Approximately 1,500 cherry trees of the quintessential Japanese Somei Yoshino variety create a beautiful tunnel of cherry blossom for visitors to pass through. Many of these trees are over 100 years old.
| Website | https://www.tomioka-town.jp/soshiki/kikaku/kochokoho/sakura/(Automated translation available) |
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| Contact | Tomioka Town Hall |
| Best Season |
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| Entrance Fee | Free |
| Related info | Best time to see the cherry blossom: Early April |
| Access | Yonomori-kita 1-10, Tomioka Town, Futaba District, Fukushima Pref. 979-1161 View directions |
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| Getting there | By Car: 15 min by car from the Tomioka I.C. exit off the Joban Expressway By Train: 2 min walk from Tomioka Station (JR Joban Line) |
<p>Wonder Farm, which covers the same area as 3.5 football pitches, includes a local products shop, restaurant, BBQ site, and tomato-picking experience! Mori no Kitchen (the restaurant inside Wonder Farm) is stylish, comfortable, and serves great food. The delicious pizzas and tomato curries are particularly popular! </p>
Selected by Iwaki City as a Natural Monument, the great weeping cherry tree is over 500 years old. The flowers bloom slightly earlier than those of Yoshino cherry trees, and are lit up by traditional Japanese lanterns in the evenings of cherry blossom season. Stretching even further down than the roots, the weeping branches of the tree give it an extremely beautiful appearance.
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 Lalamyu, a shopping center that also includes restaurants where you can dine on locally sourced, freshly caught fish.
In a crescent shaped cove separated from the mainland on the small island known as Bentenjima Island, you will find the mysterious Bentenjima Shrine. The vermillion painted tori gate stands out against the jagged stone and the powerful waves. It is believed that the shrine was land based until an earthquake that occurred in 1410 resulted in the formation of this jagged rock island. The construction date of the original shrine is unknown. The island is also known as Wanigafuchi because, according to legend, a creature known as a “wanizame” (crocodile shark) lived on the island. Half crocodile, half shark, this creature can be seen in many old Japanese paintings. The creature may have been believed to cause the swirling water and violent waves that crashed against the rocks, sometimes resulting in people getting swept into the water. Another legend suggests that the wanizame once kidnapped a young woman from Iwaki who had wandered out to explore the island. This coast is lined with small round pebbles that shine when the water hits them. However, do not take any of these pebbles home, legend says that anyone who takes pebbles home from this coast will suffer from eye disease. This area was once a very popular destination for tourists and I highly recommend checking out the photos on the Iwaki city website linked below. It is all in Japanese, but you can read it with the google translate extension on google chrome browsers.
<p>Wonder Farm, which covers the same area as 3.5 football pitches, includes a local products shop, restaurant, BBQ site, and tomato-picking experience! Mori no Kitchen (the restaurant inside Wonder Farm) is stylish, comfortable, and serves great food. The delicious pizzas and tomato curries are particularly popular! </p>
A massive field of nanohana flowers that first bloomed in Spring 2012, bringing great joy to the community. Since 2013 to today, huge flower fields and mazes are organized for the public to come and enjoy entirely for free. Children can receive prizes for completing the maze and visitors of all ages are encouraged to walk through the maze and have fun. Takayuki Ueno is a local farmer and creator of the Nanohana Flower Maze, planting the first flowers here in November 2011; eight months after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Click here to read more about his inspiring story.
Inside the park, you can see the blossom of around 200 Somei Yoshino and Oshima Cherry Trees. 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.
Natsuigawa Valley continues 15 km along JR Ban-etsu East Line. In autumn, the train passes the valley at a slow speed so that passengers can enjoy the awesome views from its windows. The beautiful view of the waterfalls and clear streams meandering through rocks is definitely worth seeing.