Green Tea Experience at Suirakuen Garden
Try matcha green tea in a traditional tea house in Suirakuen Garden, located inside Nanko Park. Suirakuen Garden is also a popular place to visit for its fall foliage.

Cosquín en Japón is an Argentinian and Latin American folk music festival held yearly in Kawamata town in central Fukushima Prefecture.
People who love Latin American folk culture, including musicians, singers, and enthusiasts, come together to enjoy the music and dance performances at the festival. The event is open to both amateur and professional performers, and, over the years, the number of participating groups has increased from 13 in its first year to more than 100 in 2023.
The festival, held since 1975, takes place at the Kawamata Town Central Community Center (川俣町中央公民館に会場) over two or three days. It is organized by Norte Japón (North Japan Latin American Music Federation).
The festival name means ‘Cosquín in Japan’ in Spanish, and pays tribute to Argentina's most important National Folklore Festival, held each year in the town of Cosquín in the province of Córdoba.
A variety of rhythms and artistic styles from Latin America are represented at the festival. Its main focus is Argentinian and Andean folk music, which is played with instruments such as the quena, charango, acoustic guitar, and bombo.
You can attend the festival for free without needing to register beforehand.
| Website | https://www.cosquin.jp/(Japanese) |
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| Contact | Executive Director Hiroyuki Saito |
| Access | Kawamata Town Central Community Center (川俣町中央公民館に会場) in Kawamata Town View directions |
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| Getting there | By Car: 35 min from Fukushima Sta. via National Route 114. By Bus: Take a bus bound for Kawamata at Fukushima Station and get off at the bus stop in front of the Kawamata town hall [川俣町役場前]. The bus ride takes 45 approx. minutes. Buses run every hour.
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Try matcha green tea in a traditional tea house in Suirakuen Garden, located inside Nanko Park. Suirakuen Garden is also a popular place to visit for its fall foliage.
The Bandai-Azuma Skyline is one of the top cycling routes of Japan! The route brings cyclists through dense green forests to volcanic terrain and sweeping views of Fukushima city and the volcanic peak of Mt. Kofuji, or “Little Fuji”. In autumn this course is warmed by vibrant autumn leaves, that make for a magical ride! Fukushima has routes for cyclists of all levels! Click here for more information about Cycling Courses and Events in Fukushima! (Click here to read our blog about cycling the scenic Bandai-Azuma Skyline!)
This souvenir shop sells a large variety of Tsuchiyu Onsen local products, the most well-known - of course - is the Tsuchiyu Kokeshi dolls. Tsuchiyu Kokeshi wooden dolls are known for their peculiar expressions. Matsuya Souvenir Shop even includes a kokeshi workshop, where an artisan creates kokeshi right before your eyes. For a particularly unique experience, you can paint your own Kokeshi Doll!
Kami-Kawasaki Washi paper has a history of over 1,000 years. It was given the name "Kami-Kawasaki Washi" because of its origin in Nihonmatsu City's Kami-Kawasaki district. Since the name of districts changes with the years, during Japan's Heian Period, it was known as "Michinoku-gami "("paper made in Michinoku").Kami-Kawasaki Washi paper has been used regularly as shoji paper (paper for sliding doors). Many people are charmed by the warmth and simple beauty of Kami-Kawasaki Washi. Paper mulberry, a type of tree used for making the paper, is grown locally. The traditional production method, from producing the raw ingredients to making the paper, is continued in Nihonmatsu City even today.Sticking to traditional production methods ensures that the finished paper has a luxuriant warmth and refinement, and is strong and durable. At present, a variety of products, such as dyed paper, folkcraft paper, and paper crafts, are produced, all of which maintain the paper's original texture. Although the demand for shoji paper is declining, there is still demand for products such as wallpaper and lamp shades. In this way, Kami-Kawasaki Washi remains important to us everyday. At the Washi Traditional Crafts Gallery - located at Michi-no-Eki Adachi (Roadside Station) - visitors can make washi postcards, paper fans, and other items.
Fukushima City’s local summer festival ‘Fukushima Waraji Matsuri’ started in 1970. It is said that, despite its short history, this festival has its roots in an Edo Period traditional event known as the ‘Akatsuki-mairi’ (or Mt. Shinobu Dawn Procession).During the festival evenings, locals parade a huge straw sandal (known as a waraji) along Route 13. This procession is followed by many different groups, who perform dances around town. The first evening is filled with music from the Showa Era, while the songs of the second night are modern and very upbeat.This waraji weighs around 2 tons, is 12 metres in length, and is thought to be one of the biggest in Japan. Every February, local people follow the tradition of dedicating the waraji to Haguro Shrine on Mt. Shinobu, which is thought to help keep legs healthy and strong.The festival is held on the first weekend of August, with the 2025 festival likely to be held from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 August, 2025.
The 2025 festival took place from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th October, 2025. The main event, featuring the clashing of the stalls, took place on the Saturday 4th, starting around 20:30, at Hachiman Shrine in Iizaka Onsen.One of the three major fighting festivals in Japan, the Iizaka Fighting Festival has a tradition three hundred years in the making. It's said that Iizaka's annual harvest festival was beset by young men bashing floats against one another to prolong the festivities, and over time this became a core part of the event. This festival is so vibrant that throughout the town you can hear the beat of Japanese drums like an earthquake as huge floats crash together in battle. Hachiman Shrine becomes the main stage for the festival, after the floats are paraded around the streets.The main day of the festival, in which the floats clash in front of the shrine, takes place on the Saturday, and is the only day to see the main showpiece of the festival. Although the action starts at 8.30pm, many people choose to go to the shrine much earlier, since the shrine grounds get very busy once the floats enter.
At Usokae Festival, held in Iizaka Onsen Town, visitors buy lucky, hand-carved, wooden birds called ‘Usokae’. ‘Usokae’ translates as ‘changing lies’. Visitors who buy an Usokae bird must think of a ‘lie’ – i.e. something they don’t want to happen – which will in turn be changed to good luck to make sure that thing doesn’t occur by the birds by the end of the year. For example, you could think “I won’t pass my school exam” when you buy the bird, and by the end of the year, the bird will help you pass it! This is a unique local festival, and the hand-carved Usokae birds make very charming gifts too!
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