Koori Town, home to some 236 acres of peach orchards, is a wonderful place to view peach blossoms when spring rolls around.
24,000 trees fill the 120 hectares of peach orchards located along the banks of the Abukuma in Koori Town's Danzaki area - many of these are located along a road known locally as 'the Peach Line'.
When these flowers all open their petals in unison, the landscape is transformed into a sea of pink, truly a utopian vista. Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress (the Crown Prince and Princess at the time) walked through this orchard on April 26 1996 - an event which is commemorated with a memorial tablet that stands along the Peach Line.
Visitors to the peach orchards on the banks of the Abukuma river will be treated to views of Mt. Handa, the symbol of Koori Town.
The best time to visit the peach orchards is mid-April.
| Website | https://www.town.koori.fukushima.jp/kankou/index.html(Japanese) |
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| Contact | Koori Town Industrial Development Section (+81) 24-582-2126 sangyoshinko@town.koori.fukushima.jp |
| Best Season |
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| Access | Along the Abukuma River, Koori Town, Fukushima Pref. View directions |
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| Getting there | By Car: 10 min from Kunimi I.C. exit off the Tohoku Expressway By Train: 40 min walk from Koori Station on the JR Tohoku Main Line |
Azuma Orchard is located along the Fruit Line (a road in Fukushima City which is surrounded by orchards). Here visitors can pick their own fruit, such as cherries from early June, peaches from mid-July, nashi (Japanese pears) and grapes from early September, and apples from October.The grounds of Azuma Orchard include a shop which has been recently renovated. Visitors can also enjoy soft-serve ice-cream in a range of seasonal flavors.
A massive forest park of 167,000 square kilometers, featuring hiking courses, camping sites and BBQ locations that can be enjoyed as a day out or as an overnight trip. It is known for its 150,000 Shiba-zakura plants, and a Shiba-zakura Festival is held every year during their blooming season.
Nakano Fudoson is a Zen Buddhist temple built around a waterfall. Nakano Fudoson Temple is dedicated to the Buddhist deity Acala (Fudo in Japanese), one of the Buddhist ‘Kings of Knowledge’. Three forms of this deity can be praised at different areas within this temple.Those hoping to ward off evil & bad luck can worship the deity at the main temple. Those looking to protect their eyesight in the coming year can pray at the Kitoden. Those wanting to worship the Fudo deity even more intimately can do so at the Okunoin cave complex, which contains 36 Buddhist statues.
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.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.
In spring, this 150-year-old weeping cherry tree looks so different from one hour to the next. Viewed during the day, it is framed against a backdrop of snow-topped Azuma mountains. During the cherry blossom viewing season, Nakajima Jizozakura is lit up at night, its reflection glittering enchantingly on the surface of surrounding rice paddies.
Visitors looking for a cool and adventurous experience should consider visiting the Irimizu Limestone Cave (入水鍾乳洞) in Tamura City.Perhaps less known than the nearby Abukuma Cave, the Irimizu Limestone Cave offers visitors the opportunity to venture into its depths—the narrow cave is 900 m in total and is divided into three courses (A, B and C), each more extreme than the previous one.Visitors should bring adequate clothing and shoes, as the inside of the cave is wet and slippery with irregular rocky ground and gushing streams.Course A is the least extreme, and the way into the cave is lit, although there are puddles and wet spots, and you will need to duck in some places since there are short and narrow spots. Course A is 150 m long and takes approx. 30 minutes to complete.Courses B and C go through an area of the cave where there is less conditioning. Visitors have to walk while having water up to their knees and go through slippery and narrow gaps by candlelight or flashlight.Course B is 450 m and takes about 60 minutes to complete, while course C is 300 m and takes about 90 m to complete. Visitors hoping to undertake course C, the most difficult of the three, have to make a reservation before their visit, as the course can only be completed alongside an experienced guide. *Course C is not available and is not taking reservations as of May 2023.The temperature inside the cave is typically between 10 and 15 degrees regardless of the season.There are candles, rubber shoes, flashlights and other items available for renting at the entrance.Prices are as of March 2023.The cave has been designated as a National Natural Treasure, and it’s easy to see why. You’re bound to become a geology enthusiast after experiencing the charms of the cave.
Mt. Ryozen is a spiritual, historic mountain with beautiful scenery. Since the Muromachi Period, Ryozen Temple has been used as a training grounds for Buddhist monks. Apparently, monks-in-training used to tie themselves to cliff-edges as part of their training in self-discipline!Hikers can park at the Mt. Ryozen Trailhead Parking Lot.
The Totsube Sakura tree is one of the best-known cherry blossom spots in Fukushima. Standing alone in a field in Yamatsuri Town, its wide branches and soft pink flowers create a striking scene against the surrounding countryside. The tree is especially famous for blooming slightly earlier than many other cherry trees in the area and is seen as a symbol of the spring season starting in the prefecture.Believed to be more than 600 years old, the tree is an Edohigan cherry tree and has been designated a natural monument by the prefectural government. It stands around 18 metres tall, with a trunk more than six metres in circumference, showing both its great age and remarkable size.For generations, local farmers used the blooming of the Totsube Sakura as a sign that it was time to begin spring work in the fields. Because it flowers from late March to early April, it became closely tied to the rhythms of life in Yamatsuri and remains an important symbol of the town today.The tree is also popular with photographers, especially because the nearby Suigun Line railway passes behind it. During blossom season, many visitors gather to capture the sight of a local train passing beneath the ancient cherry tree.