Aizu in summer, 2014

2014/07/19 - 2014/07/21

I wanted to go to Aizu for a long time... My grandparents (from my mother's side) were born in this area and I have been there when I was 6 or 7 years old. But I didn't remember almost anything, only how the looks of my grand-grand mother. I have a strong feeling to this area, I feel my deep thought, like my roots are from it, Aizu Damashii. It was very impressive trip for me, even with no good weather.

エリア 福島

• 旅行の手配内容: 個別手配

When I was child, Akabeko ( Red cow ) was not like cute character, Yuru-chara.

This is the Aizu-Wakamatsu station and can see real design of Akabeko on the left size (not like cute the first picture). We rented a car for 3 days and drive around Aizu.

This is our car for 3 days, Bb of Nissan. It was easy and comfortable, I liked this car.

First we went to Tsuruga-jo, famous for the NHK TV drama, I guess. We parked the car in south parking lot.

We went up the castle, some floors we were not allowed to take photos, but some are ok. This view from the top. We could see Aizu Wakamatsu city well from it.

The Tsuruga-jo.

We went to the new complex a little walk from the castle. I wanted to eat its local dish, and I checked they have cutlet soaked with special sauce on rice.

Sauce Katsu-don with a little Soba noodle.

It was sooo yummy. I want to eat it again.

We planned to go to Aizu-Komagatake the second day, so we stayed the Aizu Kogen Hotel for the first night. It is an hour drive to the entrance for this mountain. This is the morning view from our room. The hotel was a bit old and so-so, with strange Swiss style, and there were many boys staying ( baseball team and boy scouts group ). Diner and breakfast are both bufet style but tastes were good, more than it looks.

This is the entrance for Aizu Komagatake ( tozan-guchi ), first part were stairs and steep road and we felt really tired even after 30 mins. And it was hot and humid, and my partner sweat like waterfall! Kawaiso!

It rained hard time to time at that day, so we needed to use umbrellas most of the way. But with this rain, we saw some beautiful misty scenery.

After steep muddy way and wooden stairs with pebbles, the road became less steep and we followed wooden path.

There were baby pine corns ( matsubokkuri ), it was my first time to see them.

There were some special plant and flowers for high area.

We could see the mountain hut on the top. I wanted to stay there for one night with this trip, but I couldn't make a reservation because of no vacancy... Anyway, I think we preferred to stay at hotel, which has nicer toillet... in my opinion. Well, tant pis about this kind of things.

It is in front of the mountain hut, there were benches and tables we can have rest and meals ( if it not rain! There were nobody when we climb down from the top, because of heavy rain.)

From the mountain hut, it is still 700m to climb up to the top, passing the snow even in middle of July.

It doesn't look like a photo in July!

I love to take pictures of moss, and this is pretty good moss, don't you think so?

After a little steep wooden road ( we both slipped on the way back, actually ), we reached the top of this mountain! Yappy!

Yes, we did picnic. We were so lucky, it was even sunny during eating and almost reserved for us, only we saw 2 groups there.

This plants is also very photogenic.

Sky reflected on the pond. Nice.

Cute floweres, like stars.

There were some waterfalls and found one on the way down from the mountain (by car).

This is the second hotel on this trip. It was nice and clean, and we could have private onsen ( Kazoku Buro ) with free of charge.

Food were excellent, they use food from that area. We payed about 15000 with 2 meals par person, I think it was good offer.

This is appetizer, I never had tofu with yomogi herb taste, bitter but special taste. And the marron was soft, moist and good taste.

There were grilled Ayu fishes, I didn't feel any muddy taste and it was ok ( I sometimes hate fish from river because feeling muddy taste ) but my partner couldn't eat it because of salty taste. So I ate 2 Ayu.

Breakfast was Japanese style and also tasted pretty good.

They have the nice garden with flowers. The name of this hotel is ''Hana Ki no Yado'' (Hotel with flowers and trees). I guess a lot of work to maintain this gardens.

There were a river and a waterfall close to the hotel.

First I thought it would have been good idea to hike around Five colors ponds (Goshikinuma) before trip, but we were so tired from climbing yesterday and even our shoes totally wet, so we changed the plan to go to Ouchijuku.

They cooled down bottles and vegetable in the stream. It would be the way to do it in old times.

Nice atmosphere with old style.

There were some local street sweets and foods.

Coloful ornament, good combination with old wooden wall.

I like those houses with flowers. Nice rural scenery, we can imagine old times.

We had a grilled Kintsuba, but it is almost like Imagawayaki. There is Anko (sweet beans paste) inside. Yammy!

We stepped up stairs behind the village. There is small shrine with roof with plants ( looks funny and cute ).

It is the image of Oouchijuku.

We went to the Soba noodle restaurant. Oouchijuku is famous for Negi Soba (Japanese soba noodle with leak). I knew ''Misawaya'' was the famous one, but we didn't want to line up so we chose the other restaurant with nice view. I ordered Negi Soba ( certainly! ) and he chose cold Soba with Daikon. First they brought us the Japanese pickles (Takuwan) and a leak! ( I didn't expect it was My leak ).

This is the Negi Soba! Usually eat noodle with a leak, instead of chopsticks, tasting their taste.

His Soba looked very very nice too.

This is the entrance of the restaurant. I think there were nice restaurants, not only ''Misawaya''. I recommend this too.

We still had time before coming back, so we went to Iimori mountain, famous for Byakko Tai ( Young soldiers in Aizu, who killed themselves in the Boshin war ).

It is the Sazae-do, spiral building ( like Pisa in Italy? ).

It is the graveyard for Byakko Tai. Feel sacred atmosphere.

It was so hot day, especially after walking in Iimoriyama, we needed to cool down our body... so had Soba ice cream. It was sooo tammy ( even my partner said the most delicious ice cream ever had! )