Urabandai Night Fantasy Snow Festival is held in the mid-February every year at the very scenic Renge Pond. Come to Urabandai next February to enjoy firework displays and picturesque sights of this beautiful area lit up with candles.
| Website | https://www.urabandai-inf.com/en/?event-category=winter |
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| Contact | Urabandai Tourism Association (+81) 241-32-2349 |
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| Entrance Fee | Free |
| Related info | The 2020 festival's experience program included: ・Entering a Japanese igloo ・Snowshoe trekking ・Snowmobile sightseeing on Lake Hibara ・Snow slides ・Ice cream making ・Food stands |
| Access | Renge Pond, Hibara, Kitashiobara Village, Yama District, Fukushima Pref. 966-0501 View directions |
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| Getting there | By Train: 30 min taxi ride from Inawashiro Station
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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.
Local farmers and agricultural associations offer a variety of authentic agricultural experiences, and are all waiting to provide you an unforgettable experience with a range of activities tailored for families, friends, schools, and company outings. Visitors can join farmers for a one-day farm experience, while taking in the beautiful nature of the Aizu region.
Be swept off your feet by the amazing scenery at the Oguninuma Wetlands. These wetlands are located in Urabandai area, and are just one part of the stunning Oze National Park. Lots of people hike here every year at the start of summer to enjoy views of the seasonal yellow flowers, called Nikko Kisuge.
Mitsutaya is a speciality restaurant with roots dating back to the end of the Edo Period (around 1835). The restaurant is situated in a renovated miso storehouse. It is therefore fitting that the restaurant is famous for a local Aizu meal called 'miso dengaku'. Miso dengaku refers to skewered vegetables and meat which are topped with a miso paste before being cooked over an open flame. The skewers are cooked one by one. Skewer ingredients include konjac, deep-fried tofu, sticky, savory rice balls called 'shingoro mochi', and more. Each small dish is coated in miso for an unforgettable and savory flavor.
Aizu painted candles (e-rousoku) are one of Aizu’s most well-loved traditional crafts. The Aizu Painted Candle Festival was started in order to let people all over Japan (and all over the world) know about this traditional art form, and to give people an appreciation for the work that is needed to make every single candle.Take in the picturesque snowy scenery in Aizu-Wakamatsu City by candlelight this winter - the Aizu Painted Candle Festival takes place at Tsurugajo Castle (main venue) and Oyakuen Garden (sub venue) on the second Friday and Saturday of February. The castle grounds are lit up with artisanal candles and lanterns, while the garden at Oyaku-en has colourful illuminations that reflect in the clear waters of the ponds. Visitors to the castle can enjoy food stalls, while the garden offers a rare opportunity to drink green tea from the teahouse overlooking the ponds, which typically is only open during the day.The 2026 festival took place on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th February, 2026.
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.
Mishima no Sainokami, which takes place annually on January 15, is held in order to bring prosperity to local people, and to give locals the opportunity to pray for a good harvest and the safety of their family. This festival has been designated as a nationally-recognised Important Cultural Property.
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.