Aizu Activities

The Aizu region is a culturally interesting place to visit, and there are various Aizu activities if you need a rest day or at least an afternoon activity. Being on a tour or having a car is handy, as many of the activities are not concentrated in the one location.

Aizu Onsen

There are plenty of onsen in the region for a soak after a hard day on the slopes, and if your hotel doesn’t have an onsen, there are lots of hotels in Urabandai for example that permit day trippers to use their onsen.

On the outskirts of the city of Aizu Wakamatsu is the little onsen village of Higashiyama Onsen. The hotels have a range of onsen, and whilst the village is not quite as picturesque as it used to be, there are still some old traditional buildings such as the wooden Mukaitaki Ryokan. You could stay in one of the Higashiyama hotels to undertake activities in the area, or use it as a base for skiing or snowboarding. There are buses between Higashiyama Onsen and the South Gate of the Nekoma Ski Resort.

Aizu Wakamatsu Castle aka Tsuruga-jo Castle

The little city of Aizu Wakamatsu is well known for its samurai history. The Tsuruga Castle is a good spot to take in the history of the area as it was one of the last strongholds of the samurai, and it was a major battleground in the 1868 Boshin War at the end of the Edo period.

The white Aizu Castle is a reconstruction considering it was damaged during the battle, and its concrete construction should hold the test of time. The various floors of the castle have been converted into a museum, and the views from the top are lovely.

The park surrounding the castle also has a historic tea house, and the grounds are aesthetically appealing against the backdrop of the distinctive roof of the castle, especially if you’re there for cherry blossom season.

Ouchijuku

Whilst it’s a bit of a windy mountainous drive to get there, Ouchijuku is a nice activity whilst in the Aizu region. It is a former post town which was situated along the trade route between Nikko and Aizu during the Edo period. The main street consists of Edo period thatched roof dwellings and inns, which now house shops and restaurants, and there is also a museum. If you stop for lunch, the local specialty is the negi soba, which is soba noodles that you eat with a green onion.

Ouchijuku looks particularly picturesque when there is fresh snow, but undoubtedly your priority will be to get out skiing or snowboard instead if there’s fresh snow!

Other Aizu Activities

Nanokamachi-dori street is a good spot to see the traditional buildings and visit shops that have local crafts and Japanese antiques. There are various other activities in Aizu such as a reconstructed samurai mansion, visits to other historic buildings, a sake brewery, and the Enzoji Temple where the akabeko cow originated from, which is the paper-mache red cow souvenir that is commonly sold in Aizu.