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Before you go
Your trip to Aizuwakamatsu.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Aizuwakamatsu – Fukushima Destination Aizu (Japan) — Aizuwakamatsu; Shimogo
How to get there
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Aeroporto de Fukushima (FKS) Sukagawa · 81 km
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Estação de Aizuwakamatsu 2 km
Approximate distances. Check flights and bus, train or boat schedules before you travel.
Aizuwakamatsu Station is on the Ban'etsu West Line, about 1h15 from Koriyama, where the Tohoku Shinkansen stops, about 1h20 from Tokyo. Express buses connect the town with Tokyo and Sendai. Fukushima Airport is about 80 km away.
How many days
One day covers the castle, Mount Iimori and the Bukeyashiki using the circular buses. With two days, add the Oyakuen garden, Nanokamachi Street and a sake brewery.
When to go
Mid-April, when the castle’s cherry trees bloom. Late September brings the Aizu Festival, with a historical parade. October to November has autumn foliage. Winter is cold and snowy, with the castle tower often capped in white.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Do you need a car?
No. The Haikara-san and Akabe circular buses depart from the station and stop at the castle, Mount Iimori, the Bukeyashiki and Nanokamachi Street. There are also rental bicycles.
Suggested itinerary
An order that works
Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.
One day in Aizuwakamatsu
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Morning
Mount Iimori
Take the circular bus to Mount Iimori, climb to the Byakkotai graves and enter Sazaedo, the double-spiral ramp pagoda.
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Afternoon
Tsuruga Castle
Head to Tsuruga Castle, climb the red-tiled tower with its museum and have tea at the Rinkaku tea house.
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Late afternoon
Nanokamachi Street
Walk along Nanokamachi Street, with storehouses and old lacquer, sweets and sake shops.
2 days in Aizuwakamatsu
Day 1
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Morning
Iimori and Bukeyashiki
Start at Mount Iimori and take the bus to Aizu Bukeyashiki, the large residence of the counselor Saigo Tanomo.
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Afternoon
Castle and Oyakuen Garden
Visit Tsuruga Castle and Oyakuen Garden, with its medicinal herbs and the tea house by the pond.
Day 2
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Morning
Sake brewery
Visit one of the town’s sake breweries, some offering tastings, and Nanokamachi Street.
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Afternoon
Higashiyama Onsen
End with a soak in Higashiyama Onsen, southeast of downtown, beside a stream.
Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.
Before you go
Frequently asked questions
Is Tsuruga Castle original?
No. The castle was demolished after the Boshin War of 1868; the current keep is a 1965 concrete reconstruction, which received red roof tiles like those from the Edo period. The stone walls and moats are original.
How to get around Aizuwakamatsu?
By the Haikara-san and Akabe loop buses, which depart from the station and stop at the main sites, with a one-day pass available. The center is also flat and good for cycling.
What is the akabeko?
It’s a papier-mâché doll of a red cow with a bobbing head, a traditional Aizu craft tied to a local legend. It’s sold in shops around town.
Where to taste sake in Aizuwakamatsu?
Several downtown sake breweries have shops and tasting rooms, some with guided tours. The mountain water and the rice from the Aizu basin support production.
Beyond the guide
