A symbolic temple of Aizu, Enzoji was built about 1,200 years ago in 807.
Fukuman Kokuzo Enzoji Temple (Enzoji Temple for short) was built by Tokuichi Daishi, a noted priest from the Aizu region. The main hall of the temple rises high above a huge crag. From here, the Tadami River can be viewed flowing magnificently through the town.
You can also see the various views of each season, with cherry blossoms in spring, mist over the river in summer, red maples in autumn, and snow in winter.
The temple has many highlights, such as a treasure house and monuments in memory of poets, inscribed with their poems and haiku.
The temple is dedicated to Fukuman Kokuzo Bosatsu (the Bodhisattva of wisdom). There are many legends associated with the temple. For example, one legend tells of how when Kobo Daishi threw wood shavings from the statue of Kokuzo Bosatsu into the Tadami River, they immediately turned into countless Japanese dace fish.
Another story is about how a red cow helped with the difficult construction of the temple - a story that led to the widespread acceptance of the "akabeko" red cow as an important symbol of Fukushima.
One more story is that of Nanokado Hadaka Mairi ("Naked Man Festival" at Nanukado Temple). The legends are many and varied.
| Website | https://inbound.aizu-yanaizu.com/en/ |
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| Contact | Yanaizu Tourism Association (+81) 241-42-2114 |
| Best Season | All Year |
| Opening Hours | Apr. to Nov.: 6:30 AM - 5:00 PM | Dec. to Mar.: 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM.<br>The temple sometimes closes earlier than the times listed above. |
| Parking | Available |
| Entrance Fee | Free |
| Related info | Key points of the sightseeing spot: Within the precincts of Enzoji stands a statue of a cow called "Nade-Ushi" ("the cow you pet"). Tying in with the legend of the Akabeko, it is thought that the cow helped townspeople to construct the temple, and that if you pet the cow while making a wish, your wish will come true. |
| Access | 176 Ko, Jikemachi, Yanaizu, Yanaizu Town, Kawanuma County, Fukushima Pref. View directions |
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| Getting there | By Car: 10 min from Aizubange I.C. exit off the Ban-etsu Expressway (via Route 252) By Train: 10 min walk from Aizu-Yanaizu Station on the JR Tadami Line Useful Links5 Reasons To Visit Tadami Line’s Yanaizu Town |
This one-day trip in Oku-Aizu departs from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, and features a visit to the No.1 Tadami River Bridge View Point and Enzoji Temple, so you can enjoy a full day out in Oku-Aizu! Please note, the times below are correct as of the December 2022 Tadami Line timetable. See here for more information about visiting the No. 1 Tadami River Bridge View Point.
The rock slides caused by the steam eruption of Mt. Bandai in 1888 blocked countless rivers, and lead to the creation of over 300 lakes and ponds spread throughout the area. Lake Hibara is the largest of these lakes, and with a length of 10 km running along the ravine of the Hibara River, and a shoreline of 37 km, it is Japan's largest lake to be created by natural dams caused by a volcano eruption.Lake Hibara is now the focal point of tourism in the Urabandai region, and from rambling along sightseeing trails in summer to Japanese pond smelt fishing in the winter, there are countless ways for visitors to refresh and invigorate themselves. Guides are available with a reservation.
Yunokami Onsen is famous for having one of the only thatched roof station buildings in Japan. The hot spring area is fed from 8 source springs. Each ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in the town draws its hot water directly from the source. The clear, transparent water is beloved for being soft and gentle on the skin. Many lodges offer just day-use of their baths, making it a great place to enjoy on a whim. There is also a public foot bath located at Yunokami Onsen Station. During the cherry blossom season, visitors can enjoy a warm foot bath while watching the light pink petals fluttering in the wind.
The Bandaisan Gold Line road connects Bandai Kogen, a highland rich with lakes diverse in shapes and size, and various alpine plants, and the Aizu area, which has an immensely rich and fascinating history. This submontane sightseeing road offers diverse views of Mt. Bandai (known in Japanese as 'Bandai-san') and can lead visitors to either the mountain's rugged caldera or to the picturesque Lake Inawashiro. Visitors can discover new hidden gems every time they explore the Gold Line by car, making it a very popular spot to return to among tourists and locals. The area surrounding the road is known as a foliage-viewing spot with hairpin curves that carve through the woodlands. On the walking trail that leads to Baya-ike, a "phantom" waterfall, visitors can take in the beauty of the landscape as they hike. The most highly recommended walking course extends from Happodai to the Oguninuma wetlands, where in late June, visitors are greeted by ban array of beautiful, broad dwarf day-lilies.
Oze Hinoemata Onsen has hot springs fed to every household, as well as bathing facilities run by the village for day visits. Aruza Oze no Sato, Hiuchi no Yu, Koma no Yu are all names of hot spring establishments in the town. Hinoemata area is also famous for Kabuki, a form of traditional performing art in Japan. Traditional Kabuki performances with a rich history dating from the Edo Period are still performed to this day on Hinoemata's kabuki stage, which is over 250 years old. There are three performances per year (May 12, August 18, and the first Saturday of September). Explore historical and cultural treasures such as the kabuki stage, the unique shrine featuring a stone statue of Hashiba-no-Banba, itakura (wooden storehouses), the six jizo statues, and the Hinoemata Folk Village by foot. Make sure to try Hinoemata area's 'Yamodo Cuisine': a characteristic cuisine centered on 100% buckwheat noodles, which features dishes such as 'Hatto soba' and rice cakes. Visitors can also enjoy walking and fishing at Hinoemata Mini Oze Park, a spacious park which comes to life with bright colours throughout the year as various flowers take turns to bloom. Oze Hinoemata Onsen is at the gateway to Oze National Park, making it as a base for hiking around Ozegahara Marsh, and for climbing mountains such as Mt. Hiuchigatake, Aizu Komagatake, Teishakuzen, and Tashiroyama.
Built in 1055, the Nagatoko is Shingu Kumano Shrine's worship hall and translates to “long floor”. It is designated as a Nationally Important Cultural Asset. Its thatched roof main structure was built between the Heian period and the Kamakura period and is supported by 44 massive pillars, each one 45 cm in diameter. It is a large, open stage with no walls, said to have been used for ascetic training by priests, as well as kagura dance festivals. Housed inside a nearby large wooden frame is the shrine bell, which visitors to the shrine are welcome to hit with a wooden rod. There is also a famous copper pot in which, allegedly, rice was rinsed before being offered to the gods; the pot was designated as an Important Cultural Property in 1959. This treasure is housed at the shrine along with many others and is on display for visitors along with national and prefectural designated cultural assets. Also not to be missed is the lion statue in the center of the treasure hall. It is known as a guardian of wisdom: a local legend says that if you can pass under the belly of the lion, your wisdom will blossom. It is a popular place for students to visit before the exam season and even politicians before election season. Come autumn, the magnificent 800-year-old ginkgo tree at the site is bathed in yellow, contrasting beautifully with the Nagatoko. This ancient tree has also been designated as a Natural Monument of Kitakata City. In November each year, you can even see a special illumination of the ginkgo tree for a limited time.
Located less than 4km from Tsurugajo Castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima, Mt. Iimoriyama has had a difficult and somewhat dark past. But despite it’s history, the natural beauty of the place remains untarnished. There are many local food stalls set up near the base of the hill, so it’s a good idea to have a snack before you begin the ascent up the stone steps. Also at the bottom is the Byakkotai Memorial Hall; it’s located next to the path up the mountain so it’s easy to find. Inside, guests can observe various artifacts of war and learn about some of Aizu's history.Visitors have two choices to get to the top of the hill: hike up the 183 steps to the summit for free; or pay 250 yen to ride the escalator up (150 yen for children). At the summit stand the nineteen graves of the Byakkotai, White Tiger Corps. The story of these young teenage samurai-in-the-making is legendary in Aizu-Wakamatsu City, and all around this prefecture. The Byakkotai boys were part of the defence against the military forces sweeping through the country during the 1868 civil war. They remained loyal to the leader of their domain and Shogun.On an autumn day during the one-month-long siege on their city, the boys had retreated to Mt. Iimoriyama. From the top of this hill, they caught sight of what they assumed to be Tsurugajo Castle set on fire - a sure sign that the war was lost. In response, they did what they had been taught was the honourable course of action, and took their own lives. In fact, the castle had not been set on fire, and the war was not yet lost. One boy was unsuccessful in his attempt, and was saved by a local woman traversing the hills. His life was saved and his story has become the history we know today. Visitors to Mt. Iimoriyama can stand in the same spot as the boys looking out over the city, or pay respects at the various memorials.The gravesite at the top of Mt. Iimoriyama was built in remembrance of those nineteen boys. Their story resonated with the leaders of the Axis Powers of World War II; near the gravesite are two historic landmarks donated by Nazi Germany and Italy. Down the northern side of the mountain are Uga-shindo, a shrine built in the late seventeenth century which deified a white snake as a god of abundance and fertility. There is also a lovely temple shaped like a turban shell, Sazaedo Temple, that visitors can actually go inside.
Experience a simulation of the 1888 Mt. Bandai Eruption in 3D! Mt. Bandai 3D World is a theater developed by Sony, situated right across the road from the Mt. Bandai Eruption Memorial Museum. The circular walls inside the building are covered with a large, panoramic 3D screen - measuring 4.5 m in height, and 42 m around. The powerful acoustics transport visitors to the Urabandai area of 1888, and allow them to feel as if they were there during the great eruption of the same year. The theater's 3D graphics simulate this event, portraying the fleeing of animals that sense the eruption in advance, and the disarray of huge boulders and intense volcanic mud splashes being flung in the air due to the eruption.There is also a simulation of a "walk in the sky" around Mt. Bandai, where visitors can experience a panoramic bird's-eye view of Mt. Bandai's across the four seasons. Take in alpine plants such as skunk cabbages and Nikko-kisoge flowers as you pass over the Oguninuma Wetlands. Shows usually start twice an hour (the first on the hour, and the second at 30 minutes past.)
The deep snows of the Aizu region meant that, in the past, cut off from other areas for months at a time, its residents had to use all their wits just to make it through the winters. These L-shaped farmhouses known as "magariya" conceal a number of the innovations developed by this local people.As you can see in the layout of the house, the long earth floor stretches out towards the road. Long ago, horses were indispensable in farming, but the deep snow of winter meant that keeping them tied up in external stables was cruel. Therefore, stables were built into the house, meaning that the unfloored working area inevitably became larger. Having this area far from the road made getting to the road through the snow more difficult, as up to a meter can fall overnight. Accordingly, with the aim of reducing work, locating this working area as close as feasible to the road ended up with the house being laid out in an L-shape.Many of these houses were built in Maezawa and throughout Tateiwa Village, as a way of living with horses in the deep snows of the Aizu region.The houses have become more and more comfortable over time, with the "magariya" design lasting until the present day. While this magariya-style farmhouse used to be built everywhere that saw heavy snow, they are gradually disappearing. Accordingly, the Maezawa magariya have been designated as historical cultural assets.In 1985, the village began actively preserving these houses, and this area now attracts many visitors. One of the magariya buildings have been repurposed into a museum in the village where visitors can learn about life in Maezawa.