Sights in Northern Honshū
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Aizu Bukeyashiki
Saigō Tanomo was the Aizu clan's chief retainer and Aizu Bukeyashiki is a superbly realised reconstruction of his yashiki (villa). Wander through the 38 rooms that include a guestroom for the Aizu lord, a tea-ceremony house, quarters for the clan's judge and a rice-cleaning mill presented here in full, noisy working order. Don't miss the samurai lavatory: underneath is a sandbox on wheels, an 'early-warning system' that could be removed so staff could monitor the health of the warriors.
You'll also find the room where Tanomo's wife and children committed suicide, fearing he wouldn't return from combat in the Bōshin War - although the utter impassivity of the wax models …
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Sendai-jō Ato
Sendai-jō Ato is the second of Sendai's star attractions. Though destroyed during Allied bombing in WWII, the giant, moss-covered walls are as imposing as they are impressive - and the spot makes a great meander. Built on Aoba-yama in 1602 by Date Masamune, it was commonly known as Aoba-jō (Green Leaves Castle), after a nearby spring that flowed even during times of drought.
It affords sweeping views over the city, but keep in mind that there's not a lot here other than a stirring statue of Masamune on horseback, views, and little shops and restaurants. For the Japanese it's the spirit that counts, and armed with a little knowledge of the Masamune legend, it's rather ea…
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Sado Kinzan Gold Mine
You'll have to venture up a steep mountain to access this gold mine, which produced large quantities of gold and silver until its demise in 1989. Descend into the chilly depths where you'll encounter robots that dramatise the tough existence of former miners. A further 300m up the mountain is Dōyū-no-Wareto, the original opencast mine where you can still see the remains of the workings. Buses run occasionallyin high season.
It takes around 30 minutes to return on foot down the mountain road to Aikawa. On the way you'll pass several temples and Aikawa Kyōdo Hakubutsukan, a folk museum with more exhibits from the old mine.
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Tsuruga-jō
The Aizu clan made Tsuruga-jō, their headquarters. The present building is a 1965 reconstruction, but parts of the daunting walls remain, as does the castle's moat. Inside, there's a museum with historical artefacts from battle and daily life. Displays are a bit sketchy, although the frequent martial-arts demonstrations, carried out by adepts in full warrior regalia, are engaging. The 5th storey affords a terrific view of the surrounding town and valley, including Iimori-yama.
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Aoba Castle Exhibition Hall
If you don't have an intimate knowledge of the Masamune legend when you climb the Sendai-jō Ato hill, you can get it at the Aoba Castle Exhibition Hall. A computer-generated film depicts the castle's former glory; its graphics are so similar to modern video games that Sony PS3 or XBox aficionados will start expecting samurai warriors to jump out from behind the castle if they don't toss a grenade. You can get English-language headsets.
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Zuihō-den
Masamune Date's mausoleum, Zuihō-den, is at the summit of a tree-covered hill by the Hirose-gawa. It was originally built in 1637, destroyed by Allied bombing during WWII and reconstructed in 1979. The present building is an exact replica of the original, faithful to the ornate and sumptuous Momoyama style: a complex, interlocking architecture, characterised by multicoloured woodcarvings.
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Aizu Sake Brewing Museum
The Aizu Sake Brewing Museum details the history of rice-wine brewing in the area. A fair number of English signs and an English pamphlet make it easy to get a basic sense of the brewing process. Life-size dioramas and old sake advertisements add to the charm. Naturally you can sample the famous tipple for the price of admission.
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Bunya puppet performances
Bunya puppet performances, a traditional form of puppetry that's been a feature of Sado life for over 250 years. From stop 1 outside the Ryōtsu ferry terminal, frequent buses run to Sawata and onto Aikawa on the Hon-sen line. The performanecs, staged by Silver Village, occur near the bus terminal in Sawata.
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Kunimisō
Kunimisō is one of Sado's most popular minshuku, due to its collection of bunya puppets, which the owner likes to demonstrate to guests. It's 15 minutes by bus from Ryōtsu to the Uryūya bus stop, then a long walk. Phone ahead for a pick-up.
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Ryōtsu
With its grand mountain backdrop, Sado's main hub is quite pretty, as far as ports go. The central area is a 10-minute walk north of the ferry terminal, which is surrounded by nō artefacts; statues pepper the terminal and a giant mask rises above the trees.
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Oyaku-en
Oyaku-en is a meditative garden complex with a large, central carp pond. Originally a holiday retreat for the Aizu clan, it features a section devoted to the cultivation of medicinal herbs (available for purchase) - a practice encouraged by the lords.
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Sazae-dō
Sazae-dō, an 18th-century hexagonal hall, contains 33 statues of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy). It also has a fabulous spiral staircase that, Escher-esque, allows you to walk up and down without retracing your steps.
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Byakkotai Memorial Hall
Iimori-yama (飯盛山) is the mountain where a group of 'White Tiger' samurai killed themselves during the Bōshin Civil War. At the foot of the mountain, the Byakkotai Memorial Hall explains the story.
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Sendai City Museum
At Sendai City Museum there's a scale model of Sendai castle, along with an exhaustive account of the Masamune era. Among some 13,000 artefacts loaned from the Date family is his distinctive armour.
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Konpon-ji Temple
This temple, with its thatched roof and pleasant gardens, is where Nichiren was first brought when exiled. Buses between Ryōtsu and Mano on the No 2 Minami-sen line stop in front here
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Rinkaku
On the Tsuruga-jō castle grounds, Rinkaku is an evocative, 400-year-old teahouse that was rescued from the castle's destruction by a local family and returned here in 1990.
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Sado Nōgaku-no-sato
Peruse this hi-tech museum of nō drama, with displays of masks and costumes and performances of nō enacted by a cast of animatronic actors.
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Fukushima Prefectural Museum
For nonfeudal glimpses into Aizu-Wakamatsu's history, try the Fukushima Prefectural Museum, with 400 displays ranging from prehistoric times to recent history.
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Underwater Christmas Tree
Divers can go down and see presents, lights, decorations. A similar event happens on Tanabata, with a decorated bamboo.
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Aikawa Kyōdo Hakubutsukan
This folk museum has several exhibits from Aikawa's old gold mine, which reached its demise in 1989.
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Kokubun-ji
Sado-ga-shima's oldest temple (dating from 741); although sadly neglected, it's still beautiful.
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Sado Rekishi Densetsukan
Tireless robots illustrate dioramas of Sado's history and festivals, as do various holograms
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Zenpō-ji
Seven kilometres west of Tsuruoka is this Zen-Buddhist temple, complete with five-tier pagoda and large gateway. It dates from the 10th century, when it was dedicated to the Dragon King, guardian of the seas. Near the temple is a more contemporary attraction, the famous jinmen-gyo (human-faced carp). When viewed from above, these curious fish actually do appear to have human faces. From the station, take a bus bound for Yunohama Onsen to the Zenpō-ji stop (¥580, 30 minutes).
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Yudono-san
Accessible from May to October, Yudono-san(1504m) is the spiritual culmination of the Dewa Sanzan trek. Coming from Gas-san, it's just a short walk from the stream bed at the end of the down climb to Yudono-san-jinja. This sacred shrine is not a building, but rather a large orange rock continuously lapped by water from a hot spring. It has the strictest rituals of the three, with pilgrims required to perform a barefoot circuit of the rock, paddling through the cascading water.
To finish the pilgrimage, it's a mere 10-minute hike further down the mountain to the trailhead at Yudono-san Sanrōsho (湯殿山参籠所), which is marked by a torii and is adjacent to the to Senn…
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