Hinoemata Kabuki (a form of traditional Japanese theatre) has been used as a ceremonial practice in Hinoemata Village since the Edo Period. Hinoemata Kabuki, performed at an outdoor theatre, is an extremely important tradition for the village, and is passed down from generation to generation.
| Website | http://www.oze-info.jp/history/(Automated translation available) |
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| Contact | Oze-Hinoemata Tourism Association (+81) 241-75-2432 |
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| Related info | Annual Performance Schedule: May 12: Atago-shin Ceremonial Kabuki August 18: Chinju-jin Ceremonial Kabuki First Saturday of September: Kabuki Evening |
| Access | 670 Idaira, Hinoemata Village, Minamiaizu District, Fukushima Pref. 967-0521 View directions |
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| Getting there | By Car: 2 hour drive from the Shirakawa I.C. exit off the Tohoku Expressway By Train: 75 min drive by rental car from Aizu Tajima Station |
Be swept off your feet by the amazing scenery at the Oguninuma Wetlands. These wetlands are located in Urabandai area, and are just one part of the stunning Oze National Park. Lots of people hike here every year at the start of summer to enjoy views of the seasonal yellow flowers, called Nikko Kisuge.
Mori no Bunko Fuzawa is a mountain village life workshop facility where guests can experience the lifestyle, nature, and charms of living in a Japanese rural mountain village. [photo id="wedA3wsHghGka5MbrORGYjRkj8BGAinlLCOG5O0L.jpg"] This building was a working school up to 40 years ago, the black board in one classroom where all of the students wrote their goodbye messages on the last day of school has been preserved as is. (If you visit, please be sure to avoid touching, erasing, or writing on the black board.) [photo id="fNNbYszCkKk3qvw1ozp5lY5yn8UDJPkrsrHf05Jf.jpg"] All three classrooms are available to stay the night in! Guests are charged per person, not per room, so if your group are the only ones staying the night then you are free to spread out into all three of the rooms. This is the kind of lodging that Japanese students would stay in on overnight school trips, so there is a sense of nostalgia when staying here. There are also many different activities that you can experience when staying here, such as local and traditional craft making and even river trekking with local guides! Read more about river trekking experiences here. [photo id="YrRrT5cHuDe3wK75RWrxgat8d8JPQP9P7bQgJwuY.jpg"]
Mitsutaya is a speciality restaurant with roots dating back to the end of the Edo Period (around 1835). The restaurant is situated in a renovated miso storehouse. It is therefore fitting that the restaurant is famous for a local Aizu meal called 'miso dengaku'. Miso dengaku refers to skewered vegetables and meat which are topped with a miso paste before being cooked over an open flame. The skewers are cooked one by one. Skewer ingredients include konjac, deep-fried tofu, sticky, savory rice balls called 'shingoro mochi', and more. Each small dish is coated in miso for an unforgettable and savory flavor.
Suzutake workshop tours began in the 1950s as a way of providing families with a chance to learn about the history and artistry of lacquerware. Even today, visitors are able to actually see artisans at work at three key stages of the Aizu lacquerware making process: 1) applying a base layer of unrefined lacquer or astringent liquid to wood; 2) adding additional layers of lacquer in a desired style, and 3) adding hand-drawn delicate designs ('makie') using either colored lacquer or gold and silver power (a technique called 'Sunken gold makie'). Visitors can also take part in a makie-painting experience.
Held in the town of Aizu-Bange to the northwest of Aizu-Wakamatsu City, Otawara Hiki is a fierce display of community spirit and competitive energy that traces its roots back to the Edo period. It's the main attraction of the so-called 'Strange Festival', which takes place on 14 January every year.There is a children's event, featuring local students, before the main bout is fought over a large bale between teams representing the west (the white team) and the east (the red team). Despite the cold, the male participants take part largely in loincloths, while female participants wear a traditional festival light coat. It's said that if the east team wins, business will prosper in the coming year, while if the west team wins, it means there will be a bountiful harvest.The festival was first founded over 400 years ago in the Warring States Period, but was abolished by the Imperial government after the Aizu Domain's loss under the shogun in the Boshin War (civil war) of 1868. The tradition was restarted roughly a century later in 1956, and has continued to this day.Before the tug-of-war, there are taiko drum performances, and afterwards visitors can enjoy a dramatic display of the pounding of mochi by local experts, cheered on by the crowd, and receive a miniature bale said to bring good luck.Members of the public can also join the tug-of-war if they apply in advance. Please contact us for more details.A similar Strange Festival takes place in nearby Aizu-Misato on 11 January, also featuring a tug-of-war over a large bale, albeit wearing more layers than their counterparts in Aizu-Bange.
Urabandai Night Fantasy Snow Festival is held in the mid-February every year at the very scenic Renge Pond. Come to Urabandai next February to enjoy firework displays and picturesque sights of this beautiful area lit up with candles.
Every year on January 7, the Naked Man Festival (Nanokado Hadaka Mairi) is held at Enzoji Temple, Yanaizu Town. During this traditional event - which draws many tourists every year - local men clad in loincloths make the challenging climb of 113 steps to Enzoji Temple, where they climb to the top of the temple via a long rope. Members of the public can participate, although registration in advance is required.The festival traces its roots back to an ancient legend, telling of a princess who received a wish-granting jewel from a river dragon to tide against crop failures and illness, and a community who banded together on the night of the 7th to prevent the dragon spirit from taking it back. To this day the festival is a rowdy display of hope and community.
The Higashiyama Onsen Bon Odori, a traditional summer dance festival, restarted in 2024 after a five-year absence and is typically held Friday to Monday on the first weekend of August.The festival involves long snaking lines of people dancing to the traditional song 'Aizu Bandaisan', which anyone can join since the dance only involves a few steps. The song is played from a 14-metre-high wooden watchtower built once a year in the Yukawa River below, adorned with over 1,000 lanterns.The history of the festival traces back to 1944, when it was designed to cheer up children evacuating to a ryokan in Higashiyama Onsen during the war.The onsen town is also worth a visit the rest of the year and makes an excellent base for exploring the samurai city of Aizu-Wakamatsu.