Cultural Experiences
Green Tea Experience at Suirakuen Garden
Try matcha green tea in a traditional tea house in Suirakuen Garden, located inside Nanko Park. Suirakuen Garden is also a popular place to visit for its fall foliage.
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Nihonmatsu Chrysanthemum Doll Festival (Nihonmatsu Kiku Ningyo)
Each year from mid-October to mid-November, an impressive collection of dolls adorned with chrysanthemum flowers (known as ‘kiku ningyo’) are on display at the Kasumigajo Castle Grounds in Nihonmatsu City, for one of Japan’s salient Chrysanthemum festivals. The city prides itself in its cultivation and cherishing of chrysanthemums, the National Flower of Japan. Several places in the city are adorned with chrysanthemums during the festival period.
Kasumigajo Castle, also known as Nihonmatsu Castle, was destroyed during the Boshin War in the 19th century. Visitors can climb up the castle ruins, of which only the walls remain, and enjoy a view of Nihonmatsu City from above. The castle was made into a prefectural natural park and is beautifully preserved, with many cherry blossom trees and flowers in bloom in the spring, as well as stunning foliage in the fall.
Venue Details
| Website | https://www.city.nihonmatsu.lg.jp/travel_guide/tourist_attractions/page002704.html |
|---|---|
| Contact | Nihonmatsu Tourism Federation |
| Best Season |
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| Related info | Takes place annually from Mid-October to Mid-November. |
| Access | Held at Kasumigajo Castle Park (Nihonmatsu Castle) in Nihonmatsu City View directions |
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| Getting there | By Car: 5 min from Nihonmatsu I.C. exit off the Tohoku Expressway By Train: 20 min walk from Nihonmatsu Station on the JR Tohoku Main Line
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Nearby
Cultural Experiences
Design Your Own Shirakawa Daruma
There are records of Shirakawa Daruma (Japanese traditional dolls) being sold as far back as the feudal reign of the Niwa Domain in 1627. Current Shirakawa Daruma are known as “Shirakawa Tsurugame Shochikubai Daruma.” The faces of these dolls are painted to incorporate various animals and plants, with the eyebrows representing cranes, the mustache representing a turtle, the ears representing pines and plum trees, and the beard representing bamboo or pine trees. All of these images are thought to bring good luck. The daruma is known to be a very classical, lucky talisman, started by Matsudaira Sadanobu, the lord of Shirakawa, when he hired the renowned painter Tani Buncho to paint the now famous face on the daruma doll. Once every year a large Shirakawa Daruma Market is held to celebrate and sell the beloved daruma dolls. You can paint your own daruma at the two daruma workshops in town!
Outdoor Activities
Bandai-Azuma Skyline Cycling Route
The Bandai-Azuma Skyline is one of the top cycling routes of Japan! The route brings cyclists through dense green forests to volcanic terrain and sweeping views of Fukushima city and the volcanic peak of Mt. Kofuji, or “Little Fuji”. In autumn this course is warmed by vibrant autumn leaves, that make for a magical ride! Fukushima has routes for cyclists of all levels! Click here for more information about Cycling Courses and Events in Fukushima! (Click here to read our blog about cycling the scenic Bandai-Azuma Skyline!)
Outdoor Activities
Ebisu Circuit
Ebisu Circuit is a multi-course motorsport facility in the hills above Nihonmatsu City. Rather than a single racetrack, it is a collection of separate courses built across a mountainside, connected by access roads and surrounded by forest. It was developed by Nobushige Kumakubo, a professional drifter who wanted a place dedicated to practice and grassroots driving. Over time, it became closely associated with drifting in particular, both domestically and internationally.The complex is divided into several courses, each with their own unique style and character. Kita (North Course) is one of the busiest areas, with cars running along a back section that brings car speeding past the spectator wall. Nishi (West Course), traditionally associated with grip driving, includes a short layout well-known for long drift trains.Higashi (East Course), usually a grip circuit, is opened for drifting during festival periods and also houses the main circuit office. The Touge (mountain pass) course winds through a narrower hilly section with tighter bends and noticeable elevation changes.Ebisu has also become a destination for overseas drivers. Many travel specifically to experience the different course layouts, enjoy the informal practice culture and chat with other drift enthusiasts. It is common to see privately owned cars ranging from lightly modified street builds to dedicated drift machines. The atmosphere during regular days is focused on driving rather than spectacle, with participants rotating through sessions and making adjustments between runs.Three times a year, the circuit hosts the Ebisu Drift Matsuri. The festival, typically held in spring, summer, and autumn, opens multiple courses for extended sessions over several days. Drivers move between tracks, often running late into the evening, and tandem drifting is a big attraction. Unlike formal competitions, the emphasis is on participation and meeting fellow drivers. For many visitors, the festival represents the most concentrated expression of Ebisu’s identity: a large group of drivers sharing the same mountain, rotating through its varied layouts, and focusing almost entirely on drifting. Learn more about the festival with our total guide.For visitors looking to experience drifting themselves, the Drift Taxi experience lets you ride as a passenger in a special drifting car while a professional driver speeds around the circuit. Booking and more information here.
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Events & Festivals
Kohata Hata Matsuri (Kohata Flag Festival)
The annual Kohata Hata Matsuri (Kohata Flag Festival) is one of three main festivals in Japan centered on a dramatic procession of large flags, and has been held for over 960 years. The five hues of the brightly-colored flags rising up towards the sky makes for some fantastic views. Kohata Flag Festival, which has been designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, is held annually on the first Sunday of December.Mt. Kohata, for which the Kohata suburb of Nihonmatsu is named, is home to the impressive Okitsushima Shrine. This is where the festival is completed once the attendees have brought the flags up the mountain to make an offering at the shrine complex. The festival route involves wandering through a series of back roads and woodland paths, making it a considerably longer journey than the usual steps that lead to the shrine.The festival typically begins with speeches from local dignitaries at 8am, with the flag procession departing the Kohata Community Center at 8.30am. Accounting for several breaks on the parade route, the flags arrive at Okitsushima Shrine shortly before 1pm in the afternoon, so it's worth bringing food and drink to recharge your energy during the journey. The footing in the woodland can be slippery in early December, so visitors might consider shoes with good grip.
Events & Festivals
Ebisu Drift Matsuri (Ebisu Drift Festival)
See our total guide to the festival for details on ticket prices, things to do in the area and more.The Ebisu Circuit is a famous car racing track in Nihonmatsu, containing several drift schools. Three times a year, it holds the Ebisu Drift Matsuri (Ebisu Drift Festival), a thrilling event that gathers car drifting fans from across Japan and abroad.The festival usually goes from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon, during which participants can drift all day and night in the designated courses for a set fee. There are typically three Drift Festivals a year: Spring Drift Festival (ドリフト春祭り): Usually held in April or May Summer Drift Festival (ドリフト夏祭り): Usually held in August Autumn Drift Festival (ドリフト秋祭り): Usually held in NovemberEbisu Drift Matsuri in 2026 (dates may be subject to change): Spring: May 9th & 10th (Sat/Sun) Summer: August 22nd & 23rd (Sat/Sun) Autumn: November 14th & 15th (Sat/Sun)Participating in the Drift Festival is a perfect opportunity to get the most out of a visit to the Ebisu Circuit. For instance, using the racing courses at the Circuit would normally require a reservation, but, during the event, participants are free to use the course of their liking between the available options. Because of that, cars run right next to each other, making the already exciting prospect of drifting even more adrenaline-packed!To participate, you can register on the website before the event. Even if you cannot drive, you can make your way there to watch the incredible maneuvers of drifters as they screech their way through the courses. A big allure of the festival is the atmosphere of being among drivers and car enthusiasts.For updated information, please refer to the official site of the Ebisu Circuit (in Japanese).For things to do in Nihonmatsu while you're in town, check our article about the area.
Events & Festivals
Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival
The Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival is held yearly on the first Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of October. The 2025 festival was held on Saturday 4th, Sunday 5th and Monday 6th.Check the Nihonmatsu Tourism Association website for route maps of the lantern floats.The highlight of the festival is the procession of festival floats during the first evening. Seven large festival floats adorned with lanterns and filled with locals playing taiko drums make their way through the streets of Nihonmatsu City, filling the streets with festival music as they move. The final destination for the floats is the Nihonmatsu Shrine.The festival traces its roots back to 1643, when Niwa Mitsushige became the lord of the Nihonmatsu clan. Believing that fostering religious piety was a core tenet of strong government, Lord Niwa had Nihonmatsu Shrine built the following year, and opened its gates for anyone in the domain to visit. It’s said that in the first festival, the young people of the town carried a portable shrine (mikoshi) through the streets - in an era where there was a strict class system in place, encouraging widespread religious fervour in this sense was a progressive approach.As a result, historians say the local people came to greatly love and respect their lord, and before long the festival grew into a magnificent spectacle including dancing, huge drumming floats and hanging lanterns. The tradition has continued to this day, where the beautiful illuminated floats rolling through the streets is the backbone of an important yearly event for local people.
Events & Festivals
Yabusame (Horseback Archery) in Furudono Town
Yabusame is a Japanese sport that has both a spiritual and military component. Originally designed as a ritual to please the gods and pray for health and good harvests, the modern version involves taking aim at three targets along a run about 200 metres long.The technique takes an immense amount of body control to guide the horse with the rider's knees, while keeping the upper body still to focus on the target.Furudono Town, in the south of Fukushima Prefecture, hosts tournaments showing off this honoured technique as a way of connecting with Japan’s samurai history and culture. The events have a festival atmosphere with dance performances and food stalls.The October tournament takes place at Furudono’s Hachiman Shrine, with two days of action over the second weekend of the month, while the June tournament is a simpler version held at the end of the month.