Useful Information

Guide to Visiting the Famous Tadami River Bridge Viewpoint

Guide to Visiting the Famous Tadami River Bridge Viewpoint

Tadami Line has fully resumed operations on October 2022 after 11 years, and it’s only natural that the interest in seeing the world-famous Tadami River Bridge No. 1 Viewpoint (第一只見川橋梁ビューポイント), also known as Daiichi Tadami River Bridge Viewpoint, is rapidly increasing.

Taking a look at the beautiful photographs that can be taken there, it is easy to understand why people all around the world have fallen for this picturesque area.

Getting to the viewpoint can seem quite daunting, so we’ve created this guide on how and when to visit the Tadami River Bridge!

VISITING VIA PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The Tadami River Bridge No. 1 Viewpoint is a few minutes’ walk from Ozekaido Mishima-juku Michi-no-Eki (道の駅尾瀬街道みしま宿), a roadside station known simply as ‘Mishima-juku’ (みしま宿), which sells omiyage  (souvenirs), snacks, and light meals.

 See here for a map of Mishima-juku. Mishima-juku opens daily at 8:00am.

 

1.) GET TO AIZU-MIYASHITA STATION

  • To reach Mishima-juku, take the JR Tadami Line (JR只見線) from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station (会津若松駅)  to Aizu-Miyashita Station (会津宮下駅):
    • One-way costs ¥860 and is covered by the JR East Rail Pass.
    • The train ride takes approximately one hour and twenty minutes. Get your camera ready because the views from the train are beautiful!
  • See here for information on getting to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station from Tokyo, Sendai etc.

 

2.) TAKE THE BUS FROM AIZU-MIYASHITA STATION TO MISHIMA-JUKU

  • A commuter bus leaves Aizu Miyashita Station Monday to Saturdays at 8:10 a.m., and arrives at Mishima-juku approximately 5 minutes later.
  • The commuter bus doesn’t run on Sundays or Japanese National Holidays.
  • No booking is necessary for this bus.
  • Please pay the driver upon exiting the bus.
  • The one-way fare is ¥500 for adults and ¥300 for children (under 12 years).
  • You can also walk to Mishima-juku from Aizu-Miyashita Station (it’s approximately a 40-minute walk) but this route involves walking along roads without footpaths which can be dangerous so I highly recommend you take the bus or rent a car.

 

3.) WALK TO THE VIEWPOINTS & SNAP AWAY!

The various viewpoints are all a short walk uphill from Mishima-juku. If facing Mishima-juku from the road, turn to the right and walk towards the tunnel. Before you get to the tunnel, take the foot path on the left-hand side (there should be a sign with an arrow on it to guide you up the foot path).

 

4.) TAKE THE RESERVATION-ONLY BUS BACK FROM MISHIMA-JUKU

There are two buses a day that leave Mishima-juku, heading for Aizu Miyashita Station from Monday to Saturday (they don’t run on Sundays or Japanese National Holidays). These buses must be reserved, and there are strict time deadlines for the reservations (see below).

  • To catch the bus that leaves at 10:20, you must reserve your spot by 9:00.
  • To catch the bus that leaves at 13:20, you must reserve your spot by 12:00.

You can make a reservation inside the Mishima-juku. Ask them for the bus reservation sheet  (In Japanese: Demando basu yoyaku moshikomisho onegaishimasu デマンドバス予約申込書をお願いします) and fill it in.

Click here to see an application from previous years to give you an idea of what the form might look like (please note, it might have been updated).

  • Make sure to arrive at the bus stop 5 minutes before the departure time.
  • Hand this form in when you get on the bus.
  • When returning to Aizu-Miyashita by bus, pay the driver upon exiting the bus.
  • The reservation-only bus has the same fare as the commuter bus (¥500 for adults and ¥300 for children under 12 years).
  • This bus takes between 5 to 10 minutes.

Please be aware that neither the commuter bus to Mishima-juku, nor the reservation-only bus that leaves Mishima-juku run on Sundays or National Holidays.

For more information on catching these buses, take a look at this information provided by Oku-Aizu.

 

 

WHEN TO SNAP YOUR PHOTOS

The most famous pictures taken at the Tadami River Bridge No. 1 Viewpoint are those taken when the train carriage passes over the bridge.

The train that you can see from afar is passing between Aizu Nishikata Station and Aizu Hinohara Station. Below I’ve listed the times that you can view the trains passing over the Tadami Bridge (Correct as of November 2022).

Please note that the train only runs Monday to Friday, and doesn’t run on Japanese National Holidays, nor from December 30th to January 3rd.

The Tadami Line operates daily unless snow and other weather conditions or unavoidable influences prevent it.(Edit: November 2, 2023)

AIZU NISHIKATA STATION (会津西方駅) TO AIZU HINOHARA STATION  (会津桧原駅)

(Passing from left to right as seen from the viewpoint)

  • 06:03 - 06:07
  • 07:39 - 07:43
  • 09:18 - 09:22
  • 13:01 - 13:05
  • 16:06 - 16:10

AIZU HINOHARA STATION (会津桧原駅) TO AIZU NISHIKATA STATION  (会津西方駅)

(Passing from right to left)

  • 07:21 - 07:26
  • 08:59 – 09:04
  • 14:21 – 14:25
  • 18:13 – 18:17

Please note: I haven’t listed trains that leave later than 19:00, as you wouldn’t get a good view of the train regardless of the season.

The times listed above may change depending on the season or on weather conditions so please check an up-to-date timetable for the JR Tadami Line in winter through the official page (available only in Japanese) or call the JR infoline number to find out the latest information (English, Chinese and Korean support is available).

As you can tell from the information above, the commuter bus arrives nearby the viewpoint at 8:15, which means you’d make it in time to watch the train passing from 8:59 to 9:04. However, passengers on the commuter bus cannot reach the viewpoint in time to see a number of the earlier trains passing over the tracks.

For those who want to see these earlier trains (especially the extremely early 6:0 3 train which looks absolutely spectacular in the early morning summer mist), I recommend staying overnight in Miyashita Onsen town.

 

STAYING IN MIYASHITA ONSEN (宮下温泉)

For those who would like to stay overnight in Miyashita in order to see the first train cross over the Tadami Bridge, take a look at the accommodation information listed below:

These ryokan and guesthouses have some experience with guests from abroad.

See Mishima’s Tourism Website for more information about local ryokan.

 

ABOUT THE JR TADAMI LINE

The JR Tadami Line crosses approximately 135 km of beautiful Japanese countryside, passing through 36 stations along the way. See here for more information about the stops and timetable.

Due to damage caused by heavy rains in 2011, service was suspended for certain parts of Tadami Line, but on October 1, 2022, the entire line resumed operations after almost 11 years.

The Tadami Line is operated by JR East, so you can use the Tohoku JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) to ride on this line!

If you’d like to know more about the many attractions along the Tadami line, there is an official guidebook in English available on the Tadami Line website.

See below for an English-language tourist map we made of Mishima Town (三島町) (Miyashita Onsen [宮下温泉] and Hayato Onsen [早戸温泉]).

Latest posts

  1. Destination Spotlight

    A Guide to the Aizu Festival – And How to Join Yourself

    If, like me, you’ve been watching Shogun on Disney+ and been blown away by its dramatic depiction of Japan’s Sengoku (warring states) era, you might be interested in learning more about samurai history during your trip to Japan.Fortunately, there are plenty of options for someone looking to get involved with samurai culture.Tsurugajo Castle severely damaged after the Siege of Aizu in 1868.The Shogun’s Last StandOne of the best places for this is the historic city of Aizu-Wakamatsu on the west side of Fukushima Prefecture. Before the advent of prefectures in the Meiji Restoration, this region was ruled by the Aizu Domain, a powerful clan of samurai who remained loyal to the shogun even after ruling authority was returned to the Emperor in the 1860s.This culminated in the Boshin War of 1868, when imperial forces moved north and besieged Tsurugajo Castle at the heart of the Aizu Domain’s sphere of influence. Though the defenders were ultimately defeated by the Emperor’s modernised troops, the fortress remained standing, and this would be remembered as one of the final battlefields of Japan’s shogunate history, before it became what we recognise as ‘modern’ Japan.The Aizu FestivalAlthough Aizu is now incorporated into the wider Fukushima Prefecture, the roots to its powerful ancestor run deep in this part of the country. Local people come together every September to hold the Aizu Festival, honouring the warriors who walked these roads centuries ago with a series of events, processions and performances.Most notable is the parade on the Sunday of the festival. Schools, organisations and local residents of all ages dress in the traditional garb of every strata of Aizu clan society, and walk through the city streets waving to hundreds of attendees. Possibly most striking are the samurai lords, who proceed on horseback.Popular actress Ayase Haruka, who played the ‘Japanese Joan-of-Arc’ Nijima Yae in an NHK drama in 2013, reprises her role every year in the procession and gives a speech before the main parade.The procession starts with a short walk through the grounds of Tsurugajo Castle itself, leading to an opening ceremony held on the lawn under the shadow of the fortress.The samurai lords sit together on the dais, while an announcer heralds each samurai troop that enters the field. This also includes Western historical figures of import and significant noblewomen of the time in traditional dress.Once all the participants have entered and taken their seats, the opening ceremony takes place, with speeches from the city mayor and visiting dignitaries, samurai performances, and gunnery displays.This ceremony is also viewable to the general public, although it’s best to get to the castle early as the spectators’ area typically gets busy.How to Join the ProcessionThe 2024 rendition of the Aizu Festival was beset by heavy rain, but visitors still turned out in huge numbers to watch the procession. This also included an international troop comprised of local residents from a variety of countries: England, Scotland, Canada, the US, Australia, Taiwan and Japan.This experience, organised by a local tour company, is aimed at making Japanese culture more accessible to residents and visitors from overseas. It also included an English-speaking guide, who explained to us not only about the history of the area, but helped with logistical elements – how to dress in the traditional gear, where to go, and how to put our swords away properly...Our troop dressed in the dark navy armour of foot soldiers of the Aizu gunnery units, who were trained both in muskets for ranged combat and katana-style samurai swords for melee. As such, each soldier of the troop was given one of each, as well as a banner of the Aizu Domain (which, for the record, is very easy to bump against door frames and street signs).With the onset of the bad weather, the festival organisers made the difficult decision to protect the traditional armour from water damage with protective rain gear. Although it took away some of the mystique of the samurai atmosphere, it was better than the parade being cancelled altogether, and the rain made for some dramatic photos.Despite the weather, we were cheered on relentlessly by local people throughout the parade route. The main street of Aizu has covered sidewalks, so it was along this route that saw the most spectators, and where the samurai troops performed their main war cries.Overall, we walked for a little over two hours, but including the time to get changed and the opening ceremony, we were in Aizu from about 8:00 in the morning to around 13:00 at lunchtime.The international troop will be recruiting in 2025, too, so if you’re looking to join, feel free to send us an email to i-info@tif.ne.jp and we’ll keep you posted when bookings open.Visiting AizuFor more information about the festival, see our page here.Looking for more samurai experiences in Japan? Try the monthly kengido experience, learning samurai sword techniques in a historic dojo in the mountains.

    A Guide to the Aizu Festival – And How to Join Yourself
  2. Destination Spotlight

    Following Fukushima’s Footpath: A Forest Walk in Nishigo

    The tranquil village of Nishigo (西郷村) is situated just west of Shirakawa City, a naturally abundant region at the south of Fukushima Prefecture. We met with a group of community leaders, tour guides and members of the local government to take a Foothpath Tour around its many sights.What is a Footpath Tour?Inspired by the British culture of taking countryside walks in spots of natural greenery, Fukushima Footpath Tours encourage visitors to local areas to wander around and explore the nearby region.In particular, by walking through smaller and lesser known areas, eating at local restaurants, and interacting with town residents, you can play a role in Fukushima's diaster recovery efforts.A big part of the intrigue is visiting an area that people are less likely to frequent than famous tourist sites and discovering interesting places - perfect for people who like taking photos!Although there are self-guided tours available - take a look at our guides for Katsurao and Tamura - our tour featured about twenty visitors, and was led by a local long-term resident.Getting Back to NatureMy outstanding impression of our tour - and this, suitably enough, reminds me of similar walks back in the UK - was the abundance of woodland and the fantastic scenery.Our group worked its way through narrow corridors of beautiful pine trees, the terrain occasionally sloping up into the canopy, and wherever we went, we stumbled on to something interesting. Most striking was when we came to a clearing on the banks of the Abukuma River.We took a break here to take in the scenery. Later, when we shared our opinions of the tour, this was the highlight for many of us, thanks to the calm atmosphere and relaxing sound of the flowing river.Some people took this time to skip stones or try out the tree swing.Hidden TreasuresOne of the benefits of having a local resident show you around is that wherever you go, you can ask questions about the things you stumble across. Our guide also often pointed out local stores and workshops and told us about the crafts or folk art that they specialised in.The deeper we went into the woods, we also found some old abandoned houses, which had an intriguing, eerie atmosphere, and the local Christian church.A Well-Earned RestBy the time we made it back to base camp, we'd been walking for about two hours, doing a loop of the main woodland area of Nishigo. We were starting to run low on energy, making it the perfect time for lunch - our guide had been cooking since before we arrived, and a huge pot of Japanese curry had been bubbling the entire time we'd been walking.That meant the flavours had infused deeply into the sauce, and combined with the use of local Nishigo vegetables and rice, this was exactly what we needed after a long walk.Our tour was a really valuable experience - for me, the main attraction was having the chance to visit somewhere most tourists wouldn't usually go, learning about the area from someone who knows it well, and enjoying the peaceful woodland atmosphere.More informationInterested in trying a Footpath Tour for yourself? You can learn more here (please be aware that this page is in Japanese). 

    Following Fukushima’s Footpath: A Forest Walk in Nishigo
  3. Destination Spotlight

    Among a Sea of Clouds – Climbing Mt. Issaikyo

    Learn more about Mt. Issaikyo on our dedicated webpage. Despite Japan being such a mountainous country, and having lived here for several years, I was surprised to realise I’d never climbed to the summit of a Japanese mountain before. But that all changed recently when I attempted – and defeated, just about – the rugged trip up Mt. Issaikyo, one of Fukushima’s most popular hikes.Here's all the information about not only my trip, but how you can take on this challenge as well.Base Camp: JododairaOverlooking the Jododaira Plateau, the summit of Mt. Issaikyo (1,949m) is one of several possible trips from the Jododaira Visitor Center to different areas of the surrounding Azuma-Bandai mountain range.Many visitors head for the Kamanuma pond to the west or Okenuma pond to the south, both of which offer spectacular views over the water and are particularly stunning when the leaves change colours in autumn. Both of these trips, as well as the climb up to the nearby Mt. Azuma-Kofuji crater, are shorter and less intensive walks accessible to any experience level.The nearby Visitor Center is also a great spot to enjoy lunch; there is a traditional shokudo (canteen) style restaurant that serves classic Japanese staples like curry and ramen. There’s also a souvenir shop, a great place to pick up snacks or Fukushima goods like the iconic akabeko red cow.The Jododaira area in general is well known as being a volcanic one – a major eruption from Mt. Azuma-Kofuji in 1888 created hundreds of lakes, including the popular Goshiki-numa, and the hot mountain spring water serves nearby onsen hotels to this day. Sometimes you’ll see local construction staff wearing gas masks to protect against volcanic gases when exposed for long working days.The Climb: Leg DayAs a first-time hiker, I was a little apprehensive about the journey to the summit, but the initial stretch of the journey was easy – a leisurely walk along the boardwalk through the marshlands heading into the foothills.From there, the path begins to become rockier, steeper and less steady, and this largely continued for the remainder of the hike. There are plenty of natural rest stops on the way, however, including a mountain hut with toilets and medical supplies in case of an emergency.Also, this route provides fantastic views over Azuma-Kofuji. Although it was easy to feel some jealousy towards the visitors who chose the easier hike (only 10 minutes up the steps from Jododaira, then a 45 minute stroll around the crater), the gorgeous weather made for some beautiful photos.Although the volcanic crater is visible further up Mt. Issaikyo, on occasion it was obscured by the rocky slope or by the shifting cloud cover, so the best photo spot was probably somewhere halfway up the ascent.This was also where we met many hikers coming back down the mountain in the opposite direction, many of whom greeted us warmly and wished us luck on our climb.The SummitBy the time we made it to the top, our tired legs and lungs certainly needed a rest, but we were rewarded with breathtaking views of pristine white clouds stretching as far as the eye could see. In contrast to the view from Azuma-Kofuji, which looks across the green expanse of Fukushima City, being surrounded by clouds made it feel like we’d stepped into another world.From here, we wandered slightly to the western part of the summit, where from over a gravelly slope we spied the view that attracts intrepid hikers from all over Japan.Known as Majo-no-Hitomi or ‘The Witch’s Eye’, this flawless lake of crystal blue is truly a sight to behold, and definitely made the tough climb worthwhile.The Descent... in the Wrong DirectionTempted for a closer look, we headed down the steep slopes that lead off the summit. The grip underfoot here can be rocky and unsteady, so this was where my hiking boots came most in handy. Once we got into the more forested areas again, the path occasionally fell away into a slight drop, too, so some very light mountaineering was required.The journey from the summit down to the Witch’s Eye took about thirty minutes, and again we were awestruck:The beauty of the lakefront was even more striking up close, making it the perfect place to stop and recharge our batteries with a quick lunch by the water. We spent another half an hour down here, taking a much-needed rest and enjoying the perfect summer weather.All that was left was to climb Mt. Issaikyo for the second time on the day, and we would be on our way home...By the time we made it back to Jododaira, the fine weather from earlier has dissipated and a deep fog had settled in.The round trip from Jododaira to the summit of Mt. Issaikyo, down to the Witch’s Eye, and back again, took us roughly five and a half hours (stopping for 30mins for lunch), and saw us walk the equivalent of 7.4km.Looking to climb Mt. Issaikyo for yourself? Some important advice: Wear sunscreen! Despite the shaded areas, large parts of the hike are exposed to the elements. Bring plenty of water, and snacks or lunch to keep your energy up! Hiking boots are highly recommended. The mountain is closed to climbers in winter.Looking for more hikes in Fukushima? Consider Mt. Adatara or Mt. Bandai.

    Among a Sea of Clouds – Climbing Mt. Issaikyo
Show All (129)
Top