Which Aizu attractions should you choose?
Choose Tsuruga Castle for red tiles and Aizu history exhibitions, or Oyakuen for a pond walk and medicinal plants. Explore a reconstructed samurai home at Aizu Bukeyashiki. For a thatched-roof village walk or ramen trip, give Ouchi-juku and Kitakata a separate day each with return travel.
Attraction prices, hours and directions
Tsuruga Castle
Tsurugajo Castle鶴ヶ城
See Tsuruga Castle’s red tiles up close and explore Aizu history in the keep exhibitions. You can view the exterior from the surrounding grounds before deciding whether to enter the paid exhibitions. There are stairs inside the keep. A keep-only ticket and the combined ticket including Rinkaku Tea House cover different visits.
- AdmissionKeep admission costs ¥410 for adults and ¥150 for elementary and junior high school students. The adult combined keep and Rinkaku ticket costs ¥520.
- HoursThe keep opens 08:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. It opens year-round and has stairs inside.
- DirectionsTake Haikara-san or Akabe from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station to Tsurugajo Iriguchi, then walk about five minutes. The buses loop in opposite directions; check the station-bound direction at your return stop.
Official Aizu tourism: castle admission, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stopAizu Bus: loop directions and current ¥250 single/¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific times
Oyakuen
御薬園
Walk around Oyakuen’s pond and see medicinal plants. Its pond, pavilion and medicinal plant garden offer outdoor scenery after the castle’s indoor exhibitions. Shorten the garden walk when rain or snow makes walking difficult.
- AdmissionAdmission costs ¥330 for adults, ¥270 for high school students, and ¥160 for elementary and junior high school students.
- HoursThe garden opens 08:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. It opens year-round.
- DirectionsHaikara-san from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station reaches Oyakuen in about 30 minutes, with direct access to the entrance from the stop. Akabe uses Aizu-Wakamatsu Shoko Kaigisho-mae, about five minutes away on foot. The stops are different.
Official Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and bus-stop access
Aizu Bukeyashiki
会津武家屋敷
Visit Aizu Bukeyashiki to explore the kind of home an Aizu samurai lived in. See a reconstructed senior official’s residence and historical displays, allowing about an hour as suggested by the facility. There are outdoor sections and changes in level between exhibitions; check stairs and walking routes too.
- AdmissionAdmission costs ¥1,000 for adults, ¥600 for junior high and high school students, and ¥500 for elementary school students.
- HoursFrom April to November, the residence opens 08:30–17:00, with final exit at 17:30. From December to March, it opens 09:00–16:30, with final exit at 17:00. Check last admission separately.
- DirectionsTake Akabe from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station to Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae, then go to the main entrance and ticket office. Return on Akabe from the Aizu-Wakamatsu Station-bound stop. The same stop name appears twice on the route chart, so distinguish directions. Allow extra time to walk from the stop to the entrance and queue for admission. Check the operator’s weekday or holiday timetable and seasonal conditions. Adult bus fare is ¥250 per ride.
Official Aizu Bukeyashiki: admission, seasonal hours and approximately one-hour visitFukushima transport: Akabe weekday/holiday timetable dated 2026-10-01, including winter suspensionsAizu Bus: loop directions and current ¥250 single/¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific times
Ouchi-juku
大内宿
Walk Ouchi-juku’s old village street lined with thatched-roof houses. Choose a place to eat and check its opening days in the official shop calendar. The tourist association says many shops are open around 09:00–16:00, but this is not a shared opening and closing time for the whole village. Individual exhibitions and meals cost extra.
- AdmissionNo village-wide admission price has been confirmed. Check individual exhibition, meal and parking charges before visiting.
- HoursThe tourist association says many shops are open around 09:00–16:00. Exact hours vary by shop; check the official monthly calendar for those you want to visit.
- DirectionsFrom Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, take an Aizu Railway-bound train via Nishi-Wakamatsu to Yunokami-Onsen Station. Change to Saruyu-go outside for about a 20-minute ride to Ouchi-juku entrance. Passengers who reserve by the previous day have priority; waiting for trains and buses takes additional time.
Ouchi-juku tourist association: individual shops, monthly calendars and visiting guidance around 09:00–16:00Aizu Railway: ordinary train timetable revised 2026-03-14, with departures and arrivals distinguishedAizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, booking priority and combined ticket conditions
Yunokami-Onsen Station
Yunokami Onsen Station湯野上温泉駅
See Yunokami-Onsen Station’s thatched-roof building on the way to Ouchi-juku. Change here to the village-bound Saruyu-go bus. Explore around the station only if time remains before your bus departs. The combined ticket covers rail between Nishi-Wakamatsu and Yunokami-Onsen and Saruyu-go. Starting at Aizu-Wakamatsu requires a separate adult fare of ¥200 one way to Nishi-Wakamatsu.
- AdmissionTrain and bus tickets cost extra. The adult ¥2,200 combined ticket applies from Nishi-Wakamatsu.
- HoursThe operator’s FAQ lists the staffed Yunokami-Onsen Station counter at 08:30–17:00. These are counter hours, not train times; check temporary changes before travelling.
- DirectionsGet off the train and go to the Saruyu-go boarding point outside the station. Check your preferred outward and return Ouchi-juku services first and ask about reservations. Waiting for the bus is extra to the train journey time.
Aizu Railway: Ouchi-juku combined ticket ¥2,200, coverage from Nishi-Wakamatsu and separate ¥200 fareOfficial Aizu Railway FAQ: Yunokami-Onsen staffed counter 08:30–17:00Aizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, booking priority and combined ticket conditions
Kitakata
喜多方
Take the JR Ban’etsu West Line from Aizu-Wakamatsu to Kitakata for a ramen meal. Raimu’s main branch in this itinerary is number 19 on the tourist association’s ramen map. Check the walk and likely queue, then choose your return train to Aizu-Wakamatsu first.
- AdmissionThe ordinary adult paper train ticket between Aizu-Wakamatsu and Kitakata costs ¥350 one way, or ¥700 for two one-way tickets. This follows JR East’s official operating distance and fare rules checked on 9 October 2026. Meals and sightseeing-train seat charges are extra; confirm services and purchase conditions for your actual date before departure.
- HoursRaimu’s Kitakata main branch officially lists 11:00–21:00, last orders 20:45 and year-round opening. Recheck temporary closures and the menu for your date.
- DirectionsTake a JR Ban’etsu West Line ordinary train towards Kitakata or Niitsu from Aizu-Wakamatsu and get off at Kitakata. Walk to Raimu’s main branch at 7 Inarimiya, number 19 on the tourist association’s ramen map. Leave time for the queue and return walk. Return on an Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound JR train. Check your date’s services in the official station timetable and follow the day’s platform information.
JR East ordinary adult fare calculation rules, article 77-3JR East Ban’etsu West Line Aizu-Wakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance: 16.6 kmJR East main-line fare distance bands, article 77Official Raimu: main branch address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45JR Aizu-Wakamatsu: Ban’etsu West Line weekday/holiday timetable towards Kitakata and NiitsuJR Kitakata: weekday/holiday timetable towards Aizu-WakamatsuKitakata tourist association: ramen map and restaurant information
Frequently asked questions
Are the castle and samurai residence entirely indoors for a rainy-day visit?
You can focus on castle and residence exhibitions, but the keep has stairs and the residence includes outdoor walking between displays. Garden and castle-ground walks are not connected indoors either. Shorten outdoor sightseeing in snow or heavy rain and prioritise your return services.
Official Aizu tourism: castle admission, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stopOfficial Aizu Bukeyashiki: admission, seasonal hours and approximately one-hour visitOfficial Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and bus-stop access
Official sources and verification dates
- Official Aizu tourism: castle admission, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stop ·
- Aizu Bus: loop directions and current ¥250 single/¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific times ·
- Official Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and bus-stop access ·
- Official Aizu Bukeyashiki: admission, seasonal hours and approximately one-hour visit ·
- Aizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, booking priority and combined ticket conditions ·
- Aizu Railway: ordinary train timetable revised 2026-03-14, with departures and arrivals distinguished ·
- Aizu Railway: Ouchi-juku combined ticket ¥2,200, coverage from Nishi-Wakamatsu and separate ¥200 fare ·
- Ouchi-juku tourist association: individual shops, monthly calendars and visiting guidance around 09:00–16:00 ·
- Official Raimu: main branch address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45 ·
- Kitakata tourist association: ramen map and restaurant information ·
- Official Aizu Railway FAQ: Yunokami-Onsen staffed counter 08:30–17:00 ·
- Fukushima transport: Akabe weekday/holiday timetable dated 2026-10-01, including winter suspensions ·
- JR Aizu-Wakamatsu: Ban’etsu West Line weekday/holiday timetable towards Kitakata and Niitsu ·
- JR Kitakata: weekday/holiday timetable towards Aizu-Wakamatsu ·
- JR East ordinary adult fare calculation rules, article 77-3 ·
- JR East Ban’etsu West Line Aizu-Wakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance: 16.6 km ·
- JR East main-line fare distance bands, article 77 ·