Aizu-Wakamatsu and Bandai-san

Aizu-Wakamatsu, Bandai-san, the Five-Colored Lakes, and Kitakata

I traveled to Aizu-Wakamatsu at the end of April. It's in the southern part of the Tōhoku region of northern Honshū, Japan's largest island, but snow remained on the mountain peaks.

Aizu-Wakamatsu would be my base for exploring the area, including Goshi-ki-numa or the Five-Colored Lakes on the north slope of Mount Bandai.

I also visited the Morohashi Museum of Modern Art; Tsuruga Castle; the graves of the Byakkotai or the White Tiger Unit; the prehistoric Ōtsukayama kofun, a megalithic tomb in Aizu-Wakamatsu; and the nearby town of Kitakata.

And there was more — a legendary Buddhist cow, folk medicine traditions, a three-legged mermaid, early 20th century bacteriology, mid-20th century telecommunications, vivisection panics, bear warnings, premature seppuku, a fake Dutchman, some fascist monuments, and many bowls of ramen.

Start❯ By Shinkansen and local train from Tōkyō to Aizu-Wakamatsu

Start❯ By Shinkansen and local train from Tōkyō to Aizu-Wakamatsu