Towada volcano, which started its activity about 200,000 years ago, erupted repeatedly and became a caldera, and because of its high altitude, there were no inflowing rivers and a highly transparent Lake Towada was created.
The Oirase Stream is home to about 300 different kinds of moss. You can enjoy a ‘moss walk’ with a loupe in hand.
Wappa-meshi—rice is seasonal vegetables, and other ingredients steamed together in a wooden container. To this day, sake brewing continues in the traditional manner that was developed during the Edo period. As you try each local dish, enjoy how the flavors of the surrounding nature are brought to life.
Aizuwakamatsu’s old samurai residences evoke an image of a bygone warrior era, and the agrarian scenery of rice paddies against the background of Mount Bandai and the Iide Mountains captures the essence of Aizu’s landscape. Tsurugajo Castle, a symbol of the city, provides a wide view of the changing beauty of the seasons in Aizu Basin and the old castle town.
The foods eaten in Aizuwakamatsu follow the seasons: asparagus in spring, tomatoes in summer, rice and sake in autumn, and Aizu Jidori free-range chicken in winter.
The edamame of Odate is known for its high nutritional value, which comes from the manure of the Hinan Jidori that is used for fertilizer. Another local delicacy of Odate is tonburi, the dried seed of the summer cypress, which is also sometimes called “field caviar” because of its texture.
Since its inception, the mochi cuisine of Ichinoseki-Hiraizumi has evolved separately from that of other parts of Japan. Today there are more than 300 variations. Although contemporary ingredients can now be found in such combinations as pizza mochi, mochi cabbage rolls, and mochi spring rolls, look also for established standards, such as anko (red bean), walnut, and fusube (burdock root, daikon and chili pepper with chicken, or more conventionally, pond loach). There’s even a mochi parfait to satisfy sweet-tooth cravings.
Mount Moriyoshi is known as one of the hundred most beautiful flower mountains of Japan and is famous for its “snowmonsters”—the towering, icy figures of trees which have become covered in rime. The scenery of Lake Towada is also worth seeing. A caldera lake formed over multiple volcanic eruptions in the past, Lake Towada is surrounded by exceptionally beautiful foliage in spring and autumn. To see this beautiful unspoiled scenery, take the Akita Nairiku Line through the mountains on a journey into the past.
The dadacha-mame is considered Japan’s best-tasting edamame (immature green soybeans) due to its unique aroma, sweet flavor, and full umami.
The dadacha-mame is considered Japan’s best-tasting edamame (immature green soybeans) due to its unique aroma, sweet flavor, and full umami. The Atsumi turnip is another local favorite, grown in swidden fields made with fire-fallow farming techniques. Local food culture is marked by miso soup with seasonal ingredients, premium local rice, and full-bodied sake, all of which are deeply imbued with the flavors of the region.
