Yunokami Onsen Station

Yunokami Onsen Station

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.

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttp://shimogo.jp/sightseeing/yunokamionsen/(Japanese)
Contact

Shimogo Town Tourism Association

(+81) 241-69-1144

Best SeasonAll Year
ParkingAvailable
Access Details
AccessYunokami, Shimogo Town, Minamiaizu District, Fukushima Pref. 969-5206
View directions
Getting there

By Car:

  • 50 min by car from the Aizuwakamatsu I.C. exit off the Ban-etsu Expressway
  • 15 min by car from Ouchi-juku

By Train:

  • Get off at Yunokami Onsen Station (Aizu Railway Line). It takes 1 hour to arrive at Yunokami Onsen Station from Aizuwakamatsu Station

Related trips

  1. Driving

    Must-See Sights of Fukushima: Halal Friendly Model Route

    Including halal friendly information! This is a two-day model course by public transportation and rental car that takes you through breathtaking nature to the historic post town of Ouchi-juku and Tsurugajo Castle, home of the once mighty Aizu samurai clan! Information about halal restaurants and lodgings is available at the bottom of this page. From Tokyo to Fukushima, you can conveniently use the Shinkansen bullet train or the Tobu Liberty train that leaves from Asakusa station. From the terminus at Aizu Tajima Station, you can easily hire a cab that offers a full-day plan to get to the historic Ouchi-juku and nearby Aizu-Wakamatsu City. On the first day, you will visit Ouchi-juku, where you can experience the historical charm of the Edo period, followed by the castle town of the former Aizu clan, Tsurugajo Castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu City. On the second day, get a taste for the rich nature of Tohoku. From Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, you can rent a car and drive towards the Urabandai area. Goshiki-numa, located in Bandai Asahi National Park, is a beautiful natural park named after its five colored lakes and ponds, which appear to change colors depending on the light at different times or day and seasons. Hop into a rowboat and paddle around to admire the carp swimming around in the crystal-clear waters of the lake. There is a trail that takes you around the Goshiki-numa area, where you can appreciate the hues of the various ponds. If you happen to be visiting in the fall, you will be blown away by the spectacular array of autumn leaves in their stunning gradients of red and gold. Finally, be sure to go fruit picking so that you can taste the delicious flavors of Japanese fruits at the end of your trip. HALAL-friendly Restaurant ※Reservations required [Japanese Restaurant] Kissui Restaurant Aizu-Wakamatsu City "Halal / VG Requests OK / Reservations required" https://tabelog.com/en/fukushima/A0705/A070501/7001192/ [Chinese Restaurant] Hotel Hamatsu / Shaga Chinese Restaurant Koriyama City https://www.hotel-hamatsu.co.jp HALAL-friendly accommodations ※Reservations required ・Yosikawaya Iizaka Onsen Ryokan http://www.yosikawaya.com/ ・Inawashiro Rising Sun Hotel (Villa Inawashiro) https://www.villa.co.jp/ ・Bandai Lakeside Guesthouse Kitashiobara Village https://www.bandai.ski/   Taxi ・Minamiaizu Kanko(Hire a Taxi for 2-hour or 4-hour flat rate plan) https://www-minamiaizu-co-jp.translate.goog/tour/index.php?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ja Rent a Car ・Eki Rent-a-car https://www.ekiren.co.jp/phpapp/en/  

Nearby

The World Glassware Hall
Gourmet & Shopping

Wakaki Shop & Brick Warehouse

Wakaki (若喜商店) is a shop specializing in soy sauce brewing and a historical warehouse in Kitakata City. Both the shop and the warehouse buildings have been recognized for their unique architectural value, and were both designated Tangible Cultural Properties. The original brick warehouse was built in 1904, and was used both as a residence (second floor) and as a warehouse, as well as a place to entertain guests. An interesting feature of the building is its fusion of styles: from the outside it has a strikingly Western appearance with a brick facade, but the interior is built in Japanese-style with tatami floors. The wood used for the pillars and the main table was sourced from a very rare persimmon tree. The building uses a unique construction method to make it resistant to earthquakes.Founded in 1755, Wakaki brews both soy sauce and dashi sauce using traditional methods and locally sourced ingredients. You can get your hands on these unique artisanal products at the gift shop.The shop building, built in 1931, is also made from the same wood as the warehouse. From spring to autumn (usually from April to November), a gift store called “Showa Kan” inside the building complex sells rare vintage relics from Japan, like toys, collectable items and postcards. The shop is closed during winter.The shop also offers ‘akabeko’ painting experiences, in which you can paint your own akabeko (Fukushima’s lucky red cow) by reservation only (please contact the store directly for more information regarding this experience).Read more information about Kitakata’s kura warehouses here.

The World Glassware Hall
Hot Springs

Oze Hinoemata Onsen

Oze Hinoemata Onsen has hot springs fed to every household, as well as bathing facilities run by the village for day visits. Aruza Oze no Sato, Hiuchi no Yu, Koma no Yu are all names of hot spring establishments in the town. Hinoemata area is also famous for Kabuki, a form of traditional performing art in Japan. Traditional Kabuki performances with a rich history dating from the Edo Period are still performed to this day on Hinoemata's kabuki stage, which is over 250 years old. There are three performances per year (May 12, August 18, and the first Saturday of September). Explore historical and cultural treasures such as the kabuki stage, the unique shrine featuring a stone statue of Hashiba-no-Banba, itakura (wooden storehouses), the six jizo statues, and the Hinoemata Folk Village by foot. Make sure to try Hinoemata area's 'Yamodo Cuisine': a characteristic cuisine centered on 100% buckwheat noodles, which features dishes such as 'Hatto soba' and rice cakes. Visitors can also enjoy walking and fishing at Hinoemata Mini Oze Park, a spacious park which comes to life with bright colours throughout the year as various flowers take turns to bloom. Oze Hinoemata Onsen is at the gateway to Oze National Park, making it as a base for hiking around Ozegahara Marsh, and for climbing mountains such as Mt. Hiuchigatake, Aizu Komagatake, Teishakuzen, and Tashiroyama.

The World Glassware Hall
Gourmet & Shopping

Tsurugajo Kaikan

Tsurugajo Kaikan is a shopping complex next to Tsurugajo Castle. Here you can try local cuisine, from Wappa Meshi and Sauce Katsudon, to soba noodles and Kitakata Ramen. The French restaurant "Racines" is also on the premises, so that both Japanese and western-style cuisines can be enjoyed in one location. The restaurants have seating for approximately 1,000 guests. The first floor contains a tax-free shop that sells local Aizu goods and souvenirs, from ready-to-cook Kitakata Ramen, soba noodles, Japanese pickles, and sweet treats, to traditional crafts like Akabeko lucky red cow. You can even try painting your own Akabeko cow (a traditional folk toy which is said to bring luck), and take it home as a souvenir of your trip. Painting an Akabeko takes about 30 minutes, and a reservation is required for groups. The parking area accommodates full-size buses as well as personal vehicles.  

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Ouchi-juku
History & Culture

Ouchi-juku

Take a journey to the past in Fukushima Prefecture’s Ouchi-juku area. This isolated village boasts thatched-roof houses and natural streets making you feel at one with the people who lived here hundreds of years ago.Nestled in the southwestern mountains of Fukushima, Ouchi-juku is a great spot to visit thanks to its unique charm and history. This village was established under the post station system of the Edo period, and played a vital role as a rest stop for travelers.In 1981, the well-preserved streets of Ouchi-juku led to it being designated as an Important Preservation District for a Group of Traditional Buildings. It isn’t difficult to see why—the village looks as it did during its heyday. And with no telephone or electric wires above ground, the view from the top of the hill overlooking the village is marvelous.It is a picturesque village where you can lose yourself to the flow of time. The traveler’s road that used to run through this village was called the Shimotsuke Kaido Route, or the Aizu Nishi Kaido Route.Ouchi-juku not only connected Aizu to Nikko, it also connected Aizu-Wakamatsu to Imaichi, a post town on the Nikko Kaido Route in Tochigi Prefecture. This road was frequented by many travelers as well as by the processions of feudal lords who had to travel to and from Edo periodically.Travelers of the Edo Period rested at the inns of Ouchi-juku to relieve their fatigue. Nowadays, festivals and events help draw in new visitors. The annual Snow Festival in February turns Ouchi-juku into a pretty candlelit scene.Visit in July to see a procession of dancers dressed in traditional Edo Period costumes, and you might even get to wear a happi (festival attire jacket) and join the locals in their celebrations!And when you’re feeling hungry be sure to try some of the local specialties, which include negi soba (fresh buckwheat noodles eaten using a green onion), stick-roasted char fish, and more.There’s a little bit of everything at Ouchi-juku.

Aizu Urushi Lacquerware
History & Culture

Aizu Urushi Lacquerware

Aizu Urushi Lacquerware has a very long history – predating lacquerware from Wajima or Tsushima. Aizu Lacquerware was originally produced in areas of Aizu that experience very heavy annual snowfall. The industry began to boom about 400 years ago - this development was initiated by feudal lord Gamo Ujisato’s endorsement of Aizu Lacquerware.From then onwards, techniques used in the production of Aizu Lacquerware were refined and Aizu Lacquerware became very famous in Japan.  You can make your paint your own design onto Aizu Lacquerware items, or even try painting with lacquer, in Aizu region.Makie Painting Experience WorkshopsSuzuzen (Aizu-Wakamatsu City) From 1,900 yen Page on Fukushima.Travel Website Suzutake (Aizu-Wakamatsu City) From 1,000 yen Must book in advance Page on Fukushima.Travel Website (Japanese)Bansho (Aizu-Wakamatsu City) From 1,200 yen  Irregular opening hours in winter Website (Japanese)Fukubun (Aizu-Wakamatsu City) From 1,600 yen Irregular opening hours Must book in advance Website (Japanese)Shitsugei Tsunoda (Urabandai Area) From 1,000 yen They also have an experience where you can paint with real lacquer (From 10,000 yen) Must book in advance Website (Japanese)

Maezawa L-shaped Farmhouses
History & Culture

Maezawa L-shaped Farmhouses

The deep snows of the Aizu region meant that, in the past, cut off from other areas for months at a time, its residents had to use all their wits just to make it through the winters. These L-shaped farmhouses known as "magariya" conceal a number of the innovations developed by this local people.As you can see in the layout of the house, the long earth floor stretches out towards the road. Long ago, horses were indispensable in farming, but the deep snow of winter meant that keeping them tied up in external stables was cruel. Therefore, stables were built into the house, meaning that the unfloored working area inevitably became larger. Having this area far from the road made getting to the road through the snow more difficult, as up to a meter can fall overnight. Accordingly, with the aim of reducing work, locating this working area as close as feasible to the road ended up with the house being laid out in an L-shape.Many of these houses were built in Maezawa and throughout Tateiwa Village, as a way of living with horses in the deep snows of the Aizu region.The houses have become more and more comfortable over time, with the "magariya" design lasting until the present day. While this magariya-style farmhouse used to be built everywhere that saw heavy snow, they are gradually disappearing. Accordingly, the Maezawa magariya have been designated as historical cultural assets.In 1985, the village began actively preserving these houses, and this area now attracts many visitors. One of the magariya buildings have been repurposed into a museum in the village where visitors can learn about life in Maezawa.

Kitakata Kura-no-Sato
History & Culture

Kitakata Kura-no-Sato

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.

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