Area Characteristics
Located in the southern Tohoku region, Fukushima is the 3rd-largest prefecture after Hokkaido and Iwate. It is separated into 3 areas: Hamadori which runs along the Pacific coast by cities such as Iwaki, the central region of Nakadori which has the capital city of Fukushima and Koriyama, and the western region of Aizu which becomes covered in snow in the winter. Fukushima Prefecture is surrounded in beautiful nature with many famous mountains such as Mt. Bandai, lakes and the Pacific Ocean with plenty of winter sports.
Major Sites
There are 2 tourist areas for Fukushima. On Mt. Bandai which is considered to be one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, there is Lake Inawashiro, Lake Goshiki and Tsuchiyu Onsen, and in historical Aizu-Wakamatsu, there is Aizu-Wakamatsu (Tsuruga) Castle, the Important Cultural Property of Sazae-do Hall, the Aizu Samurai Residences and other historic buildings. Other popular attractions include Spa Resort Hawaiians known for its hula girls, the Edo Era post station Ōuchi-juku and Hanamiyama which is famous for cherry blossoms.
Food
There are numerous examples of famous dishes ranging from regional cuisine such as ika ninjin (squid jerky and carrot strips) and miso kanpura (boiled potato with miso paste) to local dishes such as Kitakata ramen, enban gyoza dumplings, and namie yakisoba noodles. Also famous is the unique negi soba which has you picking up the noodles with one stalk of green onion in lieu of chopsticks, tama konnyaku, and tochi rice cakes.
Transportation
Fukushima can be reached from Tokyo by Tohoku Shinkansen (Bullet Train) in 1 hour and 40 minutes while Koriyama can be reached in 1 hour and 20 minutes. Moving around the area by rental car is convenient.
Accommodations
There are many hotels and similar facilities in transportation-accessible Fukushima and Koriyama along with areas such as Aizu. Because Mt. Bandai is a volcano, the surrounding area is known as an onsen region with many ryokan and hotels.