Every year on January 7, the Naked Man Festival (Nanokado Hadaka Mairi) is held at Enzoji Temple, Yanaizu Town. During this traditional event - which draws many tourists every year - local men clad in loincloths make the challenging climb of 113 steps to Enzoji Temple, where they climb to the top of the temple via a long rope. Members of the public can participate, although registration in advance is required.
The festival traces its roots back to an ancient legend, telling of a princess who received a wish-granting jewel from a river dragon to tide against crop failures and illness, and a community who banded together on the night of the 7th to prevent the dragon spirit from taking it back. To this day the festival is a rowdy display of hope and community.
| Website | https://inbound.aizu-yanaizu.com/en/event/ |
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| Contact | Yanaizu Tourism Association (+81) 241-42-2346 |
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| Related info | Best Season Winter |
| Access | Enzoji Temple, Jikemachi-ko 176, Yanaizu Town, Kawanuma District, Fukushima Pref. 969-7201 View directions |
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| Getting there | By Car: 10 min drive from the Aizubange I.C. exit off the Ban-etsu Expressway (via Route 252) By Train: 10 min walk from Aizu-Yanaizu Station on the JR Tadami Line Related Links |
When visiting Tsurugajo Castle, remember to check out the Rinkaku Tea Ceremony Room, which is situated inside the castle grounds. The beautiful Japanese garden surrounding the tea room is well worth a visit. What's more, you can enjoy traditional Japanese matcha tea together with a seasonal treat, all while looking out at the fantastic foliage of the garden.
The Mitsuishi Shrine (Three Stones Shrine) is located a short 10-minute walk from Tadami Station in Tadami Town. Ichinoiwa, Ninoiwa and Saniwa are the three large stones that have spritual significance. Ichinoiwa (the first stone) is thought to improve intelligence, Ninoiwa (the second stone) is thought to improve eyesight, and Saniwa (the third stone) is thought to improve connections with others, particularly romantic love. The Saniwa is a popular place to visit for those who are hoping to get married someday. To reach the shrine there is a short hike through dense forest, so it is recommended that visitors wear shoes that are easy to walk in.
Suzutake workshop tours began in the 1950s as a way of providing families with a chance to learn about the history and artistry of lacquerware. Even today, visitors are able to actually see artisans at work at three key stages of the Aizu lacquerware making process: 1) applying a base layer of unrefined lacquer or astringent liquid to wood; 2) adding additional layers of lacquer in a desired style, and 3) adding hand-drawn delicate designs ('makie') using either colored lacquer or gold and silver power (a technique called 'Sunken gold makie'). Visitors can also take part in a makie-painting experience.
Tsukimigaoka Chomin Center (a town hall-turned-hotel which is only a 20-minute walk from Aizu Yanaizu Station) is known for their famous sauce katsudon lunch. This dish contains fried pork cutlet and a simple egg omelet on rice which is covered with a savory sauce that simply melts in your mouth. There are other places in Yanaizu that serve the katsudon dish as well, but according to local opinion, the katsudon at Yanaizu Chomin Center is hard to beat. Why not stop by and fill your stomach before taking in the other local sights? There are even some great shared hot spring baths, which can be enjoyed as day visit onsen. There are plenty of nearby attractions. Enjoy your time hiking or fishing or at the nearby Kiyoshi Saito Museum of Art or the beautiful and serene Enzoji Temple. Kiyoshi Saito Museum of Art houses works by esteemed woodblock artist Kiyoshi Saito and the beautiful works he created throughout his lifetime. At the Enzoji Temple experience tranquility and nature, also learn about the origin legend of the akabeko, the nodding red cow famous in the area. And only a 15-minute drive away you can look at the No. 1 Tadami River Bridge View Spot; this bridge offers a spectacular sight of the Tadami River and the surrounding nature.
Hinoemata Kabuki (a form of traditional Japanese theatre) has been used as a ceremonial practice in Hinoemata Village since the Edo Period. Hinoemata Kabuki, performed at an outdoor theatre, is an extremely important tradition for the village, and is passed down from generation to generation.For more information, read our related blog.
The 2026 festival will be held 19-21 September 2026, with the main event of the parade and performances held on Sunday 20th.The Aizu Festival is the biggest event of the year for the historic Aizu region. The main feature of the festival is the Aizu Hanko Gyoretsu, a procession of Aizu Domain lords and samurai.Headed by flag-bearers holding the standards of the feudal lords of the Aizu Domain, the procession is attended by participants representing well-known feudal lords such as Lord Uesugi, Lord Hoshina, and Lord Matsudaira, and by groups of festival participants wearing garments and carrying tools associated with each of these lords.Each year, some 500 people parade through downtown Aizu-Wakamatsu in an event that magnificently recreates the world of samurai. Before the procession starts off, there is a kick-off ceremony at Tsurugajo Castle.Visitors can enjoy watching the sword dancing of the Byakkotai warriors and sword fight performances given by professional actors, with the castle keep of Tsurugajo in the background.Overseas visitors or Japan residents can also join the parade in samurai armour: for more information, see the reservation page.2026 Schedule:Full details of the 2026 schedule here (in Japanese).19 September 2026 (Saturday)18:00 - 19:00 Lantern parade: Local schoolchildren will walk from Tsurugajo Castle to Shinmei Street carrying lanterns.19:00 - 20:30 Aizu-Bandaisan Mountain Dance: Held around a tower set up on Shinmei Street. Anyone is free to join in.Main day: 20 September 2026 (Sunday)10:00 Samurai Procession: The procession leaves from Tsurugajo Castle and carries on through the city, ending at roughly 1pm or 2pm. More events are held at the castle and around the city; please check the above English pamphlet for more details.19:00 - 20:30 Aizu-Bandaisan Mountain Dance: Held around the tower on Shinmei Street. Anyone is free to join in.21 September 2026 (Monday, public holiday)10:00 Nisshinkan Children's Parade: Children march through the streets (starting from 中央通り, Chuo Street, heading towards the castle) dressed as members of the legendary Byakkotai (White Tiger Corps) or Swords Corps.Same time: Drum and Flute Corps Parade: Students from around 20 elementary schools in the city perform with traditional drum and flute.
Winter in Showa Village wouldn’t be complete without heavy snowfall – every year around 2 meters of snow piles in the village! Showa Village’s local people has adapted their way of working around the harsh conditions of winter over the generations by utilizing the long winter months to create crafts from weaving thread made of ramie (made from nettles). This photo shows an important part of this process – the bleaching of the fabric. Visitors can even experience making coasters made from ramie using traditional methods at Orihime Koryukan Building, located at Michi-no-Eki Karamushi Ori-no-Sato (Roadside Station)!The date of the 2021 Karamushi Ori-no-Sato Festival will be at the end of February 2021, and is currently being decided.
The Higashiyama Onsen Bon Odori, a traditional summer dance festival, restarted in 2024 after a five-year absence and is typically held Friday to Monday on the first weekend of August.The festival involves long snaking lines of people dancing to the traditional song 'Aizu Bandaisan', which anyone can join since the dance only involves a few steps. The song is played from a 14-metre-high wooden watchtower built once a year in the Yukawa River below, adorned with over 1,000 lanterns.The history of the festival traces back to 1944, when it was designed to cheer up children evacuating to a ryokan in Higashiyama Onsen during the war.The onsen town is also worth a visit the rest of the year and makes an excellent base for exploring the samurai city of Aizu-Wakamatsu.