Thank you for choosing our Around Japan in a Half Day Tour on Nov 8th,2025. We welcomed 2 guests from France. I hope all of you enjoyed and shared interesting conversations with us during the tour.
As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached to remember the fun times we had.
In our Tokyo Free Walking Tour we visited three antenna shops. The first one is Fukushima.
Do you know the attractiveness of Fukushima? Last 31st May, I wrote an Blog about Fukushima. Please refer to the article.
https://tfwt.jp/three-reasons-why-you-should-visit-fukushima-tour-report-of-around-japan-in-a-half-day-tour-on-may-31st2025/
At that time, I have never been to Fukushima, therefore I went there last month.
There are three reasons why you should visit Fukushima for sightseeing , historic beauty of Aizu Wakamatsu, natural beauty of Goshiki pond and delicious food. Of course, Kyoto, Tokyo and Hokkaido is three famous places for sightseeing. But I recommend it is better to go to Fukushima additionally . Of course, I am not a tout for a travel agency.
First is Aizu-Wakamatsu City is known for its well-preserved samurai district,
including Tsuruga Castle and the Aizu Bukeyashiki (samurai residences),
offering insights into Japan’s feudal era. In this castle the white walls and red-tiled roof evoke the bird’s white feathers and red crown.
- Tsuruga Castle is in Aizuwakamatsu. It was the home of the Aizu lord and a battle site in the Boshin War. Now it is a popular place to visit for its history and cherry blossoms.
This castle was built in 1593, before Edo period. In the end of Edo period, there is a Boshin war.
It was the shogunate warriors resisted the New Meiji Government. Aizu samurai fought hard but ultimately surrendered. In our Ueno tour there is a tomb of Shogi Tai. Shogi Tai was the guardian group of Tokugawa Yoshinobu who was the last Shogun in 1868. Ueno was the battlefield of Boshin War. If you have a chance to go Ueno Park of Tokyo Free Walking Tour, please compare.
- The Sazaedo Temple, located in Aizuwakamatsu City, is a unique wooden temple built in 1796. It is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.
The most remarkable feature is its rare double helix (spiral) structure, which is considered to be the only one of its kind in the world for a wooden building.
Inside, there are separate, one-way sloping passages for ascending and descending, meaning visitors never cross paths.
3. The Hanitsu Shrine, located at the foot of Mount Bandai in Inawashiro Town, Fukushima Prefecture, was established in 1675 and has since enshrined the successive lords of the Aizu domain. The main deity, Masayuki Hoshina, the founder of the Aizu domain, was a key figure in laying the foundations of the Edo shogunate, earning him the affectionate title of the “God of Children and Success.” Originally, the shrine’s grandeur earned it the nickname “Nikko of the Tohoku region,” but it was burned down during the Boshin War and rebuilt in the Meiji era.
Second is natural beauty of Gosiki pond and Ōuchi-juku.
- The name ‘Goshikinuma’ means ‘Five Colored Ponds,’ but it actually refers to a series of ponds
that change color depending on the weather, season, and viewing angle.
Last month I went there and it was the brilliant cobalt blue of Aonuma. Spectacular！
The autumn leaves are incredibly beautiful. Oct and Nov is the recommended highlight season.
- Ōuchi-juku was a vital post station on the Aizu Nishi Kaidō road during the Edo period,
which linked Nikko and Aizu. Today, it has become a popular tourist spot for people to experience the atmosphere of the past, thanks to the residents’ efforts to protect the traditional scenery. There are no power lines above ground.
Third is delicious food.
- Kitakata ramen is the most famous food for being topped with lots of chashu.
Noodles are usually thick, flat, curly and firm. Pork bones and fish stock are made separately and mixed later to make the soup of Kitakata ramen.
- Basashi is very delicious. It is raw horse meat. Horse meat has lots nutrition.
Horse sashimi is delicious when dipped in ginger soy sauce.
- The specialty of Ouchijuku is soba noodles eaten with a whole spring onion as chopsticks.
The tip is curved to make it easier to scoop.
We always strive to give high-quality tours. Your feedback is very important and useful
to us. If you have a comment, please consider posting comments about tours on TripAdvisor /Facebook, etc.
Your remarks will certainly help us improve and continue developing our tours.
Also, please tell your family and friends about us. Next time you’re in Tokyo,
please come to another one of our tours. Imperial Palace, Asakusa, Ueno park and Meiji Shrine.
Once again thank you very much.
For more information about our tour, please visit our website at
https://tfwt.jp/ , https://www.facebook.com/TokyoFWT
or Tokyo Free Walking Tour at https://www.tripadvisor.jp/.
(Posted by Yonehara)