Jododaira Visitor Center

Jododaira Visitor Center

Jododaira Visitor Center, located at an altitude of 1500 m, stands partway along the Bandai-Azuma Skyline sightseeing road. Jododaira acts as a base to spend the day hiking nearby mountain routes, including Mt. Higashi-Azuma (1,975 m) and Mt. Issaikyo (1,949 m). For those who don’t fancy a long hike, the 1-hour round trip walk up and around the crater at Mt. Azuma Kofuji (1,705 m) is perfect, as it is a very short walk from Jododaira Visitor Center. The Azuma mountains are all totally unique, and are great places to enjoy local flora and fauna. If hiking in this area, please be mindful that the altitude reaches close to 2000 m, so make sure to take equipment necessary in the event of a sudden weather change. The Jododaira area is also prone to high volcanic gas levels, so it is a good idea to check whether the area is open to visitors before making the drive up the mountain roads.

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttps://www.f-kankou.jp/en/discover/nature/358/
Contact

Jododaira Visitor Center

(+81) 24-563-5554

Best Season
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
Opening Hours

Closed during the winter (closing coincides with that of the Bandai-Azuma Skyline road)

ParkingJododaira Parking Area (Paid parking)
Related infoBest season: June-October

Access Details
AccessWashikurayama 1, Tsuchiyu Onsen-machi, Fukushima City, Fukushima Pref. 960-2157
View directions
Getting there

By Car: 1 hour drive from the Fukushima-Nishi I.C. exit off the Ban-etsu Expressway

Mapcode for Car GPS: 475 180 388*43

Useful Links

Azuma-Kofuji’s Short & Scenic Hiking Route

Bandai-Azuma Skyline

Mt. Issaikyo

Related trips

  1. Driving

    Must-See Sights of Fukushima: Halal Friendly Model Route

    Including halal friendly information! This is a two-day model course by public transportation and rental car that takes you through breathtaking nature to the historic post town of Ouchi-juku and Tsurugajo Castle, home of the once mighty Aizu samurai clan! Information about halal restaurants and lodgings is available at the bottom of this page. From Tokyo to Fukushima, you can conveniently use the Shinkansen bullet train or the Tobu Liberty train that leaves from Asakusa station. From the terminus at Aizu Tajima Station, you can easily hire a cab that offers a full-day plan to get to the historic Ouchi-juku and nearby Aizu-Wakamatsu City. On the first day, you will visit Ouchi-juku, where you can experience the historical charm of the Edo period, followed by the castle town of the former Aizu clan, Tsurugajo Castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu City. On the second day, get a taste for the rich nature of Tohoku. From Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, you can rent a car and drive towards the Urabandai area. Goshiki-numa, located in Bandai Asahi National Park, is a beautiful natural park named after its five colored lakes and ponds, which appear to change colors depending on the light at different times or day and seasons. Hop into a rowboat and paddle around to admire the carp swimming around in the crystal-clear waters of the lake. There is a trail that takes you around the Goshiki-numa area, where you can appreciate the hues of the various ponds. If you happen to be visiting in the fall, you will be blown away by the spectacular array of autumn leaves in their stunning gradients of red and gold. Finally, be sure to go fruit picking so that you can taste the delicious flavors of Japanese fruits at the end of your trip. HALAL-friendly Restaurant ※Reservations required [Japanese Restaurant] Kissui Restaurant Aizu-Wakamatsu City "Halal / VG Requests OK / Reservations required" https://tabelog.com/en/fukushima/A0705/A070501/7001192/ [Chinese Restaurant] Hotel Hamatsu / Shaga Chinese Restaurant Koriyama City https://www.hotel-hamatsu.co.jp HALAL-friendly accommodations ※Reservations required ・Yosikawaya Iizaka Onsen Ryokan http://www.yosikawaya.com/ ・Inawashiro Rising Sun Hotel (Villa Inawashiro) https://www.villa.co.jp/ ・Bandai Lakeside Guesthouse Kitashiobara Village https://www.bandai.ski/   Taxi ・Minamiaizu Kanko(Hire a Taxi for 2-hour or 4-hour flat rate plan) https://www-minamiaizu-co-jp.translate.goog/tour/index.php?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ja Rent a Car ・Eki Rent-a-car https://www.ekiren.co.jp/phpapp/en/  

Nearby

The World Glassware Hall
Nature & Scenery

Natsui Senbon-Zakura

There are 1,000 Yoshino cherry blossom trees planted along both sides of the Natsui River, giving the area the name of 'Natsui Senbon-Zakura', which translates as 'Natsui's 1000 cherry trees'. The view of the river stretching out in the distance is calming. The cherry blossoms actually line the river for a distance of 5 km. Natsui Senbon-Zakura offers good spots for taking pictures. Take a walk along the promenade near the banks of the Natsui River for some beautiful shots of the contrast between the glistening river and the cherry blossoms.

The World Glassware Hall
Gourmet & Shopping

Daruma Land

Newly opened on July 8th, 2021, this is a place where visitors can learn about Daruma, the symbol of Shirakawa city!  Much of the structure of the main building is the structure of a restored old Japanese home, so the structure is beautiful and minimalistic. Inside, an elegantly restored tatami room showcases a work shop where you can watch artists expertly hand paint daruma dolls.  There is also a display that explains the process of making a daruma doll, and a showcase room where you can take a look at a collection of unique daruma that are designed by various artists. There is also a daruma shrine and a warehouse where you can purchase daruma, paint your own, or try out the huge daruma gacha gacha machine for a surprise daruma!   

History & Culture

Hashimoto Buddhist Sculpture Shop

The Hashimoto Butsugu-Chokoku Ten (Hashimoto Buddhist Sculpture Shop) has a long history of over 160 years. Here visitors can try the truly unique experience of customizing their own lacquered chopsticks. Under careful instruction, you’ll be able to go home with your very own pair of one-of-a-kind chopsticks. The establishment sells many fine lacquerware products, from kitchen utensils and crockery to masks for use as decoration or at festivals. The chopstick-customizing workshop is available for 2,500 yen per person and is very popular for groups and couples. Even children (ages 12 and up) are able to do it with the supervision of adults and the instruction of the teacher. There are also pamphlets available in English for non-Japanese speakers. The workshop is easy to understand as the instructor guides you through the various steps until you are finally able to see the revealed layers of lacquer color on your own chopsticks. The chopstick experience workshop requires a reservation made at least five days in advance. While you are at the Hashimoto Buddhist Sculpture Shop, you will be guided through the six steps of making your own lacquered chopsticks. It will be an exciting experience as you begin with red or black chopsticks and slowly file down the layers of lacquer until the patterns are revealed. Traditionally, red chopsticks are for women and black are for men. Whichever color you choose though, these are certain to be your favorite set of chopsticks full of memories.  

You might also like

Hanamiyama
Nature & Scenery

Hanamiyama

Hanamiyama Park is a privately-owned field for flowering and ornamental trees, in southeast Fukushima City.The park is located within a satoyama-type landscape i.e. managed woodland hill country close to human habitat. What originally began more than 60 years ago with local farmers planting flowers and trees, has grown into a beautiful scene. The landowner generously turned the area into a park in 1959 to allow visitors to enjoy the beautiful flowers there.Hanamiyama Park, and the wider Hanamiyama area, is now visited by thousands of admirers every year!Springtime visits see cherry, plum, and forsythia trees paint everything in vivid colors. A gentle pink and purple landscape waving in the breeze with the picturesque snow-capped Azuma Mountains in the distance makes for an amazing sight.The riot of spring colors is spectacular enough to merit calling this park Fukushima's very own paradise.The flowering landscape moves all who see it and has been preserved through the cooperation of the local residents. Enjoy a leisurely one-hour stroll that will take you from the foot of the hill to the summit. Travel through groves of flowering trees and other vibrant flowers in full bloom.Hanamiyama is the perfect getaway for a day for nature lovers, hikers, or people trying to escape for a short time.The best part is that spring isn’t the only beautiful time to visit. Marvel in wonder during the lush green summer foliage or the dappled colors of autumn. When you visit this fairytale-like wonderland, it is recommended that visitors wear comfortable walking shoes as the terrain includes graveled paths, steep slopes, and slippery areas. Mid- through late April is the peak season, so ready your camera and your heart for the beauty that awaits.

Bandai-Azuma Skyline
Nature & Scenery

Bandai-Azuma Skyline

This sightseeing road that runs from Fukushima City's Takayu Onsen to the Tsuchiyu Pass, commanding panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.The spectacular views that stretch out at an average altitude of 1,350 meters attract visitors time and time again, and Bandai-Azuma Skyline has been selected as one of the 100 Best Roads in Japan.In spring, tourists can enjoy flower viewing while at the same time taking in the otherworldly winter scenery of the "Snow Corridor".In summer, the Nemoto Shakunage (Rhododendron brachycarpum), a species of alpine rose, and other alpine plants display their colorful flowers and fresh, brilliant green leaves. During autumn, the drive warms as roads become enclosed by fiery seasonal leaves.There are also many hot springs in the vicinity of the Skyline where visitors can enjoy a bath and relax stiff muscles while out on a daytrip.The roadway passes next to the crater of Mt. Azuma-Kofuji. Visitors can easily park their car at the nearby guest center and enjoy a short hike up to the crater’s rim.The Bandai-Azuma Skyline Roadway has been selected as one of the top 100 roads in Japan, and unlike many others, this one is free to use. There are rest stops along the way for the hungry traveler; the most popular is Jododaira, as it’s home to a rest house and an observatory.Be sure to plan ahead though, from mid-November to early April the roadway is closed due to heavy winter snowfall.

Koshidai no Sakura (The Koshidai Cherry Tree)
Nature & Scenery

Koshidai no Sakura (The Koshidai Cherry Tree)

This huge Japanese cherry tree is over 400 years old and has been designated as a national Natural Treasure. The tree has a trunk circumference of about 7.2 meters and stands 20 meters high, and was thus selected as one of the "100 Giants of the Forest" by Japan's Forestry Agency. Koshidai Cherry Blossom Festival is held every year on May 3. A Yabusame horseback archery event accompanied by taiko drumming takes place during this festival, and local organizations set up food stalls.Photo tip: Try taking photos from the south side of cherry blossoms.

Top