5 recommended pots in Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture! Introduction of "Kazekko" train trip where you can taste Tamura gourmet food and craft beer♪

Fukushima
PR

2025/10/20

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Horikoshi Dolls (God of protection from evil)

Today, I would like to share with you the charms of "Tamura City" in Fukushima Prefecture. Tamura City has a variety of tourist attractions, including family-friendly spots for summer vacation and spots where you can get in touch with nature that you cannot experience in the city, and each area has its own unique features.

What is Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture like?

Tamura City is located in the center of the Nakadori region in the central part of Fukushima Prefecture. With an area of approximately 458.33㎢ and a total population of 31,967 (as of June 1, 2007), Tamura City has about the same area as Yokohama City, but with only 1/100th of the population. Blessed with the rich natural environment of the Abukuma Plateau, with its famous Abukuma-do Cave and excellent spots for astronomical observation, it is a place where you can feel the "breath of the earth" that you cannot feel in your hectic urban life.

Recommended spot #1: Experience the mystery of nature! Abukuma-do Cave

The Abukuma-do Cave, which you may have heard of before, is actually located in Tamura City. The caves are full of the beauty of nature's formations, created over a long period of time. Inside the caves, you will find a mysterious world of infinite variety, including stalactites that drop from the ceiling and stalagmites that accumulate like bamboo shoots from under the floor. The various forms of beauty created by the erosion of the groundwater that flows down from the cave have their own names, such as "Crystal Curtain," "Cave Shield," and "Tower of Monsters.

Within the grounds of Abukuma-do Cave, there is a garden with approximately 20,000 lavender plants, one of the largest in Fukushima Prefecture, and the beautiful scenery is truly breathtaking. Other seasonal events, such as cave concerts (in winter) and the Autumn Festival, are held throughout the year.

Abukuma-do cave details here♪

Recommended spot #2: Japan's only insect paradise! Mushimushi-Land

Mushimushi-Land is a family-oriented facility that transforms the entire mountain into a paradise for insects, based on the concept of interacting with beetles and other insects. The Insectarium features a variety of exhibits, including insect specimens, live beetles, and insects that live in the area. During the summer, the Beetle Dome is open, where visitors can observe more than 1,000 beetles in direct contact with them. (*)

Why is Mushimushi-Land located in Tamura City in the first place? It has something to do with an old industry. In the past, Tamura City (formerly known as Tokoha Town) was a town where leaf tobacco production flourished. Many beetle larvae grew in the humus that was used as fertilizer for leaf tobacco, and this was the beginning of a project to revitalize the town with beetles as its core.

*Please be sure to check the opening period in advance before visiting the park.

Tamura City Hall Insect Division established

In July 2023, Tamura City established the "Insect Division," which is unique in Japan, to promote insects and to attract visitors to Mushimushi-Land, a tourist facility in the city. Kabuton, the city's character (yurukyara), has been appointed as the section chief. We are striving to strengthen the dissemination of information on insects more than ever and to establish a brand image of Tamura City as a sacred place for insects, "Tamura City is known for its insects.

Insect land

Recommended spot 3：Hotel Sky Palace Tokiwa built on the top of Mt.

The adjacent "Sky Palace Tokiwa" offers a variety of lodging facilities, including a restaurant popular for its seasonal flavors and a bath with a view, making it possible for families and friends to spend a relaxing time together. The view from the top of Mt. Tonjo, where you can almost reach the stars shining brightly in the sky, the clear air, and fragrant flowers and grasses, you can feel the nature at Sky Palace Tokiwa. Please stop by.

Sky Palace Tokiwa official HP here

Recommended Spots 4：Experience the Mystery of the Universe: Hoshinomura Astronomical Observatory

Takine-cho, Tamura City, a village of stars where the night sky is so clear that the Milky Way can be seen all year round, is an ideal spot for astronomical observation. The Star Village Observatory, equipped with the prefecture's largest 650mm reflector telescope, is open to the public every Saturday for nighttime stargazing. Visitors can look at the stars on the rooftop and observe the moon, planets, nebulae, star clusters, seasonal stars, and other noteworthy astronomical phenomena through a large telescope. Weather permitting, stargazing commentaries are held on the roof of the main building and at the entrance. You can listen to a live planetarium under the actual starry sky.
(Guided tour takes about 2 hours.)

The planetarium pavilion attached to the museum offers original programs interwoven with space programs and topics on astronomical phenomena. Visitors can enjoy guided tours of the starry sky according to the four seasons regardless of weather conditions. (Capacity of 60 people at one time / Duration: about 30 minutes)

In addition, the museum has a "fossil mineral excavation experience corner (charged)," a space for space-related "book corner" and "merchandise sales," offering contents that can be enjoyed by both adults and children.

Star Village Observatory (Planetarium image)

Hoshi no Mura Observatory information here♪

Recommended spot #5: Green Park Miyakoji

Green Park Miyakoji is located in the center of the nature-rich Abukuma Plateau and is a rural tourist facility dotted with an auto-camping site, a disc golf course, a sports plaza, a farm, a waterfront plaza, a flowery communion plaza, and a craft beer brewery. After enjoying outdoor activities and sports, you can toast with craft beer and relax at the campground while gazing at the starry sky. Visitors will be greeted by seasonal scenery: cherry blossoms in spring, hops in summer, autumn leaves in fall, and a light dusting of snow in winter.

Green Park Miyakoji details here♪

Hop Garden Brewery

At Hop Garden Brewery, operated by Hop Japan Co., visitors can taste fresh, high-quality craft beer made with hops grown in Tamura City in abundance. The facility handles everything from growing hops to processing them into beer and selling them, and offers a hop-picking experience (reservation required, charged). Surrounded by the rich nature of the Abukuma Plateau, drinking beer around a bonfire will surely be the best taste to heal your daily fatigue.

Hop Japan official HP here

Recommended Gourmet Food Tamura's unmeimono "Tamura no kyoku" (Tamura's delicacies)

Tamura no kyoku" is a brand certification system for products of Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture, established in July 2020 with the aim of revitalizing local industry in Tamura City. It is a sign of trust awarded only to the very best of Tamura City products. The ham and sausage made by artisans recognized by the Food Council of Germany, the home of the product, and the eel raised from young fish in Tamura City's aquaculture farms are characterized by their fatty, plump, and soft taste. The "Unamusubi," rice cooked with eel sauce and topped with broiled eel, is a favorite of the author.

Please enjoy the pride of the producers of Tamura City, who have put their own hands and salt into their products, which cannot be introduced here! You can buy them at local stores or online, so please check in advance if you are interested in any of the products.

Tamura-no-Kiwami details here

Location and Access to Tamura City

The nearest station is Funehiki Station on the JR Ban-Etsu To Line. From Tokyo Station, it takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes by Tohoku Shinkansen, requiring a transfer to a local train at JR Koriyama Station. By car, it is convenient to get off at the Funehiki Miharu IC on the Ban-Etsu Expressway. Although there is an airport in the prefecture, we recommend that you take the train or drive to Tamura City.

For those who wish to visit Tamura City by train, we recommend the "Tamura Raku Raku Taxi" demand transportation service. Tamura Rakuraku Taxi" allows you to visit major sightseeing spots by making a reservation by phone or on line at least 30 minutes prior to use. This convenient transportation service is available for both local residents and tourists. Please see below for details.

Tamura Rakuraku Taxi details here

Tamura Gourmet (Tamura no Kyoku) and Craft Beer Cheers!

We have introduced some of Tamura City's recommended spots, and now we have prepared a group travel product that allows you to enjoy Tamura's gourmet food (Tamura's finest) and craft beer while riding the special extra train "Kazekko".

Inside the train, you will enjoy a boxed lunch box with special wrapping paper using the "Tamura no Goku" products introduced earlier, Hop Japan IPA beer (330ml) and AbukumaFresh (330ml) provided by "Hop Japan", and a special craft beer "Abukuma" (330ml) provided by "Hop Japan", AbukumaFresh (300ml), a limited-time-only beer (330ml), and Abukuma (300ml), a Japanese sake brewed by local brewery Gemba Sake Brewery, will be served. A quiz contest to win Tamura's finest products will also be held on the train. The train will stop at Funehiki Station on the way to the destination, where passengers can get off the train and visit a booth displaying railroad goods and other exhibits.

Date of operation: November 16 (Sun.) One-day trip from/to Koriyama Station
Number of applicants: 100 (minimum 80)

Please check the details from the following application site♪

View Coaster Kazekko-go Train (image) courtesy of JR East.jpg

Click here to apply♪ Go to "Package tour booking site of JR East View Tourism & Sales"!

The contents and services in this article are subject to change.
Tour availability is subject to change.
All images are for illustrative purposes only.

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