Sazaedo is a Buddhist temple built in 1796. Its architecture is similar in shape to the shell of a horned turban (‘sazae’ in Japanese), hence its name "Sazaedo". The inside of the temple consists of a double-helix slope, meaning that visitors who come to pray will not meet anybody coming from the opposite direction. This one-way system makes Sazaedo extremely unique.
In 1995, it was appointed as a National Important Cultural Property, and in 2018 it was showcased in Michelin Green Guide (1 star, interesting place to visit).
| Website | https://samurai-city.jp/en/sightseeing/2116 |
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| Best Season | All Year |
| Opening Hours | Apr. - Dec.: 8:15 AM - Sunset / Jan. - Mar.: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Entrance Fee | Adults: 400 yen / High School Students: 300 yen / Junior High & Elementary School Students: 200 yen |
| Access | 1404 Bentenshita, Ikki-machi Yahata, Aizu Wakamatsu City, Fukushima Pref. 965-0003 View directions |
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| Getting there | By Car: 15 min drive from the Aizuwakamatsu I.C. exit (Ban-etsu Expressway) By Bus: 5 min on foot from the Haikara-san / Akabe Loop Bus "Iimoriyama-shita" Bus Stop Useful Links |
This one-day trip around Aizu-Wakamatsu City includes everything your bucket list has: castles, sake breweries, temples, and onsen. Start with an Akabeko painting experience (1100 yen) at Tsurugajo Kaikan, before looking around the castle itself and enjoying a Japanese tea experience at the Rinkaku Tea Room.
This trip highlights some of the best Fukushima has to offer and is perfect for those looking to get the most out of the prefecture in a limited time. Take in castles, nature, traditional villages, and more as you treat yourself to local styles of soba and ramen along the way. Renting a car is a must if you want to hit all the spots on this tour. You can take it slow and complete this trip over three days, or skip out an overnight stay in Urabandai area, and do it in two days. Start the day from Fukushima Station with a scenic drive to the the beautiful Urabandai region. We recommend taking the Bandai-Azuma Skyline road so that you can enjoy a mountain drive and check out the great sights at Mt. Azuma-Kofuji. From there, take the stunning sightseeing road Azuma-Bandai Lake Line into Urabandai. Explore the Urabandai area, have lunch, go on a walk around the five-colored ponds of Goshiki-numa, and maybe even take a dip in a hot spring or two. Choose whether take it slow and stay the night in Urabandai area, or whether to press on to Aizu-Wakamatsu City. Later that day - or the next morning, depending on your schedule - head into the castle town of Aizu-Wakamatsu City where samurai culture is prevalent. The majestic Tsurugajo Castle offers beautiful views of the surroundings from the keep. Check out the nearby Tsurugajo Kaikan to paint an akabeko or two and maybe have some lunch. Then explore the mysterious Sazaedo Temple and the surrounding Mt. Iimoriyama area. From here, we suggest staying overnight in the city. There are plenty of budget hotels in Aizu-Wakamatsu, but if you are looking for something traditionally Japanese, we recommend looking into lodging at the nearby Higashiyama Onsen hot springs town just east of the city. On the next day prepare to jump into the past with a trip to the Ouchi-juku mountain village. You can spend hours here shopping and eating local foods while walking up and down the street lined with traditional thatched-roof houses. Lastly, head to the To-no-Hetsuri Crags, a natural monument filled with towering cliffs overlooking the Okawa River. Cross the nearby suspension bridge which offers breathtaking views of the surroundings. After getting fully refreshed head back to Shin-Shirakawa station by car, drop off your rental car, and connect back to Tokyo or the next stop on your journey!
This museum, which opened in June 1999, is located a short walk from the Goshiki-numa Ponds, which is one of the most scenic spots in Fukushima Prefecture.Morohashi Museum of Modert Art houses a collection of about 350 of the works of Salvador Dali, the master Spanish surrealist artist, including paintings, prints, and sculptures, as well as about 40 works by such impressionist and post-impressionist artists as Cézanne, Renoir, Chagall, Picasso, and Van Gogh. About 100 works out of this collection are on permanent exhibition, including 37 works of sculpture by Dali. The scale of this collection is unparalleled in the world and really is worth seeing.
With a diameter of 3.5 km, Lake Sohara is the fourth largest lake in the wetlands of the Urabandai highlands. Blessed with bountiful plankton and aquatic plants such as potamogeton distinctus and water shield, many wild birds flock to its waters. Walking the shores of this lake, you can feel as if you're in a wild highland oasis.
A panoramic view of the arch bridge stretches over the Tadami River. On clear winter days, the bridge is reflected in the river, surrounded by deep, glistening snow. Spring's fresh leaves, summer's lush greenery, autumn's red leaves... the view changes each season.
Yunokami Onsen Station is one of only 2 train stations with a thatched roof in Japan. The station is known for its great location as a cherry blossom viewing spot with a unique atmosphere. There is an irori (sunken fireplace) where tourists can warm themselves up in winter, and a foot bath sourced from natural hot spring water just next to the station. Yunokami Onsen town is a popular place to stay the night for those visiting destinations such as Ouchi-juku and To-no-hetsuri are located in the same area.
Established in 1993, Kitakata Kura no Sato is a base for passing down the cultural tradition of building kura (traditional warehouses) and magariya (L-shaped houses), which are valuable parts of the lifestyle heritage of the Kitakata area.Ten traditional-style buildings stand within this 4,500 square-meter area. These include a mise-gura (a kura used as a shop), a miso-gura (kura for preserving miso paste), a kokumotsu-gura (a kura for storing grain), and a kura-zashiki (a kura used as a residence), as well as the residences of local officials (Go-gashira and Kimoiri) constructed around a courtyard.The landscape with its old warehouses and residences induces a sense of nostalgia in the minds of Japanese people. Each of the warehouses also serves as an exhibition space for various resources on different themes: stencils for Aizu dyeing; a photo gallery exhibiting the works of Minoru Kaneda, who introduced Kitakata to outsiders as the town of kura; Iwako Uryu, a social worker during the Meiji Period; Monzo Hasunuma, the leader of a youth movement group called Shuyodan; and the Kitakata Incident, which took place in the midst of the democratic movement during the Meiji Period. Visitors can also acquire background knowledge here before going on a tour to see the many kura that are dotted around the city of Kitakata.
Nanokamachi-dori Street is a quaint shopping street with an olde-worlde atmosphere, located in central Aizu-Wakamatsu City. There is a mix of western-style buildings, and traditional Japanese architecture, including Japanese-style storehouses and wooden town houses, from the Taisho Period (1912-1926). This street is home to a number of shops selling local products such as Aizu lacquerware and Aizu momen (cotton made in the Aizu area). Nanokamachi-dori Street is a great spot to grab a bite to eat, and is also useful as a base to explore Aizu-Wakamatsu City. Suehiro Sake Brewery and Suzuzen lacquerware shop are just two of the esteemed businesses located close to this shopping street.
Aizu momen (Aizu cotton) products are still greatly valued for their high quality and their traditional manufacturing techniques. The Yamada Momen Orimoto Company dates back to the start of the Edo Period (1603-1868). Aizu momen (cotton) has been produced here for over 400 years.Everything produced at Yamada Momen is made using the same techniques that have been practiced here for over 100 years, and the machinery is also old. Visitors are free to take a look around the cotton mill floor. The establishment also includes a small shop in the main office building.
This honjin served as a rest house used by daimyo lords when they traveled to Edo (Tokyo) as part of the Sankin-kōtai system of alternate attendance, or when they conducted inspection tours. During the Boshin War, Domain Lord Matsudaira Katamori took command and the Byakkotai defended their city. The building still has sword marks and bullet holes from the war. The Former Takizawa Honjin is recognized as a nationally-designated Important Cultural Property.
