Filter

Type

Season

Area

Apply Filter

487 results

Blog(Useful Information)

Getting to Ouchi-juku

  Tokyo to Ouchi-juku (Via Shin-Shirakawa) Koriyama to Ouchi-juku Fukushima to Ouchi-juku Aizu-Wakamatsu to Ouchi-jukuPlease note that all times are rough estimations and do not include accurate waiting times between stops. All prices listed below should be treated as guides. Prices for visitors traveling by car do not include the cost of gas.TOKYO STATION TO OUCHI-JUKU[photo id="JgSTsBdUUpbgAWoyV3q1CrNQmirxj85kzVguKA2F.png" size="original"]   Time taken (Approx.) Approx. cost p.p. JR Shinkansen, Local Trains & Taxi 3.5 hours 10,850 yen~  BY SHINKANSEN & LOCAL TRAIN: Take the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Koriyama Station. At Koriyama Station, switch to the Ban-etsu West Line and take the train heading to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station. From Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, take the Aizu Railway Line to Yunokami Onsen Station, and then take the Saruyu-go bus or taxi to Ouchi-juku. (See here for more details on reaching Ouchi-juku from Aizu-Wakamatsu.) KORIYAMA TO OUCHI-JUKU  [photo id="hEmzx4bl3zyRdIVI20PZe3BRqCdTTRHkO1mHwXvT.png" size="original"]   Time taken (Approx.) Approx. cost p.p. Drive (Expressways and National Roads) 1 hour 35 min 1,490 yen~ Local Train & Bus 2.5 hours 3,170 yen~ Local Train & Taxi 2 hours 10 3,170 yen~  BY CAR (VIA EXPRESSWAYS): Take the Tohoku Expressway north towards Sendai. At Koriyama JCT, switch onto the Ban-etsu Expressway, heading west towards Niigata. Continue on this road and exit at the Aizu-wakamatsu I.C. Exit. Take local roads the rest of the way to Ouchi-juku. BY LOCAL TRAIN: Take the Ban-etsu West Line and get off at Aizu-Wakamatsu Station. From Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, take the Aizu Railway Line to Yunokami Onsen Station, and then take the Saruyu-go bus or taxi to Ouchi-juku. (See here for more details on reaching Ouchi-juku from Aizu-Wakamatsu.) FUKUSHIMA TO OUCHI-JUKU[photo id="7TMQVipMQTB9e0gsunIj8QrURnIkOQKmYotKU4NM.png" size="original"]   Time taken (Approx.) Approx. cost p.p. Drive (Expressways & National Roads) 2 hours 2,310 yen~ Expressway Bus, Local Train & Bus 2.5 hours 3,830 yen~ Expressway Bus, Local Train & Taxi 2.5 hours 3,830 yen~  BY CAR (EXPRESSWAYS): Take the Tohoku Expressway heading to Tokyo. At Koriyama JCT (Junction), change onto the Ban-etsu Expressway, heading west for Niigata. Keep on this expressway until you get to Aizu-Wakamatsu I.C. Exit the expressway here. From here, take local roads to Ouchi-juku. BY EXPRESSWAY BUS & LOCAL TRAIN: Take the expressway bus from Fukushima to Aizu-Wakamatsu. From Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, take the Aizu Railway Line to Yunokami Onsen Station, and then take the Saruyu-go bus or taxi. (See here for more details on reaching Ouchi-juku from Aizu-Wakamatsu.) AIZU-WAKAMATSU TO OUCHI-JUKU[photo id="iIau9diVt4Y5hVaOz1OPSn5g21p86a3nvS1rSYaQ.png" size="original"]   Time taken (Approx.) Approx. cost p.p. Drive (National Roads) 55 min — Local Train & Bus 60 min 2,030 yen~ Local Train & Taxi 50 min 2,030 yen~  BY CAR (EXPRESSWAYS): It takes around 55 minutes to drive from Aizu-Wakamatsu to Ouchi-juku via the national roads. BY LOCAL TRAIN & BUS: Take the Aizu Railways Line train bound for Aizu Tajima. The first two stops will be on the Tadami Line, but then the train will change onto the Aizu Railways Line. There’s no need to swap trains as long as you’re on a train heading for Aizu Tajima. Please note, the Aizu Railways Line is not a JR train line. Get off the train after 30 minutes at Yunokami Onsen Station. From there, take the Saruyu-go Bus to Ouchi-juku.  SARUYU-GO BUS (YUNOKAMI ONSEN OUCHI-JUKU) This bus travels between Yunokami Onsen and Ouchi-juku, stopping en-route at To-no-hetsuri Crags. There are 8 Saruyu-go buses traveling in each direction daily. The last bus in either direction tends to depart close to 4:00 PM.  The Saruyu-go bus service runs between April and late-November. A 1-day pass costs around 1,000 yen per person. Check out the Aizu Railway website about the Saruyu-go Bus. The bus takes you to the entrance of Ouchi-juku. To get to the Yunokami Onsen Station bus stop, step out of the station, turn left, and walk down the hill. (See here: Yunokami Onsen Station Bus Stop)Click here for the special Snow Festival schedule for 2024. BY LOCAL TRAIN & TAXI: Take the Aizu Railways Line train bound for Aizu Tajima. The first two stops will be on the Tadami Line, but then the train will change onto the Aizu Railways Line. There’s no need to swap trains as long as you’re on a train heading for Aizu Tajima. Please note, the Aizu Railways Line is not a JR train line. Get off the train after 30 minutes at Yunokami Onsen Station. From Yunokami Onsen Station, call a taxi. You’ll arrive at Ouchi-juku in around 10 minutes. Check our guide about taking taxis in Japan.  

Getting to Ouchi-juku
Nature & Scenery

Tenkyokaku

Named by the Crown Prince Yoshihito upon its opening in 1907 as “The Palace of Heaven’s Mirror”, Tenkyokaku is a decadently decorated former villa.Imperial Prince Arisugawa Takehito decided to build Tenkyokaku after being impressed by the beauty of Lake Inawashiro during a visit to the Tohoku District. His family, the Arisugawa-no-miya Family, owned the villa until 1952, when it was granted to Fukushima Prefecture.Tenkyokaku has since been used as a meeting hall and a space for lectures and exhibitions. The former villa, its annex and its front gate have been specified as important cultural properties of Japan.Despite being restored in 1984, the building retains many of its original features, including the impressive chandelier which can be seen below.Despite no longer being able to see Lake Inawashiro from the windows of Tenkyokaku, the luxurious renaissance-style architecture and liberal use of all things gold and glittery means that visitors will by all means feel that its name still rings true.For only 1000 yen, you can dress up in a traditional outfit and take as many photos as you would like in the building!

Tenkyokaku
Events

Taimatsu Akashi (Torch Festival)

With a history stretching back over 400 years, the Taimatsu Akashi is one of the three major fire festivals in Japan. As the night grows darker and the bonfires flare brightly here and there around the venue, groups of local junior high and senior high school students march through the town carrying 30 8-meter-long wooden torches called Hon-taimatsu, which they created by themselves, followed by a group of young men carrying the huge wooden torch called the Dai-taimatsu (10 meters long and weighing about 3 tons), and a group of women carrying a smaller wooden torch called the Hime-taimatsu (6 meters long and weighing 1 ton). These torches are carried to the top of Mt. Gorozan. There is also a wooden frame depicting Sukagawa Castle and a group of samurai warriors. As the drummers from Oushu Sukagawa Taimatsu-Daiko Hozonkai powerfully beat their Taimatsu-Daiko drums, the torches and the wooden frame are lit with a sacred fire carried up by a group of runners from Nikaido Shrine. The whole mountain looks as if it is on fire. The combination of fire and the beating of the drums is reminiscent of the days in the Warring States period. Local students form chanting squads to cheer on their torch as it burns - this main section with the flaming torches takes around an hour. In recent years, this traditional event has become well known as a participatory festival, allowing neighborhood associations, local elementary school pupils, and tourists to join the parade to Mt. Gorozan, each carrying a thin torchwood called a Sho-taimatsu (10 cm in diameter). 2024 ROUTE MAP IN ENGLISH The schedule for the 2024 festival was as follows: 11:00　Midorigaoka Park Grass Square Food and drink corner   13:00-16:00     tette Small torch making corner Note: After making your torch, you can join the small torch procession at 17.15.   13:00-16:00     Taimatsu Street Sukagawa Shinkin Bank Head Office (Parking Lot) Commemorative photo with warriors in armor Free Sengoku Nabe (pork soup) while stocks last Sale of agricultural products Shizuoka City Specialty Products Corner Taimatsu Akashi Historic Site and Battlefield Walk Meeting Point (15:15) Karate demonstration   13:30-14:10     In front of Yoshida Clinic on Taimatsu Street Torch presentation   14:00   Torch Street Miyasakicho area Sukagawa First Junior High School torch parade start   15:00   In front of Yoshida Clinic on Taimatsu Street Large torch departure   17:30-17:45     Nikaido Shrine Sacred fire offering ceremony (receiving the sacred fire to light the torch)   17:00 (scheduled)       Myoken Children's Park Local organisations torch procession starts   17:15-18:00     Miharashibashi Parking Lot   General torch procession starts Please participate with small torches made at the small torch crafting corner. Small torches will also be available for purchase (500 yen each, limited to 100)   18:00-19:45     Mt. Goro Special Stage Taiko drum performances   18:30   Mt. Goro main festival area The large torch and 20 main torches are lit in sequence.

Taimatsu Akashi (Torch Festival)
Hot Springs

Bandai Atami Onsen

It is said that Bandai Atami Onsen was founded about 800 years ago by Princess Hagi Hime, as the waters were thought to cure certain diseases. Now Bandai Atami Onsen has become famous in Japan as an onsen resort town with hot spring water that has beautifying effects. It is also well-known for the fantastic views bathers can enjoy of the Gohyakugawa River valley, which are visible from the town's open-air baths. The soft and gentle quality of the spring water makes your skin amazingly smooth, so please lie back, relax and rest your body, and mind too. Bandai Atami Onsen is popular as Koriyama’s go-to sanctuary for taking a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and the charming ryokan of this town attract people heading for Bandai Kogen sightseeing spots as well as those in Aizu.

Bandai Atami Onsen
Nature & Scenery

Bandaisan Gold Line

The Bandaisan Gold Line road connects Bandai Kogen, a highland rich with lakes diverse in shapes and size, and various alpine plants, and the Aizu area, which has an immensely rich and fascinating history. This submontane sightseeing road offers diverse views of Mt. Bandai (known in Japanese as 'Bandai-san') and can lead visitors to either the mountain's rugged caldera or to the picturesque Lake Inawashiro. Visitors can discover new hidden gems every time they explore the Gold Line by car, making it a very popular spot to return to among tourists and locals. The area surrounding the road is known as a foliage-viewing spot with hairpin curves that carve through the woodlands. On the walking trail that leads to Baya-ike, a "phantom" waterfall, visitors can take in the beauty of the landscape as they hike. The most highly recommended walking course extends from Happodai to the Oguninuma wetlands, where in late June, visitors are greeted by ban array of beautiful, broad dwarf day-lilies.

Bandaisan Gold Line
History & Culture

Fukushima Agricultural Technology Centre

A foothold for the promotion of farming in Fukushima Prefecture - the size of 12 Tokyo Domes! Fukushima Agricultural Technology Centre is a new foothold for the promotion of agricultural in Fukushima Prefecture. It serves as a hub for the spread of technological development and safe agricultural practices, as well as being an important facility for agricultural education. The Centre has strengthened a system of experimentation and research in order to provide technical support to local farmers, and is spreading awareness of the importance of agriculture and of making use of open facilities (such as the Centre's Exchange Building and farming exhibitions) among local consumers and children. The facilities include the Management & Research Building, the Experiment Building, the Exhibition Greenhouse, and the Exchange Building, which is constructed from lumber grown locally in Fukushima Prefecture. From the observation deck, you can take in an expansive view of the entire facility.

Fukushima Agricultural Technology Centre
Nature & Scenery

Hanamomo-no-Sato Park

From early April right up to the start of May, 40 varieties of blossoming peach trees present a feast for the eyes for visitors to Hanamomo-no-Sato Park. There are over 300 peach trees spread across the 8,000 square meters of land. From blossoms with a single layer of petals, to the elaborate Yae-zakura and Kikuzaki Sakura flowers, there is a huge variety in the shapes and colours of cherry blossoms to be discovered and enjoyed at Hanamomo-no-Sato Park. As well as being free to visit, Hanamomo-no-Sato Park is conveniently located; just 20 minutes on foot from Iizaka Onsen Station.

Hanamomo-no-Sato Park
History & Culture

Takashiba Dekoyashiki (Takashiba Craft Village)

A traditional craftsmen's village bestowing an air of the olde-worlde. The papier-mâché crafts of the town, made lovingly by hand for generations, will bring a smile to your face. Takashiba Dekoyashiki is an historical craftsmen's village, and was at one time under the protection of the Miharu feudal domain. Dating back 300 years to the Edo Period, this community is said to have been born when a traveller from Kyoto taught the people how to craft papier-mâché dolls using a special paint called 'nikawa'. Take a walk through the nikawa-scented streets of Takashiba Dekoyashiki and step into the Japan of old. Visitors can try their hand at painting various traditional crafts, including the Miharu-koma horse wooden doll.

Takashiba Dekoyashiki (Takashiba Craft Village)
Cultural Experiences

Aizu Painted Candles Craft Experience

Aizu Erosoku (painted candles) are sumptuous items that were long-prized among samurai families. Delicate and vivid patterns such as chrysanthemums, plum blossoms, and peonies are painted onto candles made of natural Japan wax extracted from the fruits of lacquer trees. Each candle is still painstakingly painted one by one, and they serve as regal decorations in Shinto and Buddhist ceremonies and weddings. A candle painting experience is available at Ozawa Candle Shop (Reservation required).

Aizu Painted Candles Craft Experience
Nature & Scenery

Urabandai Highlands

The Urabandai highlands of northern Fukushima Prefecture, are situated at an altitude of 800 meters and surrounded by Mt. Bandai, Mt. Adatara, and Mt. Azuma. The highlands were created by Mt. Bandai erupting in 1888. Urabandai is part of Bandai Asahi National Park and offers a variety of seasonal attractions. Cool weather in summer and deep snow in winter make Urabandai a perfect place for both indoor and outdoor enjoyment. About 300 lakes and ponds, including the Goshiki-numa Ponds and Lake Hibara, are scattered across Urabandai. The harmonious beauty of nature created by the abundant woodlands and lakes will certainly touch the hearts of all visitors.

Urabandai Highlands
Nature & Scenery

Kassenba's Weeping Cherry Tree

These two weeping cherry trees are said to be the grandchildren of the great Miharu Takizakura weeping cherry tree in nearby Miharu Town. They bloom with fantastic pink flowers. When they are in full bloom, the trees are if a waterfall of blossoms is cascading from their branches. These trees are estimated to be around 170 years old. We recommend taking photographs from the bottom of the slope, so you can capture the pink of the blossoms, together with the blue of the sky, and yellow of the canola flowers.

Kassenba's Weeping Cherry Tree
Itineraries(Nature)

Onsen & Sightseeing in Aizu by Train

Jump start your vacation in Fukushima’s Aizu region with this multi-day tour, which can be enjoyed at any time of year. These ideas make for great additions to already existing plans, or as a tour of their own. No matter how you decide to use this itinerary, you won’t be disappointed. Travel by train and local bus, or taxi, to enjoy Aizu to the fullest. Begin your adventure at Aizu-Wakamatsu Station (don’t forget to snap some pics of its bowing red akabeko cow out front) and use the local bus or taxi to make your way for Tsurugajo Castle. Walk through the gardens and grounds of this magnificent castle and marvel at the red-tile roof—the only one of its kind in all of Japan. Inside you can tour the castle keep and see the artifacts of Aizu, let history come to life before your eyes. From the castle, travel to Nanokamachi-dori Street; this quaint area has preserved its early-20th century architecture and is now home to souvenir boutiques and many diners and hidden gems. With that being enough for one day’s excitement, head over to Higashiyama Onsen and soak your travel aches away in the hot springs of Harataki ryokan, which even has its own hot spring source. You’ll love taking a dip in these hot, refreshing, and soothing waters—the outside open-air bath is especially recommended. The next day, why not head over to Ouchi-juku, here you can tour an authentic preserved Aizu village and try local cuisine. The whole area gets really busy in winter and, if you’re brave enough to face the cold, the snow festival is a popular event.  

Onsen & Sightseeing in Aizu by Train
Top