How should I fit Ouchi-juku and Kitakata into four days in Fukushima?
Visit Ouchi-juku and Kitakata on separate days to see both. For more city time without Ouchi-juku, combine castle and garden on one day and add the samurai residence. Each course includes JPY 700 ordinary return JR to Kitakata in sightseeing costs.
Choose an itinerary for 4 days / 3 nights
Castle and two outings
Give Ouchi-juku’s thatched-house street and Kitakata ramen a day each, plus separate days for Tsurugajo and Oyakuen. Return from Kitakata to the same accommodation; its return JR fare is included in the subtotal.
Castle and two outings →4 days / 3 nights BStreet walk, castle and garden, plus Kitakata lunch
Combine castle and garden on one day, then add Nanukamachi Street, Kitakata lunch and the samurai residence. This suits a trip giving more time to city visits without Ouchi-juku.
Street walk, castle and garden, plus Kitakata lunch →Castle and two outings
Give Ouchi-juku’s thatched-house street and Kitakata ramen a day each, plus separate days for Tsurugajo and Oyakuen. Return from Kitakata to the same accommodation; its return JR fare is included in the subtotal.
Day 1 — Tsurugajo → Aizu accommodation
See the red-tiled castle up close and explore Aizu history in the keep’s exhibitions. On arrival day, check how much visiting time remains. Last admission is 16:30, and there are stairs inside. For about 90 minutes before the 17:00 closing time, aim to enter by 15:30; entering at last admission does not leave 90 minutes. Shorten outdoor walks in snow or heavy rain. Admission to the keep costs JPY 410. With two JPY 250 bus rides, the partial subtotal is JPY 910. Rinkaku Tea House is excluded.
- Aizuwakamatsu Station → Tsurugajo-iriguchi
Take Haikara-san from outside the station to Tsurugajo-iriguchi. Use your date’s weekday or holiday timetable to arrive before the keep’s admission cut-off. For about 90 minutes inside, choose a bus that leaves time for the approximately five-minute walk from the stop and entry by 15:30.
- Tsurugajo-iriguchi → Tsurugajo → return bus stop
Walk about five minutes to the castle and allow approximately 90 minutes for the keep’s exhibitions and surroundings. Check last admission, stairs and snow and rain conditions.
Official Aizu tourism: Tsurugajo prices, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stop
- Tsurugajo-iriguchi Akabe stop → Aizuwakamatsu Station
Board Akabe towards Aizuwakamatsu Station; it circles in the opposite direction. Back at the station, have dinner nearby or near your accommodation.
Fukushima Transportation: Akabe weekday and holiday timetable dated 1 October 2026 and winter suspension marksAizu Bus: loop directions and JPY 250 single/JPY 700 day fares; dated times in revised PDF
Return on Akabe, which circles in the opposite direction. If delayed, adjust your visiting time and next bus together.
Day 2 — Change at Yunokami-Onsen → Ouchi-juku → return to Aizu
Walk along Ouchi-juku’s street of thatched houses. Alight from the train at Yunokami-Onsen and change to Saruyu-go outside the station. Passengers booked by the previous day have priority; enquire about your preferred return services in advance. Choose both directions using your date’s train and bus timetables.
The JPY 2,200 combined discount ticket includes one return rail journey between Nishi-Wakamatsu and Yunokami-Onsen and two days of unlimited Saruyu-go travel. Starting at Aizuwakamatsu Station adds two JPY 200 fares outside the covered area, totalling JPY 2,600. This covers ordinary trains; special sightseeing-train seat tickets are extra. Buy the combined ticket in advance at the travel desk inside Aizuwakamatsu Station or at Yunokami-Onsen’s counter. Yunokami-Onsen’s staffed counter opens 08:30–17:00; leave time to buy tickets and reach the platform. Check temporary counter changes before departure.
- Aizuwakamatsu Station → Yunokami-Onsen Station
Take an ordinary train in the direction of the Aizu Railway and alight at Yunokami-Onsen. Leave the gates for the Saruyu-go boarding point outside. Distinguish arrival and departure times in your date’s rail timetable and leave enough time to change to the bus.
Aizu Railway: timetable revised 14 March 2026, distinguishing ordinary-train departures and arrivals
- Outside Yunokami-Onsen Station → Ouchi-juku entrance
Take Saruyu-go towards Ouchi-juku from outside the station and alight at Ouchi-juku entrance. Passengers booked by the previous day have priority; enquire about your preferred outward and return services in advance.
Aizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, reservation priority and combined-ticket conditions
- Ouchi-juku entrance → Thatched-house street and lunch → Ouchi-juku entrance stop
Explore the village, have lunch at an open shop and return to the stop. Check opening days for places you want to visit; meals and individual exhibition buildings cost extra.
- Ouchi-juku entrance → Yunokami-Onsen Station
Board Saruyu-go towards Yunokami-Onsen at the same Ouchi-juku entrance stop. If buses are full or roads cause delays, first check the next bus and its return-train connection.
Aizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, reservation priority and combined-ticket conditions
- Yunokami-Onsen Station → Aizuwakamatsu Station
Change at the station to an ordinary train towards Aizuwakamatsu. Allow time after the bus arrives to reach the gates and platform. Transport totals JPY 2,600: the JPY 2,200 combined ticket plus two JPY 200 fares outside its covered area.
Aizu Railway: timetable revised 14 March 2026, distinguishing ordinary-train departures and arrivalsAizu Railway: JPY 2,200 Ouchi-juku combined ticket starts at Nishi-Wakamatsu, with separate JPY 200 fare
If Saruyu-go is full or roads are congested, first check the next bus and train connection and shorten your village visit.
Day 3 — Lunch at Raimu’s Kitakata main restaurant → return to Aizu
Eat ramen in Kitakata and return to the same Aizu accommodation. Look up JR services in both directions for your date and choose the train you will take back after lunch. The JPY 700 ordinary return rail fare is included in the course subtotal; meals are extra.
Raimu’s main restaurant lists hours of 11:00–21:00, with last orders at 20:45. Check that day’s menu, prices and temporary closures. If the queue leaves too little time for your return train, eat after returning to Aizu instead.
- Aizuwakamatsu Station → Kitakata Station
Take an ordinary JR Ban-etsu West Line train from Aizuwakamatsu towards Kitakata and Niitsu and alight at Kitakata. Check your date’s services and platforms in JR’s official station timetable.
- Kitakata Station → Raimu Kitakata main restaurant
Find Raimu’s main restaurant at number 19 on the tourism association’s ramen map. It is at 7 Inarimiya, northeast of the station and west of the Nigori River. Check the walking route before departure and allow time for meal queues and returning to the station. The main restaurant opens at 11:00; check queues and menu prices on the day.
Kitakata tourism association: ramen map and restaurant informationOfficial Raimu: Kitakata main-restaurant address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45
- Raimu main restaurant → Kitakata Station
Retrace your walk to Kitakata Station and head through the gates to the platform. Decide when to finish eating so you can catch your return train.
Kitakata tourism association: ramen map and restaurant informationOfficial Raimu: Kitakata main-restaurant address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45JR Kitakata Station: weekday and holiday timetable towards Aizuwakamatsu
- Kitakata Station → Aizuwakamatsu Station
Take an ordinary JR train from Kitakata towards Aizuwakamatsu. Check weekday and holiday distinctions and your date’s services in the official station timetable; follow that day’s train and platform information.
JR Kitakata Station: weekday and holiday timetable towards Aizuwakamatsu
If the restaurant queue grows, postpone the meal and prioritise your return train. Leave time to return to the station and reach the platform.
Day 4 — Visit Oyakuen → Aizuwakamatsu Station → depart
Walk around the pond and look at medicinal plants. Oyakuen opens 08:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. This plan leaves 45–60 minutes for the garden. Visit in daylight in winter, as there is no lighting. Admission of JPY 330 and two JPY 250 bus rides give a partial subtotal of JPY 830. Skip the garden for a morning departure. In snow or heavy rain, skip the walk and recalculate costs for the tickets actually used.
- Aizuwakamatsu Station → Oyakuen stop
Take Haikara-san from outside the station to Oyakuen. Choosing another bus changes the stop and walk to the entrance.
- Oyakuen stop → Oyakuen → same bus stop
Enter directly from the stop and allow 45–60 minutes for the garden. Visiting time and boarding preparations are additional to the bus journey.
Official Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, daily opening and stop access
- Oyakuen stop → Aizuwakamatsu Station
Board Haikara-san at Oyakuen and continue around the loop in the same direction to Aizuwakamatsu Station. Finish sightseeing in time for departure, allowing time to collect your luggage.
Haikara-san and Akabe use different alighting stops and walks to the entrance. Check access if choosing a different bus from this example.
Included: Day 1: Keep admission at Tsurugajo costs JPY 410, and two loop-bus rides cost JPY 250 each. Day 2: The Ouchi-juku combined ticket costs JPY 2,200, plus two JPY 200 fares between Aizuwakamatsu and Nishi-Wakamatsu outside its covered area. Day 3: Two ordinary JR paper tickets to and from Kitakata cost JPY 350 each. Day 4: Oyakuen admission costs JPY 330, and two loop-bus rides cost JPY 250 each. Ordinary adult city-bus fares are JPY 250 per ride. The Ouchi-juku ticket covers one Nishi-Wakamatsu–Yunokami-Onsen return rail journey and two days of unlimited Saruyu-go travel. Village meals and individual exhibitions are excluded.
Excluded from subtotal: Extra costs include accommodation, meals, shopping, luggage storage, accommodation access, long-distance rail, airport travel, additional exhibitions and experiences, and sightseeing-train seat charges.
Admission and sightseeing transport for one adult total JPY 5,040. This includes two ordinary adult paper rail tickets of JPY 350 between Aizuwakamatsu and Kitakata, totalling JPY 700. Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, accommodation access, long-distance rail and airport travel are extra. Recalculate for the tickets actually used if changing or skipping visits.
Official Aizu tourism: Tsurugajo prices, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stopAizu Bus: loop directions and JPY 250 single/JPY 700 day fares; dated times in revised PDFAizu Railway: JPY 2,200 Ouchi-juku combined ticket starts at Nishi-Wakamatsu, with separate JPY 200 fareOfficial Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, daily opening and stop accessJR East adult ordinary-fare calculation rules, Article 77-3JR East Ban-etsu West Line: Aizuwakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance 16.6 kmJR East main-line fare distance bands, Article 77
Street walk, castle and garden, plus Kitakata lunch
Combine castle and garden on one day, then add Nanukamachi Street, Kitakata lunch and the samurai residence. This suits a trip giving more time to city visits without Ouchi-juku.
Day 1 — Nanukamachi → accommodation
Explore Nanukamachi’s old buildings and open shops. This example leaves 60–90 minutes for walking. Opening hours vary, so an early visit may mean looking at building exteriors only. Two bus rides cost JPY 500, excluding meals, shopping, paid exhibitions and experiences. Return to Aizuwakamatsu Station afterwards and eat nearby or near your accommodation. Set your street-visiting time around that day’s buses.
- Aizuwakamatsu Station → Outside Nanukamachi Station
Take Haikara-san from outside the station to Nanukamachi Station. Choose a morning or afternoon departure according to when the shops you want to visit open.
- Outside Nanukamachi Station → Nanukamachi Street
Walk from the stop towards the street, allowing extra time to reach the walking area. Plan 60–90 minutes for building exteriors and open shops; before shops open, only an exterior walk is possible.
Official Aizu tourism: Nanukamachi Street walks and individual shop operations
- Nanukamachi Station Akabe stop → Aizuwakamatsu Station
Take Akabe towards Aizuwakamatsu Station, circling in the opposite direction. Check the return stop’s direction on the route map on site.
Fukushima Transportation: Akabe weekday and holiday timetable dated 1 October 2026 and winter suspension marksAizu Bus: loop directions and JPY 250 single/JPY 700 day fares; dated times in revised PDF
Check individual shops’ opening days. Shorten the walk in bad weather and return to the station or accommodation.
Day 2 — Castle → lunch → garden → station
Learn about Aizu history in the keep in the morning, then walk through a garden with a pond and medicinal plants. After about 90 minutes at the castle, eat nearby and take the loop bus in the same direction to the garden for an afternoon visit. Allow time for lunch, bus waits and travel. Three bus rides cost JPY 750 with ordinary tickets, compared with a JPY 700 day pass. Adding JPY 740 admission for both facilities gives a partial subtotal of JPY 1,440.
The 90-minute castle visit and 45–60-minute garden visit are example time allocations. There are stairs inside the keep and outdoor walks between facilities. In snow or heavy rain, shorten visits and prioritise your return bus.
- Aizuwakamatsu Station → Tsurugajo-iriguchi
Take Haikara-san from outside the station to Tsurugajo-iriguchi. For a morning keep visit, choose a service in the appropriate weekday or holiday timetable for your date. Allow approximately five minutes’ walking to the castle, 90 minutes for visiting, lunch, and bus waits and travel to the garden.
- Tsurugajo-iriguchi → Tsurugajo → same bus stop
Walk about five minutes from the stop, as listed in official guidance, and spend approximately 90 minutes exploring the keep’s exhibits and surroundings. Have lunch nearby afterwards and return to the same stop for your next bus.
Official Aizu tourism: Tsurugajo prices, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stop
- Tsurugajo-iriguchi → Oyakuen stop
After lunch, continue in the same loop direction on Haikara-san to Oyakuen. Choose a service allowing a 45–60-minute afternoon garden visit ending before 17:00.
- Oyakuen stop → Oyakuen → same bus stop
Head to the entrance, visit the garden for 45–60 minutes and prepare for your return bus. Visiting ends at 17:00, with last admission at 16:30. Arrive earlier than last admission for a 45–60-minute visit. If snow or rain makes walking difficult, shorten the visit and recalculate costs.
Official Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, daily opening and stop access
- Oyakuen stop → Aizuwakamatsu Station
Take Haikara-san at Oyakuen and continue around the loop in the same direction to Aizuwakamatsu Station.
Fukushima Transportation: Haikara-san weekday and holiday timetable dated 1 October 2026 and winter suspension marksAizu Bus: loop directions and JPY 250 single/JPY 700 day fares; dated times in revised PDFOfficial Aizu tourism: Tsurugajo prices, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stopOfficial Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, daily opening and stop access
Haikara-san and Akabe use different alighting stops and walks to the entrance. Check access if choosing a different bus from this example.
Day 3 — Kitakata lunch → return to Aizu
Eat ramen in Kitakata and return to the same Aizu accommodation. Look up JR services in both directions for your date and choose the train you will take back after lunch. The JPY 700 ordinary return rail fare is included in the course subtotal; meals are extra.
Raimu’s main restaurant lists hours of 11:00–21:00, with last orders at 20:45. Check that day’s menu, prices and temporary closures. If the queue leaves too little time for your return train, eat after returning to Aizu instead.
- Aizuwakamatsu Station → Kitakata Station
Take an ordinary JR Ban-etsu West Line train from Aizuwakamatsu towards Kitakata and Niitsu and alight at Kitakata. Check your date’s services and platforms in JR’s official station timetable.
- Kitakata Station → Raimu Kitakata main restaurant
Find Raimu’s main restaurant at number 19 on the tourism association’s ramen map. It is at 7 Inarimiya, northeast of the station and west of the Nigori River. Check the walking route before departure and allow time for meal queues and returning to the station. The main restaurant opens at 11:00; check queues and menu prices on the day.
Kitakata tourism association: ramen map and restaurant informationOfficial Raimu: Kitakata main-restaurant address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45
- Raimu main restaurant → Kitakata Station
Retrace your walk to Kitakata Station and head through the gates to the platform. Decide when to finish eating so you can catch your return train.
Kitakata tourism association: ramen map and restaurant informationOfficial Raimu: Kitakata main-restaurant address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45JR Kitakata Station: weekday and holiday timetable towards Aizuwakamatsu
- Kitakata Station → Aizuwakamatsu Station
Take an ordinary JR train from Kitakata towards Aizuwakamatsu. Check weekday and holiday distinctions and your date’s services in the official station timetable; follow that day’s train and platform information.
JR Kitakata Station: weekday and holiday timetable towards Aizuwakamatsu
If the restaurant queue grows, postpone the meal and prioritise your return train. Leave time to return to the station and reach the platform.
Day 4 — Samurai residence → Aizuwakamatsu Station → depart
Explore living spaces in the reconstructed samurai residence. The facility suggests about an hour, with outdoor walking between exhibitions. April–November hours are 08:30–17:00, with final exit at 17:30; December–March hours are 09:00–16:30, with final exit at 17:00. Admission of JPY 1,000 and two JPY 250 bus rides give a partial subtotal of JPY 1,500. Alighting from the return bus does not mean you can immediately board a long-distance train.
- Aizuwakamatsu Station → Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae
Take Akabe from outside the station to Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae. Choose a service from your date’s timetable that leaves enough time to finish within operating hours.
- Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae → Aizu samurai residence
Head to the entrance and allow the facility’s suggested hour for the visit. Leave extra time for outdoor walks between exhibits and returning to the stop.
Official Aizu samurai residence: prices, seasonal hours and suggested one-hour visit
- Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae return stop → Aizuwakamatsu Station
Board Akabe towards Aizuwakamatsu Station. The stop name appears twice on the route map; use the map on site to distinguish your alighting stop from the stop for your return direction. Finish sightseeing in time for departure, allowing time to collect your luggage.
Check the route map on site for outward and return directions, even where stops share a name.
Included: Day 1: Two loop-bus rides for a Nanukamachi Street walk cost JPY 250 each, excluding shop spending. Day 2: Admission costs JPY 410 at Tsurugajo and JPY 330 at Oyakuen, and a loop-bus day pass costs JPY 700. Day 3: Two ordinary JR paper tickets to and from Kitakata cost JPY 350 each. Day 4: Samurai-residence admission costs JPY 1,000, and two loop-bus rides cost JPY 250 each. Ordinary adult city-bus fares are JPY 250 per ride. The subtotal uses the day pass instead of three separate fares that day.
Excluded from subtotal: Extra costs include accommodation, meals, shopping, luggage storage, accommodation access, long-distance rail, airport travel, additional exhibitions and experiences, and sightseeing-train seat charges.
Admission and sightseeing transport for one adult total JPY 4,140. This includes two ordinary adult paper rail tickets of JPY 350 between Aizuwakamatsu and Kitakata, totalling JPY 700. Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, accommodation access, long-distance rail and airport travel are extra. Recalculate for the tickets actually used if changing or skipping visits.
Aizu Bus: loop directions and JPY 250 single/JPY 700 day fares; dated times in revised PDFOfficial Aizu tourism: Tsurugajo prices, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stopOfficial Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, daily opening and stop accessOfficial Aizu samurai residence: prices, seasonal hours and suggested one-hour visitJR East adult ordinary-fare calculation rules, Article 77-3JR East Ban-etsu West Line: Aizuwakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance 16.6 kmJR East main-line fare distance bands, Article 77
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Ouchi-juku and Kitakata on the same day?
These plans give each outing a day. Ouchi-juku requires a bus change at Yunokami-Onsen to the south; Kitakata is reached by JR to the north. Village walks, lunch and return transport each take time, so visit on separate days.
Aizu Railway: timetable revised 14 March 2026, distinguishing ordinary-train departures and arrivalsAizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, reservation priority and combined-ticket conditionsJR Aizuwakamatsu Station: Ban-etsu West Line towards Kitakata and Niitsu, weekday and holiday timetableJR Kitakata Station: weekday and holiday timetable towards Aizuwakamatsu
Is a bus day pass cheaper for Tsurugajo and Oyakuen on the same day?
Day two of B uses three loop-bus journeys: station → castle, castle → garden and garden → station. Three ordinary adult fares total JPY 750, compared with a JPY 700 Haikara-san and Akabe day pass. Adding JPY 740 facility admission gives a partial subtotal of JPY 1,440. This ticket does not cover other days’ buses or JR.
Aizu Bus: loop directions and JPY 250 single/JPY 700 day fares; dated times in revised PDFOfficial Aizu tourism: Tsurugajo prices, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stopOfficial Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, daily opening and stop access
Official sources and check dates
- Official Aizu tourism: Tsurugajo prices, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stop ·
- Aizu Bus: loop directions and JPY 250 single/JPY 700 day fares; dated times in revised PDF ·
- Official Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, daily opening and stop access ·
- Official Aizu samurai residence: prices, seasonal hours and suggested one-hour visit ·
- Aizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, reservation priority and combined-ticket conditions ·
- Aizu Railway: timetable revised 14 March 2026, distinguishing ordinary-train departures and arrivals ·
- Aizu Railway: JPY 2,200 Ouchi-juku combined ticket starts at Nishi-Wakamatsu, with separate JPY 200 fare ·
- Ouchi-juku tourism association: shop opening, monthly calendars and visiting guidance around 09:00–16:00 ·
- Official Raimu: Kitakata main-restaurant address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45 ·
- Kitakata tourism association: ramen map and restaurant information ·
- Official JR train search by departure, arrival and travel date ·
- Fukushima Transportation: Akabe weekday and holiday timetable dated 1 October 2026 and winter suspension marks ·
- Fukushima Transportation: Haikara-san weekday and holiday timetable dated 1 October 2026 and winter suspension marks ·
- Official Aizu tourism: Nanukamachi Street walks and individual shop operations ·
- JR Aizuwakamatsu Station: Ban-etsu West Line towards Kitakata and Niitsu, weekday and holiday timetable ·
- JR Kitakata Station: weekday and holiday timetable towards Aizuwakamatsu ·
- JR East adult ordinary-fare calculation rules, Article 77-3 ·
- JR East Ban-etsu West Line: Aizuwakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance 16.6 km ·
- JR East main-line fare distance bands, Article 77 ·