A massive field of nanohana flowers that first bloomed in Spring 2012, bringing great joy to the community. Since 2013 to today, huge flower fields and mazes are organized for the public to come and enjoy entirely for free. Children can receive prizes for completing the maze and visitors of all ages are encouraged to walk through the maze and have fun.
Takayuki Ueno is a local farmer and creator of the Nanohana Flower Maze, planting the first flowers here in November 2011; eight months after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Click here to read more about his inspiring story.
| Website | https://hamadan.theshop.jp/?fbclid=IwAR2zByaBaBD_8SAdnVefDj2L2ngD7E8GDE2q5rtZSDenukfvwA_O2fN_ICw |
|---|---|
| Contact | 090-4554-1525 |
| Best Season |
|
| Opening Hours | 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
| Access | 975-0036 Kitasainoue-82 Haramachiku Kaibama, Minamisoma, Fukushima View directions |
|---|---|
| Getting there | You can visit the field on any day when the flowers are in bloom. (Late April-Early May) Events are only on weekends and public holidays when the flowers are in bloom. Free parking is available on site but space is limited. |
Selected by Iwaki City as a Natural Monument, the great weeping cherry tree is over 500 years old. The flowers bloom slightly earlier than those of Yoshino cherry trees, and are lit up by traditional Japanese lanterns in the evenings of cherry blossom season. Stretching even further down than the roots, the weeping branches of the tree give it an extremely beautiful appearance.
<p>Odaka Micro Stand Bar (OMSB, “<em>omusubi</em>”) is a cafe located near the JR Odaka Station (小高駅) in Minamisoma City, in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture.</p><p>This narrow but charming coffee house is popular among visitors and residents, who gather to indulge in its pastries and freshly brewed coffee. Odaka is an area that saw its population decrease to zero for several years while the evacuation order was in place following the nuclear accident.</p><p>Mr. Takashi Moriyama, a young IT specialist and entrepreneur, decided to open a kitchen car cafe in front of the JR Odaka Station in 2016, after the evacuation order was lifted in the area, to serve returning residents.</p><p>Mr. Moriyama knew he wanted to play a part in revitalizing Odaka. At the time, there weren’t many other stores or businesses open in the area. He decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign to open a cafe, bakery and coworking space.</p><p>The campaign raised the necessary funds, and Odaka Micro Stand Bar, the cafe that he envisioned, finally opened to the public. The coworking space and offices on the first and second floor have also opened. OMSB also hosts programming lessons and IT literacy seminars for senior residents in the area.</p><p>So, more than only a cafe, OMSB is a place where the community comes together, bridging the old and the new.</p><p>Odaka Micro Stand Bar serves coffee, sandwiches, pastries, matcha and more. We recommend enjoying their rich hot chocolate on a winter afternoon.</p>
<p>Namie Town was once a bustling seaside town that was famous for their unique style of pottery and the large number of artisans in town. Along the coast the <a href="https://fukushima.travel/destination/the-suzuki-brewery-in-namie-town/341" target="_blank">Suzuki Brewery</a> created delicious local sake.</p><p>After the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 and the following accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the residents of Namie Town were forced to evacuate their town. Nearly all of the buildings close to the coastline were destroyed by the enormous tsunami wave, many lives were lost. When it became clear that evacuees would not be able to return to their homes, people were deeply saddened at the devastating loss of many of the neighbors, their homes and their hometown culture. As residents settled in other areas of Fukushima and continued their lives, many believed that the rich culture of the town that had been created for generation would be lost.</p><p>However, people of Namie Town chose to fight to preserve the rich culture and traditions of their hometown. So, the Namie Roadside Station was created to do just that. Here visitors can learn about the unique style of pottery that originated in Namie Town, shop the collections of several Namie Town artisans, and even try a pottery class!</p><p>The Namie Roadside Station is also the new home of the <a href="https://fukushima.travel/destination/the-suzuki-brewery-in-namie-town/341" target="_blank">Suzuki Brewery</a> that was formerly located at the Namie Town seaside before it was destroyed by the tsunami wave. The head brewer was able to evacuate, and has been continued the same brewing methods that were developed in Namie Town</p><p>By visiting the Namie Roadside Station you can support the preservation of the culture of this unique seaside town! You can also shop the wares of many locals who were affected by the disaster but nevertheless work hard to preserve their hometown culture.</p>
<p>The Minamisoma City Museum is located on the eastern side of <a href="https://fukushima.travel/destination/soma-nomaoi-festival/62">the Soma Nomaoi festival</a> grounds within the spacious Higashigaoka Park.</p><p>Its exhibitions center around the Soma Nomaoi festival, a traditional festival of the Soma region that is a nationally-designated important intangible cultural property, and the nature, history, and culture of the local region.</p>
Kairyu no Sato Center Theme Park is a dinosaur themed theme park in Iwaki city. Here there are three rides as well as some unique dinosaur statues including a huge long-necked dinosaur. Around late March to early April is the best time to visit if you want to see the unique sight of dinosaurs surrounded by cherry blossoms. Iwaki is well known for its excavation of fossils and most notably the discovery of the Futabasaurus dinosaur. You can learn more about the mining history of Iwaki at the Horuru: Iwaki Coal and Fossil Museum.
<p>Natsuigawa Valley continues 15 km along JR Ban-etsu East Line. In autumn, the train passes the valley at a slow speed so that passengers can enjoy the awesome views from its windows. The beautiful view of the waterfalls and clear streams meandering through rocks is definitely worth seeing.</p>
<p>Wonder Farm, which covers the same area as 3.5 football pitches, includes a local products shop, restaurant, BBQ site, and tomato-picking experience!</p><p>Mori no Kitchen (the restaurant inside Wonder Farm) is stylish, comfortable, and serves great food. The delicious pizzas and tomato curries are particularly popular! </p>
<p><span style="color:#000000">Stretching over more than 80 hectares, Nijuisseiki-no-Mori Park (二十一世紀の森公園) is a true haven for recreation; complete with a tennis court, a baseball stadium, a skateboard park, and a family sports garden, as well as a variety of flower fields, trees and shrubs.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">21st Century Forest Park is also a popular cherry blossom spot: it has both early-blooming Kawazu-sakura (which mostly bloom mid-February to mid-March) as well as Somei Yoshino cherry blossom trees (which typically bloom sometime between early to mid-April).</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">During winter each year illumination events are held in the park, and, during autumn, the bright colored leaves attract plenty of visitors. During the summer, sunflowers and rapeseed flowers bloom, so the park truly offers ways to enjoy nature all year round.</span></p>