Aizuwakamatsu会津若松

A castle town that passes down the nature of samurai. The regional rice and sake are made from melted snow water.

Aizuwakamatsu, the main city in the Aizu district of Fukushima, was a castle town during the Edo Period. Inside the city are many historical buildings and sites, such as Tsuruga Castle, Oyaku-en Garden, that belonged to the lord of Aizu, samurai houses, Mt. Iimori-yama (a symbol of the process in the formation of modern Japan), and Otsuka-yama-kofun, one of the oldest burial mounds in the Tohoku region.

Old merchant houses and storehouses stand alongside modern buildings, and the town is currently undergoing renovation intended to make the most of its charming appearance. The Aizu Machikata Densho-kan is a local museum that showcases traditional industries and handicrafts, such as lacquerware, picture candles, cotton cloth and other goods from the various different areas in Aizu. The museum also has facilities where you can try making traditional crafts yourself, such as painting an 'akabeko' (red cow) on different items. Another attraction of the area is the journey by train between Aizuwakamatsu Station and Koriyama Station. You can enjoy a leisurely steam locomotive ride while gazing at beautiful scenery.

In addition, Aizuwakamatsu is one of Japan's main centers for sake (rice wine) production, and is famous for the fine taste of its sake that is made with pure melted snow water from the Iide-Asahi Mountain Range. There are many places where you can tour cellars and sample sake. The local sake goes well with local dishes such as 'Kozuyu' (scallop eyes, vegetables and other ingredients boiled in soy sauce and sake, a dish often made for celebratory occasions), 'Wappa-meshi' (a rice-based lunch in a round box) and Aizu chicken.