The Best of Fukushima japan-guide.com

Fukushima. You've probably heard of this place. Most of the world learned of Fukushima as the site of the nuclear accident following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. What happened here left an indelible mark. But if you explore this place today, you might find it very different. In this video, we want to introduce you to Fukushima Prefecture, the third largest prefecture in Japan, filled with amazing natural beauty, a fascinating history, and some of the warmest hospitality in the country. On this three-day road trip, we'll travel across the entire prefecture to visit some of Fukushima's best highlights and, we hope, show why this often overlooked destination is absolutely worth discovering for yourself. Here's the plan. From Tokyo, an 80-minute train ride on the Tohoku Shinkansen will bring us to southern Fukushima. On day one, we pick up our rental car and drive through the deep mountains of the Aizu region, where we'll explore a remote mountain village, a storied castle town, and stay at one of Japan's most atmospheric ryokan inns. Day two, we hike, taking in the landscapes of the spectacular volcanic mountains in the north, and ending the day at a remote hot spring. On day three, we explore Fukushima's rural countryside, visiting everything from one of Japan's oldest cherry trees to one of its first theme parks. As of 2021, the no-entry zone that remains off-limits as a result of the 2011 nuclear accident makes up less than 3% of the prefecture's total area. Outside of this zone, there are no travel restrictions within Fukushima Prefecture. My name is Joe Mignano, designer, developer, and staff writer for japan-guide.com, and I'll be on assignment for the next three days sharing with you the best that Fukushima Prefecture has to offer. Starting at Shin-Shirakawa Station, we drive into the mountainous Aizu region. Our first stop is the authentically preserved post From there, we'll head north to Aizu Wakamatsu and visit the remarkable Tsurugajo Castle and nearby Iimoriyama, and visit the unique Sazaedo Pagoda. And for the night, in a nearby valley, we'll stay in the hot spring resort of Higashiyama Onsen at the singular Ryokan Mukaitaki. Welcome to Aizu. We've just arrived in Ouchi-juku, one of the most interesting historical spots in Fukushima. During the Edo period, the shogun required that every feudal lord in Japan personally travel to Edo, now called Tokyo, and alternate living one entire year in the capital and in their own domains in order to keep them under close control. So the roads that led to Edo were really important, and so became shukuba, or postal towns that were built along the roads. These towns served as postal relay stations between big cities and served as rest stops for lords as well as common travelers alike, and Ouchi-juku is one of Japan's best preserved examples. This is an Ouchi-juku specialty, negi soba. No chopsticks needed. From Ouchi-juku, it's a short drive through the beautiful mountains of the Aizu region to my next stop, the castle town of Aizu Wakamatsu. This is Tsuruga-jo, the castle of Aizu Wakamatsu city. For over a thousand years, Aizu has had a proud, prosperous history here, making itself a force to be reckoned with in northern Japan. During the Edo period, Aizu thrived. Samurai values became a deep part of the culture here, and they built up a formidable military that became so renowned that it was deployed on missions all over the country. Tsuruga-jo castle has always been a symbol of pride for the people of Aizu. Today, this faithful restoration, down to the unique red roof tiles, is really one of Japan's most impressive. Aizu's history is long, and it's seen its share of prosperity and tragedy. At the edge of town, overlooking the city, there's a hill called Iimori-yama, with a story that every person in Aizu knows well. In 1868, the shogun was overthrown by the new Meiji government, bringing an end to the feudal era. All those loyal to the shogun were stripped of their power, sometimes by force. As a domain loyal to the shogun, Aizu stood its ground. Men, women, and children fought back against overwhelming numbers and superior firepower for an entire month, until finally their castle fell. During the siege, a troop of 20 teenaged boys retreated during a battle to this hill. From here, they watched as smoke rose from the city, and thinking that the castle was burning and hope was lost, they committed seppuku, ritual suicide. 19 were successful. Sadly, the castle hadn't yet fallen when they chose their fate. These graves memorialize the boys of the Byakkotai squad and their spirit of loyalty. Next to the memorial, you'll find a 200-year-old pagoda called the Its inner staircase is designed in a double helix structure, unlike any other in Japan. So we've escaped the city to Higashiyama Onsen, a hot spring resort just outside the city center, and I'm feeling extremely lucky to be staying at the legendary Mukaitaki Ryokan tonight. This used to be an exclusive retreat for the Aizu lords themselves. Since then, it's carried on as a ryokan for over 140 years. One of the best parts of a ryokan stay is dinner. My multi-course meal included local seasonal vegetables, tempura, and some house specialties. Freshwater trout sushi and koi sashimi. Fukushima is well respected in Japan for its tradition of sake brewing. Breweries in Aizu have even won some of Japan's highest awards. Of course, I had to try some. After dinner, there's no better way to end the night than with a dip in one of the ryokan's hot spring baths. From Aizu Wakamatsu, it's a short drive north into the spectacular landscapes surrounding Mount Bandai. Here, we'll take a walk around the lovely goshiki-numa colored ponds and then head higher into the mountains to Mount Azuma Kofuji, where we'll hike around the mountain's volcanic cone. Afterwards, we head to Takayu Onsen, a great nearby hot spring, where we'll stay the night. From Aizu Wakamatsu, a short drive north will lead you up into the mountains surrounding Mount Bandai. It's another beautiful day in Fukushima. We've traveled all the way from up into the mountains in the north and around the volcanic peak behind me, Mount Bandai. This area, appropriately, is called Ura Bandai, literally behind Bandai. In 1888, Mount Bandai actually had a devastating eruption that completely changed the shape of the mountain and formed the region I'm standing in now. This area is called goshiki-numa, or five-colored ponds. These ponds were formed after the eruption and took on unusual tints of blue and green thanks to the volcanic minerals in the water. One of the local specialties here in this area is sauce katsudon, or pork cutlets covered in a sweet sauce. That hits the spot. From the goshiki-numa area, the road that climbs up into the Azuma mountains is one of Fukushima's most scenic drives. So, if you know me, you know I love mountains, which is one reason I love this prefecture. Fukushima has some amazing peaks, some real hidden gem ski resorts, and, of course, hiking. And it'd be a shame to be surrounded by all these amazing mountains and not climb one. This is Azuma Kofuji, literally Azuma Mountains, Little Mount Fuji. But in real life, it's not so little. Not far from the Kofuji crater, a handful of hot spring towns and ryokan inns dot the mountainside, one of which is my stop for the night. In Japan, lots of volcanoes usually means lots of onsen. We're here in the 400-year-old hot spring town of Takayu Onsen, staying at Tamagoyu Ryokan. This ryokan is famous for its sulfuric milky blue water. For day three, we head down from the mountains to eastern Fukushima, stopping to admire the centuries-old Miharu Takizakura cherry tree, and then do a little spelunking in Abukumado Cavern. Finally, we reach Iwaki City, our final destination, where we'll visit the national treasure, Shidomizu Amidado Temple, and end our journey at Spa Resort Hawaiian's water park. We've just come down from the mountains, and we're now in the small town of Miharu, home of the Miharu Takizakura. This weeping cherry tree is estimated to be over 1,000 years old. Today, it's looking kind of green and leafy, but in mid-April, it's covered in cascades of cherry blossoms. It's ranked as one of the three great cherry trees of Japan, and some people consider it to be the single most beautiful cherry tree in the country. Just 30 minutes by car from Miharu, my next stop is the hills of the Abukuma Highlands, and what lies beneath them. We're at Abukumado Cave in eastern Fukushima. This is a cave network that was formed millions of years ago, but was only discovered in 1969. It's thought that this cave extends over two and a half kilometers into the ground. Let's go check it out. Over millions of years, Abukumado was carved out of limestone by flowing underground water, forming unique rock features and cathedral-like halls. We've just arrived in eastern Fukushima, and I'm now in the city of Iwaki. So when you think of ancient temples and shrines, famous places like Kyoto or Nara may come to mind, but northern Japan actually has some wonderful hidden gems of its own. This is Shiramizu Amidado. This temple said to have been built in 1160, and it's one of the very few partially surviving examples of a pure land garden left in Japan. The landscapes and serene islands are meant to evoke the Buddhist concept of the pure land. It's been a long hot summer day, so I am ready for this. We are at Spa Resort Hawaiians, the very first theme park ever built in Japan. I'm ready for a dip. Let's go. Thank you so much for watching. We hope this video helped you see a side of Fukushima Prefecture that is vibrant and very much worth visiting. We hope you'll consider exploring Fukushima for yourself in your future travels in Japan. For more information about Fukushima Prefecture, or to watch another video, click the links on the screen now, or head over to japan-guide.com, your comprehensive, up-to-date travel guide, firsthand from Japan. Thanks for watching, and be sure to subscribe and click the notification bell for more videos about Japan. Happy travels.