The Aizu/Kitakata area offers tourist attractions such as Shiraito Falls, Lake Inawashiro, and the Guest House; tourist events such as the Iris Festival, Tokaichi, and the Aizu Festival; and local gourmet foods such as Kitakata Ramen, Sauce Katsudon, and Graduates.
Aizu Wakamatsu City is located in the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture and is the central city of the Aizu district. The city flourished as a castle town of the Aizu clan in the Edo period (1603-1867), and is famous for its historical sites such as Wakamatsu Castle (Tsurugajo) and the Byakkotai (a famous military unit of the Aizu clan) as tourist attractions. The city is also famous for its food, such as kozuyu (sweetened soybean paste) and akabeko (a toy), and attracts many tourists.
A must-see sightseeing spot in Aizu Wakamatsu City is Wakamatsu Castle, famous for the Byakkotai, commonly called Tsuruga Castle, which is designated by the national government as the Wakamatsu Castle Ruins.
The other important cultural property, designated by the national government as an important cultural property, is Sazae-do, named for the shape of the three layers of six ridges that resemble sazae (a kind of fish). The hall has a spiral staircase that allows visitors to enter the hall one-way without encountering others on the opposite side or having to walk down the same path. In 1996, the temple was designated as a National Important Cultural Property of Japan as a valuable historical resource that tells of the culture of the common people of that time.
It is said that the name of the mountain was derived from the fact that in the olden days, people would walk over the mountain to catch the rising sun from the east in the morning and the setting sun on their backs on the way back home. Nowadays, athletic fields and campgrounds have been developed, and the area has become a fun spot for sightseeing trips with the whole family.
Kitakata City is famous for its warehouses and paulownia wood, and is also a tourist spot known as the home of Kitakata Ramen. Also known as the city of warehouses, Kitakata Kura-no-sato is a sightseeing spot. Kitakatagura-no-sato is a facility where old warehouses and old houses in Kitakata are relocated and exhibited for the purpose of preserving and passing on the warehouse culture.
Aizu is home to Bandaisan, a mountain famous for its folk songs. Bandai, which straddles Inawashiro Town, Bandai Town, and Kitashiobara Village in Fukushima Prefecture's Yama County, is one of Japan's 100 most famous mountains, also known as Aizu Fuji and Aizu Bandai-san.
Bandaisan Gold Line is a sightseeing road that takes you through the Bandai Plateau, which is dotted with lakes and marshes of various sizes, and is full of historical romance. The cliffs of Bandaisan Explosion Crater, the symbol of Bandai-Asahi National Park, and the picture-postcard view of Lake Inawashiro are popular for the scenery, which you will never get tired of no matter how many times you visit.
Located on the north side of Mt. Bandai, Goshiki-numa is a group of about 30 small lakes and swamps of various sizes that show various colors such as green, red, and blue. Bandai erupted, a debris avalanche choked the rivers and formed hundreds of lakes and marshes. The lakes are known for the color of their water, which changes depending on the quality of the volcanic water and the plants and a...»
It is said that the Muromachi period lord Morihisa Asina built a villa here, where a sacred spring gushed out. When the Hoshina clan became lords of the Aizu domain, the garden became a recreation center, and a portion of the garden was used to grow ginseng and other medicinal herbs, hence the name "Goyakuen" (Goyakuen). The garden was shaped by the shogunate, which invited the gardener Josada M...»
The contrast between the pure white castle walls and red roof tiles makes for a beautiful castle tower, also known as Aizu Wakamatsu Castle, Wakamatsu Castle, Kurokawa Castle, or Aizu Castle. The exterior of the castle tower was reconstructed in reinforced concrete, and the interior is used as the Wakamatsu Castle Keep Local History Museum. Kurokawa Castle was originally built by Naomori Naomori...»
The staircase for worshipping the 33 Kannon of Saigoku inside the three-story building with six ridges has a spiral shape, which is unusual for a wooden building. Aizu Sazae-do (Entsu Sansosa-do), built in 1796. An important cultural property of Japan....»
Located in the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, Enzoji Temple is a place of prayer for the people who make the atmosphere of this town gentle. The temple boasts a history of over 1,200 years and still attracts many visitors. The temple is one of Japan's three kokuzo bodhisattvas, along with Omang kokuzo bodhisattva in Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki Prefecture, and Noman kokuzo bodhisattva in T...»
The former Ojima Villa of Prince Takamatsu was built in 1922 by Prince Nobuhito Takamatsu, the third son of the Taisho Emperor, for His Imperial Highness Princess Yasuko Arisugawa. Prince Nobuhito Takamatsu spent more than a year to complete the villa with a purely Japanese-style landscape, as he was concerned about Princess Yasuko's approaching 60th birthday. This villa, together with the Wester...»
Located in Tsurugajo Park, this tea ceremony room was built by Ujisato Gamo, the feudal lord of Aizu, who was a teacher of Sen no Rikyu, to promote the tea ceremony by inviting Shoan, a son of Rikyu, to Aizu. When Tsurugajo Castle was demolished in 1874, Zenbe Morikawa, a member of the Ishu School of Yisei School, petitioned the government to move the tea house to his home and preserve it, but it...»
Centering on the restored samurai residence, Edo period buildings and the Nakahata camp house have been relocated. In addition, there is the Aizu History Museum. This is truly a historical theme park with a collection of relocated and restored buildings centering on the residence of Saigo Yoritomo, a retainer of the Aizu domain. In addition to the residence of the feudal lord, other historical bu...»
The building is a fusion of Renaissance and Western architectural styles, and was built in 1908 as a villa for the Arisugawa family, a member of the Imperial Family. It is also where Emperor Showa and Empress Dowager Kohjun spent one summer on their honeymoon in 1924. It is now designated as a National Important Cultural Property and is open to the public. The name is taken from a haiku by Li Ba...»
A selection of about 350 sculptures, paintings, prints, and other works by Salvador Dali. This museum has a permanent collection of Salvador Dali's works. The museum features a grand and beautiful exterior reminiscent of a European castle. Located in Bandai Asahi National Park. Visitors can see approximately 330 paintings, sculptures, and prints by Dali, as well as works by Matisse, Picasso, Van...»
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 Str...»
The Nakatsugawa River valley, which flows into Lake Akimoto, is a 10-kilometer stretch of waterfalls, rapids, sheer cliffs, and virgin forests, giving it a truly unexplored atmosphere. The valley is a popular spot for viewing the autumn colors of the leaves, which turn a variety of vivid reds, yellows, and greens during the fall foliage season. Looking down the valley from the bridge, the view is...»
Nisshinkan was a domain school of the Aizu Domain, and produced many talented people who were active in the Boshin War and later periods, such as the Byakkotai. Nisshinkan was planned in 1798 at the suggestion of Tanaka Genzai, a retainer of the Aizu clan. During the Great Famine of Tenmei, the Aizu Clan faced many problems. As a solution, Tanaka Genzai advised the 5th feudal lord, Matsudaira Yo...»
The World Glass Museum is a luxurious collection of representative masterpieces from all over Europe, including Bohemian glass that continues to maintain the world's finest brilliance. Located by Lake Inawashiro at the foot of Mt. Bandai, the World Glass Museum is a beautiful, transparent, and even warm amusement park in harmony with nature. This is the largest glass gallery in Japan that brings ...»
At the Suehiro Sake Brewery's Kaeigura, visitors can tour the brewery's six sake cellars and 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. The brewery was founded in 1850, in Kaei 3, when the Edo shogunate was in its final days and times were changing. In the Meiji e...»