Shiramizu Amidado Temple (Amitabha Hall) was constructed in 1160 by Princess Tokuhime of the Oushu Fujiwara clan, which built the "golden culture" in Oushu (the present Tohoku Region). It is the only building in Fukushima Prefecture that has been designated as a national treasure. Inside the hall stands a wooden statue of Amida Nyorai as well as a number of other Buddhist statues such as Kannon Bosatsu, Seishi Bosatsu, Jikoku Tenno, and Tamon Tenno.
The garden, called Jodo Teien (Jodo, or "the pure land", is the Buddhist paradise) is a realm of natural beauty in every season. The scenery is especially breathtaking in summer when the lotus flowers are in bloom, prompting one famous writer to liken the garden to a mythical paradise.
| Website | https://kankou--iwaki-or-jp.translate.goog/spot/10117?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ja |
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| Contact | Iwaki Tourism and City Planning Bureau (+81) 246-44-6545 |
| Best Season | All Year |
| Parking | 60 cars |
| Entrance Fee | Adult: 500 yen | Elementary school student: 300 yen | Discount rate available for groups |
| Accommodation details | Pets: Not allowed |
| Related info | Opening Hours: Apr. 1 - Oct. 31: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM Nov. 1 - Mar. 31: 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM Last admission is 15 min before closing time Days Closed: - The fourth Wednesday of the month - Setsubun (Feb. 3 or 4) - Daytime during the spring and autumn equinoctial weeks - Obon summer holidays - The second Wednesday and Thursday of December Please note, Shiramizu Amidado Temple may be closed on days when the weather is particularly bad, and days for special religious events. |
| Access | 219 Hirohata, Uchigo Shiramizu-machi, Iwaki City, Fukushima Pref. 973-8405 View directions |
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| Getting there | By Car: 15 min from Iwaki-Yumoto I.C. exit off the Joban Expressway By Train: 25 min bus ride from Iwaki Station (JR Ban-etsu East Line / JR Joban Line) |
Aquamarine Fukushima is an ‘environmental aquarium’ that exhibits aquatic creatures in environments which closely mimic their natural habitats.As well as being an aquarium, Aquamarine Fukushima is also home to a research center and offers educational information about sustainability and conservation.The main exhibits are two gigantic tanks that extend from the second to the fourth floor, reproducing Shiome no Umi, an area of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture where the Kuroshio (Black Current) and the Oyashio (Kurile Current) meet.Visitors can enjoy walking through a transparent tunnel whilst being surrounded by the wealth of marine life found in Shiome no Umi, which includes vast schools of sardines and bonito. On the fourth floor, visitors can also visit a calming botanical garden which exhibits the various plant life of Fukushima Prefecture.In addition, guests can see over the top of the main tank, a great spot to appreciate the sheer scale of the water and the curious marine life below. There is also a touch tank where interested visitors can try touching starfish and other small sea critters.Since its establishment, Aquamarine Fukushima has conducted research into an ancient species of fish called coelacanths, and its findings are exhibited on the first floor in a corner entitled the World of Coelacanths. Here visitors can view an anatomical specimen of the rarely seen coelacanth and watch exclusive footage of living coelacanths.There are events throughout the year, with many activities for children and families to enjoy together including a fish maze, art festivals, and a fishing experience where you can catch real fish to be fried for lunch!If catching your own lunch doesn’t appeal to you, you are in luck as there is a seafood market selling fresh seafood just a 10-minute walk away!The seafood market is located within Iwaki Lalamew, a shopping center that also includes restaurants where you can dine on locally sourced, freshly caught fish.
Café Amazon Kawauchi is a modern cafe and restaurant located only 350 meters away from the Tenzan Bunko Museum. Café Amazon has over 1500 restaurants abroad, and serves Asian food and coffee.This was the first Café Amazon restaurant in Japan, opened to help reinvigorate Kawauchi, attract visitors and, of course, serve delicious Thai dishes!In 2016, following extensive revitalization efforts, all restrictions were lifted in Kawauchi village, which had had to be evacuated in 2011 following the nuclear accident. Kawauchi is now is a quiet, green village surrounded by mountains and streams, home to a few thousand people.But because the village had remained uninhabited for some time, the only coffee shop there had closed, and, left without a local hub, it seemed difficult for the community to rekindle—that’s when Thai restaurant chain Café Amazon stepped in.Café Amazon Kawauchi has a warm and light wooden interior (built using wood from Fukushima!), as well as a piano and guitar you can play freely. You can sit indoors or outdoors on a wooden deck.Café Amazon Kawauchi isn’t only a coffee shop, it’s a fundamental part of the reconstruction of Kawauchi village, a meeting place for both locals and visitors.
Madeikan is an excellent stopping point when heading east to the Soma region thanks to its clean, modern design and array of services. Like many roadside stations, it is outfitted with two restaurants in a food court style where dishes are bought using nearby ticket machines. There is a good-sized market selling local produce, as well as a souvenir shop selling goods and crafts.The term 'madei' is a local term that depicts the slow and thoughtful way of life in Iitate Village. As such, the roadside station is intended as a place where people can unwind and take their time.When you enter the main hall of Madeikan, you're greeted by a stunning display of hanging flowers in the rafters - growing these flowers is the main industry of the village and a source of pride. The display changes season to season, meaning you're likely to see a different arrangement every time you visit.The service station is popular in summer time, when nearby sunflower fields are in full bloom, then again in winter time for its Christmas illuminations, which take place in the park behind the main building. Lights are usually turned on around 4:30pm, when it begins to get dark.
Deep in Iitate Village on Mt. Toratori, Yamatsumi Shrine is the rare Japanese shrine based on wolves, instead of the more common foxes or 'lion dog' shisas. The ceiling of the main building, layered with dozens of traditional paintings of wolves, was damaged in a fire in 2013 but was faithfully repainted by students from the Tokyo University of the Arts utilising old photos.This is a good spot for buying an omamori good luck charm from a vending machine, or reading your fortune - there are both fortunes for general luck and for one's love life, at 50 yen and 100 yen respectively.There is ample parking near the shrine and toilets on site.
The Shinto gods of hot spring water and medicine are the enshrined deities of this shrine. This Onsen Shrine is widely thought of as being Iwaki Yumoto Onsen town’s own local Shinto deity.
Iwana no Sato is well-suited for family trips! Try out fishing ‘Iwana’ (charr fish), and enjoy the picturesque scenery of Japanese-style gardens, watermills, & other traditional Japanese architecture. There is an onsite restaurant, areas for having a BBQ, and even accommodation too. Iwana no Sato is close to Tenzan Bunko and Café Amazon, popular spots among tourists visiting Kawauchi Village.
Estimated to have been carved over 1,000 years ago, the Daihisan Stone Buddhas (大悲山の石仏) are a group of stone-carved Buddhas in Odaka, Minamisoma City, in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture.The Daihisan Stone Buddhas are made up of three groups of statues: the Yakushido Buddhas (薬師堂石仏), the Amidado Buddha (阿弥陀堂石仏), and the Kannondo Buddha (観音堂石仏). The statues are enshrined in a forest area with many smaller Buddha statues.They are the biggest and oldest stone Buddha statues in the Tohoku area of Japan, and have been designated as a National Historical Site. Their origins, and much of their history, however, remain unknown, although they are presumed to have been built sometime during the Heian period of Japanese history, which goes from 794 to 1185.In front of the entrance to the Yakushido Buddhas is a 45 meter high cedar tree known as Daihisan’s Giant Japanese Cedar Tree. The tree has a circumference of 8.4 meters at eye level, and is one of the largest trees in Fukushima prefecture, also estimated to be over 1,000 years old. It is designated as a Natural Monument of Fukushima Prefecture.
Nomaoi Street Meijo Hall has been established in the building of the former Matsumoto Brewery, which was a well-known brewery started in the late Edo Period. The hall now primarily functions as exhibition space, lending its unique kura (Japanese warehouse) rooms to host art and photo exhibitions as well as musical events. There are also a couple of small permanent exhibitions about life in the Meiji Period. The relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant Shokusaian is also popular with visitors.
