Iizaka Onsen

Iizaka Onsen

Fukushima City's Iizaka Onsen has been used as an onsen town for over 1,000 years, and has been visited by legendary figures in Japanese literature such as Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), the master of haiku poems. Locals in Iizaka Onsen pride themselves on the well-known Japanese phrase “Beppu in the West; Iizaka in the East”, which refers to the best onsen towns in Japan.

The Surikami River that passes through the town is lined on either side by 9 high-rise ryokan (Japanese-style inns). More ryokan can be found scattered about Iizaka Onsen. The town is also dotted with a number of communal baths and public foot baths. Some of Iizaka Onsen’s most well-loved local foods include include Enban Gyoza and soft-boiled eggs known as Onsen Tamago. Iizaka Onsen is also close to sightseeing spots such as Hanamomo no Sato, the Fruit Line, and Nakano Fudoson Temple.

Iizaka Onsen is the site of the Iizaka Fighting Festival in October, the one night a year where a lively fight atmosphere overtakes the usually sleepy hot spring resort.

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttps://iizaka.info/
Contact

Iizaka Onsen Tourism Association

(+81) 24-542-4241

Best SeasonAll Year
Access Details
AccessIizaka-machi, Fukushima City, Fukushima Pref.
View directions
Getting there

By Car: 10 min from the Iizaka Onsen I.C. exit off the Tohoku Expressway

By Train: Iizaka Onsen Station can be accessed via the Fukushima Kotsu Iizaka Line from Fukushima Station in 20 min.

Related trips

  1. Culture

    Onsen and Relaxation Tour

    Take a 2-day tour of relaxation, history, and culture on this trip you can enjoy by train or taxi. You’ll journey around Fukushima Prefecture to see some stunning sights and relax in some of the best springs. Begin your first day at Fukushima Station where you will travel to Iizaka Onsen by a quick bus ride. Iizaka Onsen has been a famous hot spring town of Japan for more than 1,000 years. Soak up the rejuvenating waters and history that has inspired countless artists and poets of the past before moving to Nakano Fudoson Temple. Founded some 800 years ago, this famous temple has three minor deities worshipped on the grounds. Find your own inner peace as you take in the cleansing atmosphere and breathe in the culture and history. From Nakano Fudoson Temple, visit Kyu Horikiri-tei, a former residence of the Horikiri family from the Edo Period. Enjoy soaking your feet in the foot bath and taking this calming scenery. You’ll enjoy your time by both relaxing and exploring the past.

    Onsen and Relaxation Tour
    1. Culture

      Refreshing Fruits and Waters of Fukushima

      It’s time to be refreshed by the fresh fruits and hot waters of Fukushima City. This one-day itinerary can be experienced any time of the year. Catch a taxi from Fukushima Station and head out to Marusei Orchard. Here you’ll be able to pick fresh, juicy fruit already ripe for the eating. Eat all you can, and fill up on Fukushima’s best fruits. After you’ve had your fill of fruit, take a taxi to Iizaka Onsen. This hot spring area is famous in Japan for being one of the best in the area. After dipping your feet in the foot bath at Kyu Horikiri-tei, head over to Hanamomo no Yu (Hotel Juraku's onsen facility), soak in the hot, hot waters, and let your stress just melt away. You’re definitely in for a treat at all of these wonderful places and you’ll leave full and satisfied, not to mention warm and relaxed. It’s truly a rejuvenation for mind and body!

      Refreshing Fruits and Waters of Fukushima
      1. Culture

        Two Days, One Night in Fukushima Prefecture

        Looking to visit the best of Fukushima Prefecture in only a short time? This itinerary aims to cover some of the prefecture's most popular spots in the space of a two day, one night stay, including lunch options and potential activities. The transport hub of Koriyama, served by both shinkansen (bullet train) services from Tokyo and local trains, is an excellent place to start your trip. The journey from Tokyo Station to Koriyama Station takes as little as 1 hour and 15 minutes on the shinkansen. On this trip, you'll visit, among others: The ethereal thatched-roof village of Ouchi-juku Tsurugajo Castle, samurai fortress of the Aizu clan The double-helix architecture at Sazaedo Temple Goshikinuma Ponds, one of northern Japan's most beautiful natural areas The astonishing colours along the Bandai-Azuma Skyline sightseeing road The Fukushima 'Fruit Line' with dozens of orchards This itinerary can also be combined with a beautiful cherry blossom spot like Hanamiyama or the thousand-year-old cherry tree Miharu Takizakura, if your trip falls in mid-April. These spots are most easily traversed by car, so this article recommends renting a car at Koriyama Station. There are four rent-a-car spots near the station with English support and online bookings available:  Toyota Times Car Rental ORIX JR Rent-A-Car However, much of the course can be accessed by public transport. The sights towards the mountainous Inawashiro region (Goshikinuma Ponds, Bandai-Azuma Skyline etc.) can be more difficult without a car.

Nearby

The World Glassware Hall
Nature & Scenery

Bandai-Azuma Skyline Snow Corridor

The Bandai-Azuma Skyline is a 29-kilometer sightseeing road to the west of Fukushima City. The roadway makes for a lovely drive as it weaves its way through the Azuma Mountain Range, tying together Takayu Onsen and the Tsuchiyu Mountain Pass. It has even been nicknamed “the road that runs across the sky” as it offers such spectacular panoramic views of Fukushima City and the beautiful countryside. The road opens for the season in early April, coinciding with cherry blossom viewing season in Fukushima City. At Fukushima City's Hanamiyama, you can see the rare combination of cherry blossoms and snow in the course of a single day.

The World Glassware Hall
Hot Springs

Tsuchiyu Onsen

Tsuchiyu Onsen, located at the heart of Mt. Azuma, is surrounded by beautiful scenic spots, and is home to many ryokan and hotels - such as Hotel Sansuiso - that make the most of the abundant onsen water. As well being to make day-trips to the baths at many of Tsuchiyu Onsen's ryokan, there are also footbaths and public baths dotted throughout this quaint town. A Japan of years gone by is captured in the nostalgic streets of Tsuchiyu Onsen. Check out the various shops selling the town’s famous Kokeshi Dolls (a Japanese traditional craft), browse for omiyage or stop by at a café.

The World Glassware Hall
Gourmet & Shopping

Himonoya Sake Brewery

Fukushima’s sake is renowned across Japan, and Nihonmatsu is known in particular as a region with great sake production and high-grade sake producers. Using water from Mt. Adatara, the sake of the area is characterized by a mellow taste and is popular with sake lovers around the world. Himonoya Sake Brewery was established in 1874 and specializes in Senkonari sake; Senkonari is named after the battle standard "Sennari Hyotan (1000 Gourds)" of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the famous military leader and one of the great unifiers of Japan.The sake at Himonoya is a local secret that many outsiders, even Japanese, don’t know about. To get real sake-brewing experience, be sure to visit on a winter morning, when the sake brewing art begins and most of the day’s tasks are performed. Because Himonoya Sake Brewery operates in a traditional and artisanal manner, it only makes sake during the winter season (a centuries-old rule). The tours and sake tasting offered at this old-fashioned brewery are available by reservation and are a treat to anyone with a taste for Japanese sake, or Nihonshu. These sake brewery tours are free for groups of one to ten people and take only 30 minutes to experience the brewing process. Guests should be legal Japanese drinking age (20 years of age or older) in order to enjoy the free tasting. There are four types of sake to be sampled along the tour - Kinpyo is the most highly recommended, with its sweet aftertaste making it an excellent match for Japanese snacks.
Discover Central Area

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Sabakoyu
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Sabakoyu

One of the defining sights of the charming Iizaka Onsen resort, the wooden frontage of Sabakoyu was famous for long being Japan's oldest wooden public bathhouse, before being renovated in 1993. The bath facilities are open to the public, giving visitors the chance to enjoy the authentic hot spring water straight from the source. The water here can reach temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius, giving it something of a reputation amongst the locals as too hot for first-timers to handle.The bathhouse is closed on Mondays, excepting public holidays. Guests should buy a ticket from the machine inside the entrance, and soap / shampoo are not provided, so bathers should bring their own.
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Takayu Onsen

This famous hot spring area is located at an altitude of approximately 750 meters, which is why it’s called 'taka-yu' ('taka' means 'high-up' and 'yu' means 'hot spring'). Located on the slopes of the Azuma mountain range, Takayu Onsen area was once known as “Shinobu Takayu” and, together with Zao Takayu and Shirabu Takayu, prospered as one of three Takayu in what was once known as the northern Ou region. The waters of Takayu Onsen are a bluish milky color and are thought to have healing properties. Most of the resort facilities of the area neither add water nor adjust the temperature in order to maintain the natural allure of the hot spring waters. After bathing in the waters of this spring, your skin becomes almost slippery from the high acidic and hydrogen sulfide makeup. In the Takayu Onsen area, there are 10 natural hot spring sources, with names such as 'Takinoyu', 'Netsuyu', and 'Senkinoyu'. These sources are named after old public baths. In the olden days, bathtubs were built right next to or directly above the hot spring source. Today, the bathing facilities still receive their water flowing directly from the same source. Nowadays, Takayu Onsen consists of about a dozen ryokan (traditional Japanese inns), all offering their unique charm to travelers. You’ll be pleased to note that many of the ryokan open their hot spring baths to non-staying guests for a small fee. The most famous hot spring facility in Takayu Onsen is Tamagoyu, a wooden bathhouse with a traditional feel. There’s even a foot bath in the center of the town open to the public. If public bathing isn’t something you feel comfortable with, many of the onsen facilities in the area also offer private onsen rooms with a rotenburo (open-air bath) available for your own use. It is a relaxing experience unlike any other to soak in the hot waters and feel your worries melt away.

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Futamata Onsen

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Tsuchiyu Onsen

Tsuchiyu Onsen, located at the heart of Mt. Azuma, is surrounded by beautiful scenic spots, and is home to many ryokan and hotels - such as Hotel Sansuiso - that make the most of the abundant onsen water. As well being to make day-trips to the baths at many of Tsuchiyu Onsen's ryokan, there are also footbaths and public baths dotted throughout this quaint town. A Japan of years gone by is captured in the nostalgic streets of Tsuchiyu Onsen. Check out the various shops selling the town’s famous Kokeshi Dolls (a Japanese traditional craft), browse for omiyage or stop by at a café.

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