay of transporting works between the neighboring districts and their own.