A scenic journey through lakes, forests, historic towns, local craftsmanship, and the quiet mountain life of Aizu.

สารบัญ

1. Lake Inawashiro
2. Tenkyokaku
3. Listel Inawashiro Herb Garden
4. Tatsusawa Fudo Falls
5. Jododaira
6. Issaikyō
7. Goshikinuma
8. Aizu Kannon
9. Nisshinkan
10. Sazaedo
11. Tsuruga Castle
12. Ouchi Dam
13. Ouchi-juku
14. Tonohetsuri
15. Takashiba Dekoyashiki
16. Takayashiki Inari Shrine
17. Numajiri Kogen Lodge (Accommodation)
18. Extreme Onsen Tour

AIZU ROAD TRIP

Green Season — 17 Stops Worth Taking the Long Way For Some places are made for ticking off a list. Aizu is made for taking your time. Here, the best moments often happen somewhere between the famous sights — on a quiet mountain road, beside a lake, in a tiny café, or when you suddenly spot a row of red torii through the trees. So, take the long way. How to Rent a Car in Japan
1.Prepare your Passport, Driver’s License & International Driving Permit (IDP)
2.Book your rental car online
3.Pick up the car at the rental office
4.Check the car before driving
5.Drive safely and follow Japanese traffic rules
6.Refuel the car before returning
7.Return the car on time

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Lake Inawashiro

Where the Sky Meets the Water Lake Inawashiro is so big that, on a clear day, it can almost fool you into thinking you’ve found the sea. The water stretches toward the horizon, with Mount Bandai standing quietly in the distance. In green season, the surrounding hills turn wonderfully lush, making the drive around the lake feel less like getting from A to B and more like a scenic screensaver you can actually drive through. Pull over. Get out of the car. Take a breath. There is no prize for rushing.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Lake Inawashiro

Map	Lake Inawashiro

Tenkyokaku

A Little Taste of Another Era Hidden among the greenery near Lake Inawashiro, Tenkyokaku feels like someone accidentally left a European-style villa in the Japanese countryside. Built as a summer retreat, this elegant wooden residence is full of charming details — grand stairs, old-fashioned rooms and little corners that make you want to slow down and look twice. Walk around the garden. Listen to the leaves. It is the kind of place that doesn’t shout for attention. It simply waits for you to notice.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Tenkyokaku

Map	Tenkyokaku

Listel Inawashiro Herb Garden

Flowers, Fresh Air & a View If your road trip needs a little colour, pull over at Listel Inawashiro Herb Garden. Depending on the season, the garden bursts into flowers and herbs across the hillside, with views stretching toward the surrounding mountains and countryside. Take a leisurely walk, find a sunny spot, and look back across Inawashiro. From up here, Aizu reveals itself piece by piece — mountains, fields, villages and that enormous lake quietly holding everything together.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Listel Inawashiro Herb Garden

Map	Listel Inawashiro Herb Garden

Tatsusawa Fudo Falls

Follow the Sound of Water you don’t really need a map here. Just follow the sound. As you walk into the forest, the air gets cooler and the rushing water gets louder. Then, through the trees, Tatsusawa Fudo Falls appears — tumbling down a dramatic rock face surrounded by brilliant green. In green season, the forest seems to turn the volume up. The leaves are greener. The air feels fresher. And for a few minutes, your phone becomes completely irrelevant.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Tatsusawa Fudo Fall

Map	Tatsusawa Fudo Fall

Jododaira

When the Road Climbs Into the Clouds Keep driving uphill and the scenery starts to change. Forest gives way to open volcanic landscapes, dramatic ridgelines and wide skies. Welcome to Jododaira. This is one of those stretches of road where you’ll instinctively slow down — not because you have to, but because there is simply too much to look at. Roll down the window. Let the mountain air in.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Jododaira

Map

Jododaira

Mount Issaikyo

Go Find the Witch’s Eye Some views require a little effort. The hike up Mount Issaikyō leads to one of Fukushima’s most enchanting sights: Majo no Hitomi — the Witch’s Eye. The crater lake sits high in the mountains, its deep blue water changing with the light and weather. There is no shortcut. You walk for it. And perhaps that’s exactly why the view feels so much better when you finally get there.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Mount Issaikyo

Map	Mount Issaikyo

Goshikinuma

Nature Doesn’t Do Just One Shade of Blue Goshikinuma literally means “Five-Colored Ponds.” And yes, nature really did decide to show off. Along the walking trails, you’ll find ponds in shades ranging from turquoise and emerald to deep blue, with the colours shifting depending on the light, weather and water conditions. Walk slowly. The forest is quiet, the birds are busy, and every turn seems to reveal another colour. No filter required.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Goshikinuma

Map	Goshikinuma

Aizu Mura

Aizu Mura or Inori no Sato Aizu Mura is a peaceful spiritual park surrounded by nature, best known for its enormous Aizu Kannon statue, which stands overlooking the grounds. Visitors can stroll through the gardens, visit temples and shrines, and enjoy moments of quiet away from the busy sightseeing routes. It is a place to slow down, breathe, and simply be present — a gentle reminder that sometimes a journey is not only about discovering somewhere new, but also finding a little peace along the way.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Aizu Mura

Map

Aizu Mura

Nisshinkan

Where Samurai Boys Went to School Before samurai became characters in movies and video games, they were students too. Nisshinkan was the educational institution for the sons of Aizu’s samurai families, where young boys studied everything from academics and martial arts to discipline and ethics. Walking through the grounds gives a different perspective on samurai culture. Not just warriors. Students first.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Nisshinkan

Map	Nisshinkan

Sazaedo

The Building That Refuses to Make You Turn Around At first glance, Sazaedo looks like a wonderfully strange wooden building. Then you step inside. The clever spiral structure allows visitors to walk upward and downward without retracing the same path. It’s part temple, part architectural puzzle and completely fascinating. You may find yourself wondering: “How did they come up with this?” A very reasonable question.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Sazaedo

Map

Sazaedo

Tsuruga Castle

Aizu’s White-and-Red Icon Tsuruga Castle is one of Aizu’s unmistakable symbols. Its white walls and red-tiled roof rise above the surrounding greenery, carrying centuries of history with them. But don’t just photograph the castle and leave. Take a walk around the grounds. In green season, the fresh leaves soften the fortress walls, creating a beautiful contrast between something built for war and a landscape that simply wants to grow.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Tsuruga Castle

Map	Tsuruga Castle

Ouchi Dam

The View You Didn’t Plan For Not every great view needs to be famous. Ouchi Dam sits along the road toward Ouchi-juku, surrounded by mountains and forests. It is the kind of place where you might stop simply because the view looks good from the driver’s seat. And that’s the beauty of a road trip. You don’t always know where the memorable moments are going to happen. Sometimes they’re hiding beside the road.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Ouchi Dam

Map

Ouchi Dam

Ouchi-juku

Step Into Old Japan Then suddenly, the road opens onto something that feels wonderfully out of time. Ouchi-juku is a beautifully preserved former post town, with rows of traditional thatched-roof houses lining the old street. Walk slowly. Look up. And don’t leave before trying the local specialty, negi soba — soba traditionally eaten with a long green onion instead of chopsticks. Yes, it works. And yes, it’s much harder than it looks.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Ouchi-juku

Map	Ouchi-juku

Tonohetsuri

A River Carved This for thousands — perhaps hundreds of thousands — of years, the Okawa River has been patiently carving its way through the rock. The result is Tonohetsuri: a spectacular series of cliffs shaped by nature into strange, almost otherworldly forms. Walk down toward the river and look up. The scale is difficult to capture in a photograph. But that’s okay. Some landscapes are better experienced than explained.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Tonohetsuri

Map	Tonohetsuri

Takashiba Dekoyashiki

Meet the Hands Behind the Craft Road trips are not only about landscapes. Sometimes, they’re about meeting the people who keep a place alive. At Takashiba Dekoyashiki, traditional papier-mâché dolls known as Deko have been handmade for generations. The colourful figures are more than souvenirs. They carry local stories, beliefs and the fingerprints of the people who make them. Pick one up. Look closely. You might just be taking home a tiny piece of Fukushima.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Takashiba Dekoyashiki

Map	Takashiba Dekoyashiki

Takayashiki Inari Shrine

A Hundred Red Torii in the Green Just outside Koriyama, a line of vermilion torii gates climbs through the greenery. This is Takayashiki Inari Shrine. Walk beneath the gates and you’ll gradually leave the noise of the road behind. At the top, turn around. The view opens across the countryside, with fields and distant mountains stretching beyond the shrine. It feels like a fitting beginning — or ending — to an Aizu road trip.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Takayashiki Inari Shrine

Map	Takayashiki Inari Shrine

Numajiri Kogen Lodge

Come Back to the Mountains After a day on the road, there is something wonderful about knowing exactly where you’re going to end up. Back in the mountains.
At Numajiri Kogen Lodge, the pace changes. The roads disappear into the forest. Dinner becomes the evening plan. The mountain air replaces city noise. And the hot spring is exactly where you want it to be.
This is not a place to simply sleep between sightseeing stops.
It is a place to stay awhile.
Wake up slowly.
Have breakfast.
Step outside.
Listen.
Then, when you’re ready, get back in the car and take the long way through Aizu again. Because the best road trips aren’t about how much you see.
They’re about how much you remember.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

More about Numajiri Kogen Lodge

Numajiri Kogen Lodge is a peaceful mountain retreat located in the Bandai-Asahi National Park area of Fukushima. Surrounded by forests and mountains, the lodge is a perfect base for enjoying nature and outdoor experiences throughout the year. The lodge was once owned by Junko Tabei, the Japanese mountaineer who became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. After being renovated, the lodge reopened in 2019 while preserving its connection to her legacy.

Natural Hot Spring

One of the highlights is the lodge’s natural acidic sulfur hot spring, sourced from the area around Mount Adatara. The spring has a pH of 2.1 and is enjoyed directly from the source. The open-air bath offers a relaxing way to experience the changing seasons, from fresh greenery and autumn leaves to snow-covered winter scenery.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Local Cuisine

Dinner is prepared using seasonal ingredients from Aizu, Tohoku, and Fukushima, presented as a Japanese seasonal course. Breakfast also features local ingredients, including organic rice from farmers in the Inawashiro area

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

A Place to Slow Down

The lodge’s cozy lounge provides a quiet space to relax after exploring the mountains. Guests can enjoy complimentary drinks such as organic wine, whisky, and coffee, while also discovering books and exhibits related to Junko Tabei and mountaineering. The rooms are designed for a peaceful stay, with no televisions or clocks, encouraging guests to disconnect from everyday life and simply enjoy the surrounding nature.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Experience Numajiri

Beyond staying at the lodge, guests can enjoy activities such as hiking, cycling, snowshoeing, skiing, and the Extreme Onsen experience, making Numajiri an ideal destination for travelers looking for nature, adventure, and relaxation in one trip. In one sentence: A quiet mountain lodge where nature, hot springs, local food, and the spirit of mountaineering come together.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Numajiri Kogen Lodge

Map	Numajiri Kogen Lodge

Extreme Onsen Tour

A hidden gem in the mountains of Fukushima, the Extreme Onsen Tour is an easy 3-hour round-trip hike starting directly from Numajiri Kogen Lodge. Follow the trail through the forest to discover the natural source of Numajiri’s hot spring, flowing from Mount Adatara, a volcanic mountain. Surrounded by untouched nature, this unique experience takes you to a place where hot spring water emerges directly from the earth. It is a perfect adventure for travelers looking to discover a lesser-known side of Fukushima. The meeting point is Numajiri Kogen Lodge. A local guide will lead the way, so you can explore with peace of mind.

Credit:Chill Chill Trip

Numajiri Kogen Lodge

Map	Numajiri Kogen Lodge
Website	Numajiri Kogen Lodge
Email	Aizu Dream Development