Pick your own strawberries at one of the 11 farms within walking distance of the Wada Strawberry Tourism Association office. Strawberry picking season is from December to mid-May. Visit Wada Strawberry Tourism Association during this time to take part in an all-you-can-eat 30 minute strawberry picking experience!
| Website | http://blog.wadakanko-ichigo.jp/(Automated translation available) |
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| Contact | Wada Strawberry Tourism Association (+81) 244-36-5535 |
| Best Season |
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| Opening Hours | Strawberry picking times: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Open every day between Jan. and mid-May (Might change per year) |
| Related info | <u>Prices for All-You-Can-Eat (30 min)</u> Jan. 3 - Jan. 11: 1,700 yen Jan. - Mar. 31: 1,600 yen Apr. 1 - May 6: 1,300 yen May 7 - May 31: 1,000 yen Please note, times and dates are subject to change per year. |
| Access | Shimoshibasaku 94, Wada, Soma City, Fukushima Pref. 976-0023 View directions |
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| Getting there | By Car: 10 min from the Soma I.C. exit off the Joban Expressway By Train: 10 min by taxi from Soma Station (JR Joban Line) |
Inside the park, you can see the blossom of around 200 Somei Yoshino and Oshima Cherry Trees in the spring. Marine Tower, which stands inside the park, offers fantastic views of the whole of Iwaki. It’s amazing to see the sea and sakura together at the same time.This wide park also has a play area for children, a picnic and barbeque area, an outside concert hall, and a viewpoint from which you can contemplate the Pacific Ocean.
Listed as a prefectural natural monument, the striking sight of the red torii gate at the foot of Shirahata Gingko Tree brings photographers and sightseers from up and down the eastern coast of Tohoku.It's also known as the 'upside-down gingko', owing to a legend that warlord Date Masamune planted a gingko whip upside down in the ground during an attack on Shinchi in the late 1500s. The best time to see the vibrant yellow leaves is usually the last week of November or first week of December.Although there is no parking lot specifically, there is space for cars to park on the green within sight of the tree.
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.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).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.
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.
Sedette Kashima [せでってかしま] is a service area in Minamisoma City, in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture.The name of the facility derives from an expression in the local dialect, which could be roughly translated as “Bring me with you!”. At the entrance, the service area has life-size replicas of Soma Nomaoi participants riding horses, and monitors showing photos of the festival. There is a souvenir shop and a dining hall, places for drivers to rest, as well as a play area for children and a dog park.At Sedette Kashima, you’ll find plenty of local crafts, souvenirs and traditional items from Minamisoma.Sedette Kashima can be accessed using non-toll (local) roads.
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.
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 Suzuki Brewery created delicious local sake.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.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!The Namie Roadside Station is also the new home of the Suzuki Brewery 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 TownBy 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.
Odaka Micro Stand Bar (OMSB, “omusubi”) is a cafe located near the JR Odaka Station (小高駅) in Minamisoma City, in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture.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.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.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.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.So, more than only a cafe, OMSB is a place where the community comes together, bridging the old and the new.Odaka Micro Stand Bar serves coffee, sandwiches, pastries, matcha and more. We recommend enjoying their rich hot chocolate on a winter afternoon.