Koriyama’s Kaiseizan Park is a wide realm in the city. Home to around 1300 cherry trees, it is one of the prefecture’s most prominent cherry blossom spots. The impressive trees are lit up in the evening during cherry blossom season, making for fantastic views.
The park has a baseball field, an athletics field, and an event venue. Additionally, it is home to one of Fukushima's Chansey's Lucky Parks, making it a popular destination among Pokémon fans. Located nearby is the Kaiseizan Daijingu Shrine.
There is also a 3,000-square-meter rose garden that blooms in spring (typically from mid-May to late June) and in the fall (usually from mid-September to late October). Exact blooming dates vary each year.
No matter the season, there is something to enjoy at Kaiseizan Park year-round.
| Website | https://www.kanko-koriyama.gr.jp/tourism/detail2-1-349.html(Automated translation available) |
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| Contact | Koriyama City Tourism Association (+81) 24-924-2621 |
| Best Season |
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| Entrance Fee | Free |
| Related info | Best season: Early to late April |
| Access | Kaisei 1-5, Koriyama City, Fukushima Pref. 963-8851 View directions |
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| Getting there | By Car: 10 min drive from Koriyama I.C. exit off the Tohoku Expressway By Taxi: 10 min by taxi from Koriyama Station (JR Tohoku Main Line) Useful LinksChansey’s Lucky Parks and Poké Lids: Must-See Pokémon Attractions in Fukushima |
This arched iron bridge crossing the Abukuma River is famous as a viewing point for the fresh green of early summer and brightly colored autumn leaves. The bridge is 138.5 meters long, with a maximum height of 60 meters from the bottom of the valley, and you can enjoy the refreshing feeling of being totally enveloped in the surrounding scenery as you look down from the bridge.
Between two farms in Hiraishi in the south of Fukushima City, next to a vegetable stall selling cucumbers for 100 yen, you can find the Tired Gundam. Occasionally translated as the ‘Weakling’ or ‘Loser’ or ‘Incompetent’ Gundam, he might not look like much, and he can’t walk, or fight, but he's very popular with the locals.The product of a local ironsmith over ten years ago, the Tired Gundam first stumbled to fame after the ‘Beam Rifle Theft Incident’, in which someone stole his famous weapon, and fans nationwide made replacements. Now he has an entire arsenal, a weapon rack, and security cameras to ward off thieves. When he gets rusty, he often gets a fresh coat of paint from his fans.The Tired Gundam is located in the middle of a farmland region in southern Fukushima City, making for a lovely afternoon drive up and down the winding roads surrounded by rice fields. There is parking available nearby for roughly 10-15 cars.
Off the beaten track, Mt. Kohata’s Okitsushima Shrine is a perfect spot for those searching for a peaceful, spiritual place to visit. The shrine’s story – Date Masamune burned down Mt. Kohata in order to dominate the area during the Tensho Era (1563-1593), but couldn’t destroy the shrine’s three-storied pagoda – makes the area even more special.The three main goddesses of Shintoism – whose names are Princess Tagori, Princess Tagitsu, Princess Ichikishima – are worshipped at this shrine. These three goddesses are thought to be the daughters of the sun goddess Amaterasu, the major deity in the Shinto religion.It is not only Shintoism which is practiced at this shrine, but also Buddhism. In particular, the Japanese Buddhist goddess known as ‘Benten sama’ is worshipped on Mt. Kohata. Despite the turmoil which engulfed faith in Buddhism which occurred during the Meiji Era, strong faith in Benten sama – the Buddhist deity of peace, good luck, wisdom, and marriage – continues to this very day.This is the destination for the Kohata Flag Festival procession, which has been designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, and is held annually on the first Sunday of December.
Bandai-Azuma Lake Line is a sightseeing road that runs for 13.1 km, connecting Inawashiro Town and Kitashiobara Village. Outstanding backdrops of hundreds of lakes, including Lake Akimoto, Lake Onogawa, and Lake Hibara can be seen from along the road. The Nakatsugawa Valley, which lies half-way along the route, offers a wonderful view of a combination of rock surfaces polished by strong water currents and woodland greenery. A rest-house area with washrooms stands near the valley and visitors can enjoy trekking along the walking trails from the season of fresh green leaves through to the end of the season of red and yellow foliage. The valley is particularly famous as one of the most scenic foliage-viewing spots in Japan with many photographers visiting from both inside and outside of the prefecture. Enjoy a beautiful drive through this landscape when the new leaves of spring are fresh and green or when the autumn beauty of the valley glistens with red and yellow foliage of beeches, buckeyes, and maples.
There is a special bus running from Fukushima Station to the Jododaira plateau while the mountain is open. Please visit the Jododaira Sky Access page for more details.Jododaira and the Bandai-Azuma Skyline mountain road are open from April 21, 2026.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.
This arched iron bridge crossing the Abukuma River is famous as a viewing point for the fresh green of early summer and brightly colored autumn leaves. The bridge is 138.5 meters long, with a maximum height of 60 meters from the bottom of the valley, and you can enjoy the refreshing feeling of being totally enveloped in the surrounding scenery as you look down from the bridge.
This weeping cherry tree is around 400 years old and is called the "daughter" of Miharu Takizakura, another famous cherry tree located in Fukushima. Countless visitors have visited from inside and outside the prefecture after hearing about the beauty of this cherry tree. Photography tip: Around 2 pm is the best time to take a picture.
Mt. Shinobu, with a total altitude of 275 meters, is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Fukushima City. It is estimated that it formed about 500,000 years ago when the Fukushima basin caved in and Mt. Shinobu became an isolated hill, which later became the object of multiple local poems, stories, and legends.Visitors can hike up Mt. Shinobu for unobstructed views of the cityscape. Hikers of all levels can try climbing Mt. Shinobu, as its peak can be reached in a few hours and many parts of it can be reached by car.Each year in April, there is a spring festival with cherry blossom night illuminations that attract hordes of visitors. Summer and autumn are also great times to follow the hiking routes on Mt. Shinobu.A spiritual power spot for locals, Haguro Shrine can be found at the top of the central peak, where there is also a giant straw sandal that weighs about 2 tons and is 12 meters in length and is believed to be among the biggest in Japan. The sandal is paraded along Fukushima City each year in August during the Waraji Festival. Also in Mt. Shinobu, you can find the Shinobuyama Neko Inari Jinja (‘cat shrine’), and the Gokoku Shrine, along with several parks.For stunning views of the city, including the Shinkansen bullet train tracks, head to the Karasugasaki Observation Deck on the western side. Located nearby are the Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art and the Fukushima Prefectural Library.