Destination Spotlight

Tadami Line: 5 Sights You Shouldn't Miss

Tadami Line: 5 Sights You Shouldn't Miss

The Tadami Line is an incredibly scenic railway that runs across Aizu.

Connecting the bustling samurai city of Aizu-Wakamatsu with the serene, gorgeous countryside of Oku-Aizu, this route is definitely one to try out if you want a chance to see rural Japan at its best.

The Tadami Line is great because it provides a way for visitors to see areas of this beautiful prefecture basically undiscovered by tourists. Riding the train is a fun experience in itself, as is the fact you can hop off and on at any stations you’re interested in visiting.

While being a passenger on the train means you’ll be provided with fantastic, panoramic views of the historic towns which lie on the Tadami Line, getting off at Aizu Miyashita Station, and catching the bus to Mishima Town’s observation points means you can see the train in action, passing over the stunning No. 1 Tadami River Bridge.

No matter what the season, the views along the Tadami Line are absolutely breathtaking.

 

TOP SIGHTSEEING SPOTS ON THE TADAMI LINE

1. AIZU WAKAMATSU: TSURUGAJO CASTLE

Fukushima’s most well-known castle. Destroyed at the climax of the Boshin War, this reconstruction of the castle serves as a reminder to the people of Fukushima of their history, and the code of honor that has been at the heart of Aizu samurai society.

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2. YANAIZU: HISTORIC ENZOJI TEMPLE

Enzoji is a stunning temple with a legendary history, which has sat majestically on top of a cliff edge for over 1300 years. The temple is where the story of the akabeko – the symbol of Fukushima Prefecture began. A red cow is said to have appeared out of nowhere to assist with the building of the temple when all hope seemed to be lost.

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3. MISHIMA: NO. 1 TADAMI RIVER BRIDGE VIEW SPOT

The famous viewpoint of Tadami Bridge that crosses over Tadami River. This viewpoint is accessible from a stairway that begins outside Michi-no-Eki Mishima-juku (Roadside Station).

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4. KANEYAMA: OSHI VILLAGE LOOKOUT (KANEYAMA FUREAI HIROBA VIEWPOINT)

Known for being one of the only places in Japan where carbonated water occurs naturally, Kaneyama Town is home to not only amazing onsen, but also fantastic view spots, like Kaneyama Fureai Hiroba Viewpoint, looking out over Oshi Village.

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5. TADAMI: BEAUTIFUL SCENERY

Oku-Aizu is definitely the most rural area I’ve been to in Japan. The sight of farmers going about their daily tasks makes you realize that although we get pretty tied up in our fast-paced lives, there is something really special about being surrounded by nature.

See more here　(Change the language to ‘English’ from the pull-down list on the top right)

ACCESS

The first stop on the Tadami Line is Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, easily accessible from Tokyo or other areas in Fukushima Prefecture. See here for details about reaching Aizu-Wakamatsu.

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 for the first time in almost 11 years.

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  1. Destination Spotlight

    Modern Samurai Horsemanship in Minamisoma City

    Minamisoma city, located in Fukushima prefecture’s coastal area, is a fascinating place to discover the role that horses played in Japanese history, and to witness how a community deeply rooted in samurai heritage adapts centuries-old equine traditions to modern times. Copyright © Minamisoma City Horses have remained a usual sight in Minamisoma (南相馬), a small city in the Northeastern part of Fukushima prefecture, in spite of disappearing from most other areas in Japan following the country’s modernization. Walking through Minamisoma today, you might notice horses grazing in the fields, or hear a distant clopping of horse hoofs against the pavement. People in Minamisoma have lived alongside horses for centuries—this is a great city for visitors wanting to see a slice of modern-old Japan that remains largely unseen by mainstream tourism. A Glimpse into Minamisoma City’s History The area that we now call Minamisoma was once an important enclave for the Soma samurai clan, which ruled over the land from the Kamakura period of Japanese history (1185–⁠1333) until the 19th century. The Soma samurai did military drills with wild horses, a practice that continued for over a thousand years and evolved (adapted from its original form) into a festival that is still celebrated today and draws thousands of visitors each year, the Soma Nomaoi Festival. Following the end of samurai rule, Minamisoma specialized in the manufacture of silk and housed a military aviation school, which was destroyed during WWII. Even though industrialization brought about big changes, the bond between people and horses never fully went away from the hearts, minds and daily lives of people of the area we now call Minamisoma. The Impact of March 11 in Minamisoma Credit: Earthquake Memorial Museum (Tohoku Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) 出典：東北地方整備局 The 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster deeply affected Minamisoma city. Many lives were lost and precious infrastructure was damaged. Radiation levels increased in Minamisoma immediately after the accident, but they have decreased since, and are now comparable to those in other cities in Japan. The city has seen thorough decontamination and reconstruction efforts during the past few years, and has now become a popular spot to relax and enjoy equine culture. Copyright © Minamisoma City Over 50,000 people live in Minamisoma City today, making it one of the main hubs in Fukushima’s coastal area. Odaka Ward in Minamisoma City 5 Ways To Experience Minamisoma’s Equestrian Tradition Once used for transportation, warfare, and food, horses were a common sight in feudal Japan but, with time, modern technologies largely displaced them. Minamisoma City is one of the rare places in Japan where people still hold horsemanship as an important value in daily life. Here are 5 ways to experience the equine values of Minamisoma in and around the city: Horseback riding along the coast As part of the horseback riding experience, visitors get to ride along the coast of Minamisoma City with an experienced guide (English-language support is available). This experience is available (and recommended!) even for beginner riders. You can find more information about how to book it here. Soma Nomaoi Festival If you think that horseback riding samurai were a thing of the past, you are yet to attend the Soma Nomaoi Festival. The festival, which has roots in the city’s samurai history, is held on July 29, 30 and 31 every year, and features parades, a capture the flag event, and more. Read a detailed account of the event here. Fireworks at the Soma Nomaoi Festival in Minamisoma City. Copyright © Minamisoma City Minamisoma City Museum Minamisoma is a fascinating city with deep-rooted traditions. The Minamisoma City Museum, which has explanations in English, is the perfect destination for lovers of history who would like to learn more about the area. Soma Nakamura Shrine The Soma Nakamura Shrine, located not in Minamisoma City but in neighboring Soma City, was designated as a national important cultural property in 1984, is a wooden shrine nested in a tall forest which has several statues and prayer boards inspired by horses. It is a peaceful place, perfect to relax and soak the fragrant pine atmosphere. Souvenir shopping at Sedette Kashima Sedette Kashima is a service area where you can enjoy a delicious meal and indulge in some souvenir shopping. What makes Sedette Kashima unique is its widespread horse imagery, and the many unique horse-themed souvenirs and local products for sale. Sedette Kashima seen from above. Copyright © Minamisoma City Getting to Minamisoma Minamisoma City is located in the Northeastern part of Fukushima prefecture. The city is easily reachable by car or by train. By Car:  From Fukushima (JR/Shinkansen) Sta. in Fukushima City: Approx. 1 hour 10 minutes. View Directions From Sendai (JR/Shinkansen) Sta. in Miyagi Prefecture: Approx 1 hour 10 minutes. View Directions From Tokyo: Approx. 3 hours 30 min. View Directions By Train: From Tokyo Station: Approx. 3 hours 30 min. by JR Hitachi 26 Limited Express Shinagawa to Haranomachi Sta. in Minamisoma City; or 3 hours 30 min. by shinkansen and JR train (shinkansen from Tokyo Sta. to Sendai Sta. and JR Joban line from Sendai Sta. to Haranomachi Sta.). You can find more information about access to Minamisoma here. If you’d like to know more about Minamisoma, please refer to the city’s English homepage. If you are visiting by train, we recommend renting a car at Haranomachi Sta. to get around the city, as many of the locations listed above are not easily accessed by public transportation.

    Modern Samurai Horsemanship in Minamisoma City
  2. Destination Spotlight

    Following Fukushima’s Footpath: Miyakoji Area in Tamura City

    Miyakoji (都路) is a peaceful village located in the Eastern part of Tamura City (田村市), in the central area of Fukushima prefecture.   It is said that walking in nature helps you feel more relaxed, and walking around Miyakoji in early January definitely had that effect. The charms of Tamura City Ozawa Sakura in Tamura City「Photo credit: Tamura City, 田村市」 Once the snow melts, what is known as the ‘green season’ begins. That is when the cherry blossom trees and flower fields in Tamura City see most of their yearly visitors.  Lavander in Takine area, Tamura City「Photo credit: Tamura City, 田村市」 Tamura City is also home to the Abukuma Cave, said to have the greatest variety and the largest number of stalactites in the whole of Asia. The Miyakoji area in Tamura is lush with vegetation. In the past, the silkworm industry flourished in Miyakoji. As a remnant of this, mulberry trees remain.   Mt. Gojyunin-yama, Miyakoji area「Photo credit: Tamura City, 田村市」 In Miyakoji, particularly, there’s a famous tall weeping tree called “akimoto no shidare-zakura”. Cherry blossom trees can also be found along the main street, and, in spring, visitors can enjoy both the green mulberry trees and pink cherry blossom trees.   Miyakoji’s Evacuation Located about 40 km away from the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Miyakoji became the only area in the city of Tamura that had to be evacuated following the nuclear disaster in 2011.   The evacuation order was lifted on April 1, 2014. Among the towns in Fukushima that had to be evacuated, Miyakoji is one of the few where most of the original residents have returned.  Over ten years after the 2011 disaster, today Miyakoji has over two thousand residents, a convenience store, a hotel, and a few restaurants.  A Picturesque Red-Roofed Town The first thing that caught my eye about Miyakoji are its red-tiled Japanese-style houses.    Is it a coincidence, I wondered, that there are so many buildings with glossy dark red-tiled roofs in Fukushima, something I had rarely seen in other areas of Japan? (By the way, Tsurugajo Castle in the Aizu area is the only red-tiled roofed castle in Japan.) Although I haven’t found a conclusive answer to the mystery of the red-tiled roofs in Fukushima, the widespread theory I found online is that the red color is due to a glaze applied on the tiles to prevent them from freezing and cracking when snow piles up during winter, which makes sense.   Little Beautiful Sights in Miyakoji   A Buddhist temple, statues and a large bell. The original bell was apparently lost during World War II.   Jizo, affectionately called ‘ojizo-san’ in Japanese, are stone Buddha statues dressed in red bibs and caps. These statues are believed to be guardians of children and travelers, and can often be found even in remote rural locations. An unattended vegetable stand is one of the sights truly unique to rural Japan. You can buy local vegetables and pay the fee by leaving the money in the designated area. Miyakoji is rural and tranquil. The air is pure and the river flows bright blue. The Mysteriously Beautiful Okame Shrine Japan has countless shrines; some of them see crowds of visitors from all over the country and overseas, while others are visited mainly by locals.  Okame shrine (大亀神社), despite its incredibly photogenic and mysterious appeal, falls in the latter category; it is a place of worship that remains quiet and undisturbed. The shrine is located on a hill in the heart of a forest of Japanese cypress trees called Thujopsis. Both the shrine and the trees are believed to be over 400 years old.  To reach the shrine, you have to climb up the stairs and venture into the fragrant forest. You’ll notice birds chirping and beams of light coming through the tall tree trunks.  The roof of Okame shrine is red but it looks beautiful covered in snow. This shrine is said to worship Princess Tamayori, the daughter of a sea goddess.  Why is a sea goddess enshrined in the middle of a forest, considerably far from the ocean, you may ask? That is one of the many mysteries of this shrine.     Fostering Community Bonds: Yoriai-dokoro Hana Community Center & Cafe Yoriai-dokoro Hana (よりあい処 華) was opened in June 2014 after the evacuation order for Miyakoji was lifted.  At the time, there were no other restaurants in Miyakoji, so this cafe and community center quickly became a place for returning residents to gather and a pillar of support for the community.   Yoriai-dokoro Hana is located at a traditional Japanese house, and it serves warm meals using local ingredients. This seems like a great place to bond with the locals.    When I visited, there was an exhibition of handicrafts made by townspeople.  Yoriai-dokoro Hana is open from 11:00 to 14:00 only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 「Photo credit: Tamura City, 田村市」 Curious about visiting Miyakoji? Would you like to see more beautiful sights in this area? Traveling to Miyakoji by car It takes approximately an hour to reach Miyakoji from Koriyama station (see route).   Traveling to Miyakoji by public transportation From Koriyama Station, take the JR Ban-etsu East Line train bound for Iwaki, and get off at Funehiki Station (approx. 25 minutes). From the bus stop in front of Funehiki Station (船引駅前) take a “Furumichi” (古道) bus and get off at Miyakoji Administrative Bureau (都路行政局) (approx. 52 minutes). There are only a few buses a day, so be sure to check the bus schedule before your visit.    

    Following Fukushima’s Footpath: Miyakoji Area in Tamura City
  3. Destination Spotlight

    Enjoying Mt. Adatara in Autumn

    Mt. Adatara is one of Fukushima Prefecture’s most spectacular places to go and see the bright colours of the autumn leaves, in a custom that is called 'momiji-gari' in Japanese. I went to Mt. Adatara in Nihonmatsu to try and do some momiji-gari of my own! I was a little worried about hiking Mt. Adatara before I went because I have a bad sense of direction, so I wanted to write this blog to give some tips to those interested in visiting! WHERE TO START? The most simple hiking route – and definitely the most popular one in the autumn season – starts with the Mt. Adatara Rope-way. This rope-way is located at the Adatara Kogen Ski Resort, in Oku Dake (see map below).   TRAVEL TIP During the autumn, there are a number of daily shuttle buses between Dake Onsen town and the rope-way. There is also often a shuttle bus service leaving from Nihonmatsu Station, which takes 50 mins. TAKING THE ROPE-WAY TO YAKUSHI PEAK The 10-minute journey on the Mt. Adatara Rope-way is incredibly scenic, regardless of the time of year. Price: 1,050 yen one-way. 1,750 yen return.* Opening hours: The rope-way tends to be open from late April to early November. Please make sure to make a note of the last return rope-way trip when you visit, to make sure you don't get stranded at the viewpoint! *Correct as of June 2020 When you get off the rope-way, it is a short walk to Yakushi Dake Peak, which is a very popular photo spot. Many people come here just to take photos, then go back down the rope-way and go have their lunch or dip in an onsen! I’ve done this before actually, but this time we wanted to do the full basic hike. We happened to plan our trip to Mt Adatara on a very, very cloudy day – which was unfortunate! But you can tell just how bright the colours of the leaves on the mountain were from the photo below.   MISTY HIKE TO THE TOP OF MT. ADATARA It turns out I didn’t need to worry about getting lost – the route to the top was well signposted – albeit just in Japanese. TRAVEL TIP Make sure you know the kanji words for the places you want to go before you set off on your hike! 安達太良山頂 – Peak of Mt. Adatara (adatara sancho), 奥岳 – Oku Dake (where the hike begins) I was pretty disappointed that, despite being able to see the leaves from the bottom of the rope-way, after departing from the Yakushi Dake view spot, the mist got more and more intense. Check out the amazing views I got from the peak of the mountain! AUTUMN COLOURS SHINING THROUGH Luckily, the weather began to take a turn for the better on the way to our next destination – Kurogane-goya Mountain Lodge. Going from being able to see nothing but white, to being surrounded by colour was a very odd experience! It was a little frustrating, as I realized I could have been seeing amazing sights for the last hour. However, I was so happy to get to enjoy the fantastic views that I soon forgot about my woes. Soon we were able to see our lunch stop, the mountain lodge, off in the distance. It’s the lone building in the photo below. LUNCH AT KUROGANE-GOYA Kurogane-goya Mountain Lodge acts as a rest stop for hikers passing through, as well as being a place to stay the night for those going on longer hikes. The inside decor of the Kurogane-goya Mountain Lodge is nearly completely made of wood. The vintage style lamps and wood stove burner give it a very homey and welcoming feel. I would love to stay here in winter, all warm and comfortable by the fire, despite the heavy snow outside. One thing that is quite well-known about Kurogane-goya is the delicious curry they serve to customers who stay overnight! Even though we didn’t stay overnight on this occasion, we got to sample the curry since we were visiting for a photo shoot. It did not disappoint! There is also a public hot spring facility built into the lodge, complete with amazing, cloudy water straight from a nearby source. I cannot describe how great it feels to get in a hot onsen after hiking for an hour or so. I only had time for a 10-minute dip, but even that was enough to make my body feel physically refreshed. You can use the onsen even if you aren’t spending the night at the lodge. Just remember to bring a towel and prepare to share your bath with other weary hikers! We were blessed with better weather for our hike on the way back from Kurogane-goya Mountain Lodge. The path back to Oku Dake from Kurogane-goya is lined by tall trees for most of the hike, unlike the route to the top of Mt. Adatara which (is supposed to have) panoramic views! On the way down, I spotted a pipe from where you can drink fresh water from the mountain. They even provide you with what looks like a tiny saucepan! As we got closer to the end of our hike, one of my colleagues showed me a few photos he had taken the week before when he went hiking here… I was gutted that the weather hadn’t been better on the day of my visit!     OKUDAKE ONSEN Back at Okudake, from where the hike started, we decided to check out the onsen before heading back to the office. This onsen is called Okudake no Yu. The water is not as cloudy as at Kurogane-goya, and the temperature is a bit cooler, but the water still felt amazing. The outside baths also look like infinity pools! More information here! (Japanese) I definitely recommend visitors to stop by at one of these onsen and have a rest before returning home after their hikes – it is an amazing feeling! HIKING ROUTE Here is a little illustration of the route that we hiked. I hope that it is helpful.

    Enjoying Mt. Adatara in Autumn
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