Aizu Gourmet Day Tour

  • 3 destinations
  • One Day

Bring an empty stomach to this one-day tour of Aizu cuisine and drink! This wonderful tour can be enjoyed any time of the year, making it an exceptional choice to add into your existing travel plans for the area. Travel by train, local bus, and taxi to reach your destinations and let your appetite lead you to your goal! How many new foods will be added to your favorites?

Leave from Kitakata Station to try Fukushima’s famous Kitakata ramen for an early lunch at the popular Shokudo Hasegawa. The gentle flavor of the broth lends itself especially well to the ramen’s toppings and the texture of the homemade noodles. Kitakata Ramen is one of the most famous types of ramen in Japan, and Kitakata City is crowded with shops and diners, with Hasegawa being a popular spot to dine!

From there, travel to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, where you will have easy access to many of the most wonderful sightseeing spots of the region—but you’re here for food and drink! You’ll go on to Suehiro Sake Brewery where you can learn how the drink is made and—at the end of the tour—enjoy a wide variety of free samples (so long as you aren’t driving). 

Finally, head over to Mitsutaya and treat yourself to some of their delicious hearth-roasted skewers. The flavors will melt in your mouth and warm you up should it prove a cold day. Finish off back at Aizu-Wakamatsu Station with a full stomach and plenty of memories.

Start

Kitakata Station

From Kitakata Sta., get to Shokudo Hasegawa in 10 min by taxi (or 30 min by local bus).

View directions

Shokudo Hasegawa

  • Aizu Area
  • 60

This ramen shop has the characteristically simple flavors of Kitakata Ramen with their curly noodles. The Shokudo Hasegawa is one of the oldest ramen shops in Kitakata City. They use an original plump curly noodle with a satisfactory broth with flavors including soy sauce, salt, miso, and spicy miso.

From Shokudo Hasegawa, take a taxi for 10 min to Kitakata Sta. From there, take the Ban-etsu West Line to Aizu-Wakamatsu Sta. (15 min). From Aizu-Wakamatsu Sta., take a taxi for 10 min to Suehiro Sake Brewery. (Or drive there in 35 min)

View directions

Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura

  • Aizu Area
  • 60

Come observe sake brewing at Suehiro Sake Brewery, established in 1850. This experience is highly recommended. After you’ve gained an understanding of nihonshu (Japanese sake) from their experts, you’ll be able to apply your new knowledge at a tasting and select your souvenirs.

Mitsutaya is a 3 min from Suehiro Sake Brewery.

View directions

Mitsutaya

  • Aizu Area
  • 60

Mitsutaya is a speciality shop with roots starting from the end of the Edo Period (around 1835). The store interior is a renovated miso storehouse, which gives you the opportunity to enjoy a local Aizu meal called 'Miso Dengaku'. This is a deeply desirable meal taken simply by a charcoal hearth. Each skewer is cooked one at a time, with delicious foods like konjac, deep-fried tofu, round mochi, and a speciality called 'Shingoro Mochi' on the ends. Each is coated in miso for an unforgettable and savory flavor.

Reach Aizu-Wakamatsu Sta. in 8 min by taxi.

View directions
Finish

Aizu-Wakamatsu Station

Other Trips

Kitakata Gourmet Tour
Kitakata Gourmet Tour
Kitakata Gourmet Tour
Food

Kitakata Gourmet Tour

It is time for a taste of Kitakata like never before. Add in these stops to your day tour of the area and be satisfied by the many tastes of the region. The best part? This tour can be taken at any time of the year, by bus or by taxi. You’re in for a treat when you visit these stops. Start at Kitakata Station, famous for one of Japan’s most popular ramen—Kitakata ramen! In fact, Kitakata has more ramen shops per area than any other place in Japan. It will be easy to find a place to tuck into a hot bowl of the delicious noodles but before you go, why not learn more about the tasty dish? At the Kitakata Ramen Shrine you can do just that. Learn about the history of this culinary delight and see the process that ramen has undergone to become such a favorite all around the country. After you’ve had your fill of learning it’s time to fill up on ramen itself. At Shokudo Hasegawa, you can enjoy the gentle taste of the broth and how the texture of the noodles complements the toppings of the ramen. Now that you’ve had something salty it’s obviously time for a sweet treat! And what better place than Okuya Peanut Factory? Here, you can try peanut-flavored soft-serve ice cream; the creamy, gentle sweetness of the peanut soft-serve is sure to melt away any worries you have. Once you have filled up on the tastes of Kitakata, it’s time to head back to Kitakata Station.  

Ouchi-juku Gourmet Trip
Ouchi-juku Gourmet Trip
Ouchi-juku Gourmet Trip
Food

Ouchi-juku Gourmet Trip

Have a gourmet adventure in Ouchi-juku, Aizu. The Aizu area of Fukushima Prefecture is known for its eclectic and delicious foods, not to mention the absolutely fantastic scenery. Enjoy this one-day itinerary that you can do at any time of year by public transport. Walk your way through Ouchi-juku and admire the local sights and cuisine. You’ll arrive at Ouchi-juku by bus from Yunokami Onsen Station. The unique architecture will be a feast for your eyes but the real feasting will begin once you arrive at Misawaya. At Misawaya, you can experience any of the three amazing shops; take a lunch of authentic buckwheat noodles, called soba, or try some of the local Japanese sake, or if alcohol isn’t your thing, why not enjoy a refreshing cup of hot green tea? Refresh yourself at Misawaya and then venture out to Honke Kanouya. While there might not be much to munch on at Honke Kanouya, you can instead please your other senses with the local handicrafts of the area. Find some delightful souvenirs to take home. Finish off your visit just around the corner from Honke Kanouya; here you’ll find Sabo Yamadaya Café, a lovely café that fully displays the charms of the Aizu region in their décor and food. You should definitely try some of their snow-cured coffee (yukimuro coffee) while you’re there!

A Snowshoe Winter Frolic
A Snowshoe Winter Frolic
Adventure

A Snowshoe Winter Frolic

Explore a winter wonderland in the Urabandai area. Not feeling up to skiing the slopes of Urabandai? Try a more casual activity that everyone can enjoy; snowshoe trekking through the wintery scenery of Urabandai in Aizu. Take a taxi from Inawashiro Station to Moku-Moku Shizen Juku. It is here that your authentic snowshoe trekking tour will begin. Walk along the snowy paths and see sights not offered by other sightseeing tours in the area. See winter up close and even chance to walk upon frozen lakes or ponds—with the guidance of your travel guide. What sort of animal tracks will you be able to spot along the way as you trek through the fresh snow? Feel the uncharted course of Aizu wilderness. Now that you have become accustomed to the Aizu winter, let’s try some skiing or snowboarding at Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Snow Park & Resort! With slopes for beginners or veterans, you will love everything that Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Snow Park & Resort has to offer. There are a number of facilities that offer snowshoe trekking experiences in the Urabandai area.

Fukushima’s Revitalization Educational One-Day Trip
Fukushima’s Revitalization Educational One-Day Trip
Fukushima’s Revitalization Educational One-Day Trip
Culture

Fukushima’s Revitalization Educational One-Day Trip

This is a model itinerary for visitors who would like to learn about Fukushima’s revitalization. The coastal area of Fukushima is the only place in the world to have survived a triple disaster: an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear disaster. Following extensive decontamination efforts and a great deal of demolition and reconstruction, several areas that were once designated as ‘difficult to return’ have started welcoming both residents and visitors again, with many residents eager to share their stories with the world. This itinerary centers on the towns of Futaba and Namie, both of which were severely affected by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident in 2011.  The first stop is Futaba station and the surrounding Futaba Art District, a mural art initiative that pays homage to the residents and folk art of the town. From there, you’ll visit the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum, which has a detailed account of the area before, during, and after the disaster. At the museum, you’ll learn about the stories and testimonies of locals, as well as the plans and ideas for the future of Fukushima. The last stop is the remains of the Ukedo Elementary School in Namie town. Although the school building, located only 300 meters from the sea, sustained great damage from the tsunami, students, teachers and staff were able to evacuate from the school safely, for which it is known as a ‘miracle’ school.  This is a one-day itinerary, but we recommend staying somewhere in the coastal area of Fukushima after your visit.  

Show All(33)
Top