Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Fukushima JR Station 福島駅, Toyoko Inn Fukushima Eki Higashi Guchi 1 東横イン福島駅東口1

Fukushima JR Station 福島駅



Fukushima JR Station serves Tohoku Shinkansen line 東北新幹線, Yamagata Shinkansen line 山形新幹線, Ou main line 奥羽本線 and Tohoku main line 東北本線, located in the capital city of Fukushima Prefecture. Came to this train station on two separate occasions but did not manage to explore the surrounding area in depth on both visits. Therefore, this post is limited in content and is solely based on what I saw and did for my trip. On my second trip to Tohoku region, I visited Tsugaru Castle 鶴ヶ城, Ochijuku 大内宿 and Higashiyama Onsen 東山温泉 during my stay in Fukushima Prefecture and I think that this prefecture still has a lot to offer - beautiful natural scenery (Goshikinuma 五色沼, Bandaisan 磐梯山, etc) and delicious food (Kitakata Ramen 喜多方ラーメン, gyoza, etc). Hopefully I get to return to Fukushima Prefecture on future trips to Japan soon to uncover these places of interest.

Shinkansen and special themed trains serving this station include:

(1) Toreiyu Tsubasa とれいゆ つばさ, a foot bath equipped bullet train commuting between Fukushima and Shinjo 新庄駅, via Yamagata Shinkansen line. 

(2) North bound Yamabiko やまびこ separates from Tsubasa つばさ here, stops at Sendai 仙台駅, Ichinoseki 一ノ関駅, Shin Hanamaki 新花巻駅 and Morioka 盛岡駅 during its journey along Tohoku Shinkansen line.
(3) South bound Yamabiko やまびこ combines with Tsubasa つばさ here, stops at Koriyama 郡山駅 and Tokyo 東京駅 during its journey along Tohoku Shinkansen line.
(4) Tsubasa つばさ stops at Yonezawa 米沢駅, Akayu 赤湯駅, Kaminoyama Onsen かみのやま温泉駅, Yamagata 山形駅, Oishida 大石田駅 and Shinjo 新庄駅 during its journey along Yamagata Shinkansen line

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Tourist information centers located on the east (top right) and west (bottom left) exit of the train station.

What's nearby?

(1) Tourist information center 福島市観光案内所, one each at the east exit and west exit of the train station.
Operating hours: 0900 - 1800 hrs
https://www.f-kankou.jp/annaijo/

S-Pal shopping mall, located seamlessly to the train station.

McDonald's located on the first floor of Power City Pivot.

(2) Shopping malls connected seamlessly to the train station.
- S-Pal Fukushima: Some of the tenants include:
2nd floor: Starbucks, Lowrys Farm and Kumazawa Bookshop
3rd floor: ABC Mart
4th floor: MUJI
http://www.s-pal.jp/fukushima/

- Power City Pivot パワーシティピボット: McDonald's and Daiso
https://www.livit.jregroup.ne.jp/pivot/fukushima



(3) Ito Yokado イトーヨーカドー, a departmental store located near the west exit of train station.
https://blog.itoyokado.co.jp/shop/123/index.html

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Commemorative stamps:

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Toyoko Inn Fukushima Eki Higashi Guchi 1 東横イン福島駅東口1
Stayed 21.05.2016 (Sat)
Booked thru' Toyoko Inn website
Single room = 6,156 yen

Satisfied. There are a total of three Toyoko Inn branches located in the vicinity of Fukushima Station; one located just a stone throw away from the west exit while the other two are situated near the east exit. For my trip, I stayed at Higashi Guchi 1 which is adjacent to its sister branch (Higashi Guchi 2). Similar to previous stay in other branches of Toyoko Inn, I like its strategic location near the train station and its no frills concept.

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Toyoko Inn Fukushima Eki Higashi Guchi 1 東横イン福島駅東口1
〒960-8031  福島県福島市栄町2-12
3 mins walk from Fukushima JR Station East Exit / Higashi Guchi 福島駅東口.
https://www.toyoko-inn.com/search/detail/00070/

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Towada Art Center 十和田市現代美術館, Towada Art Square アート広場

Visited 21.05.2016 (Sat)

Visited two art museums in Aomori Prefecture - Aomori Museum of Art 青森県立美術館 and Towada Art Center 十和田市現代美術館 on my second trip to Tohoku region. After a memorable experience with Aomori Museum of Art (on Day 4), I was definitely looking forward to visit this contemporary art museum situated in Towada city. Opened in 2008, Towada Art Center was created as part of Arts Towada Project to revitalise Towada city, by adding a variety of artworks into the townscape and providing platforms for artists, citizens and visitors to promote and exchange ideas. Currently, Towada Art Center houses a permanent collection of 38 artworks all created exclusively for this art museum by both local and international artists.





Affinity to art. There is a lot of novelties injected into the design of Towada Art Center. Each artwork is housed in an independent exhibition room and these rooms are interspersed throughout the facility and connected to one another by glass corridors. The art museum is made up of a mixture of small and large buildings in order to create a sense of continuity with Kanchodai-dori 官庁街通り, which is also lined with small and tall buildings. The design of the art museum enabled the placement of outdoor exhibition spaces, thus allowing visitors to admire both indoor and outdoor art concurrently. Some of the exhibition rooms have wide glass openings making it possible for the artworks to be viewed from the outside by passerby too, thus bringing art closer to public. I enjoyed myself thoroughly, exploring the magnificent art works inside and outside of Towada Art Center for the entire afternoon. One other noteworthy point is that the 1.1 km long Kanchodai-dori is also lined with 156 cherry blossom trees on both sides of the road, making it a popular hanami spot during spring between mid April to early May. Found another good reason to return to this city one day!



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Highlights: 

Vibrancy. The very first eye-catching artwork is this gigantic 5.5 m tall, vibrant flower horse (Flower Horse by Choi Jeonghwa) that stands gallantly near the entrance of the museum. Horse is closely linked to Towada city because it was the site of a war horse supply center for the Imperial Japanese Ministry of War until the end of WWII. Apart from this art installation in Towada Art Center which highlighted the historical relationship between the city and horse, I also spotted another horse statues and horseshoes embedded into the pedestrian pavements along Kanchodai-dori.

Mind blowing. Similar to most museums, photography is not allowed inside the facility. In fact, the main website of Towada Art Center has published comprehensive write up for each of the permanent exhibit showcased in the museum, and it has helped me better understand the messages that respective artist was trying to convey through their installations. I like how each exhibit is given its dedicated space, allowing visitors to appreciate the artwork from various angles. It excites me to move from one room to another, and be overwhelmed over and over again by these intriguing and mind blowing artworks. My favourite installation was Ron Mueck's "Standing Woman", the first artwork that I encountered at the start of the museum tour. Felt so puny instantaneously while standing in front of this stunning looking, 4 m tall statue of a woman. I was extremely amazed by how "real" the statue looked like - the melancholic facial expression, the rough skin texture, the wrinkles and even the grey strands of hair were recreated, nearing perfection.



Art is everywhere! Opposite to Towada Art Center, there are more artworks awaiting to be uncovered in the Art Square. The most prominent of them all is Yayoi Kusama's "Love Forever, Singing in Towada" which serves as a playground for children as well. This bright and colourful installation is made up of eight sculptures, which include the familiar yellow pumpkin, a girl, a dog and multiple mushrooms, and they are all donned in Yayoi Kusama's signature polka dots pattern. Not forgetting the very "talkative" Fat House, with a Fat Car sitting beside it. Created by Erwin Wurm, the odd shaped house and car amuses its audience by applying the term "fat", which is usually used on living things, onto non living things.

Designer furniture. Keep a lookout for several other artworks, known as Street Furniture, decorated along Kanchodai-dori. Don't be surprised if you walk into a gigantic green pillow sculpture with an indentation lying on the street - this is an artwork part of Street Furniture series for pedestrians to take a rest on. If you are unsure where these "designer furniture" are situated, there are map display boards found along the street, indicating the exact locations of these artworks.



Break. Had a late lunch in the cafe housed in a giant white cube, situated at the east side of Towada Art Center. Art can be experienced even in this cafe as the floor is covered by a beautiful collage of floral patterns inspired by Nambu Weaving, a traditional craft of Towada, a masterpiece by Micheal Lin. Here, I had a beef jerky and egg sandwich accompanied by a cup of hot honey milk to fill up my empty stomach.

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Towada Art Center 十和田市現代美術館

〒034-0082 青森県十和田市西二番町10-9

Opening hours:
- Museum: 0900 - 1700 hrs (last entry at 1630 hrs)
- Cafe: 0900 - 1630 hrs
- Shop: 0900 - 1700 hrs
Closed on Mondays
Admission fee = 1,200 yen

http://towadaartcenter.com/

How to get there?

(1) By bus.

- From Hachinohe JR Station East Exit 八戸駅東口 Platform 5, board Towada Kanko Tetsudo Bus 十和田観光電鉄バス (Hachinohe~Towada line 八戸~十和田線) and alight at Kancho machi-dori 官庁街通. 5 mins walk from the bus stop.
Bus schedule: http://www.toutetsu.co.jp/jikoku/towada-hachinohe.html

- From Hachinohe JR Station West Exit 八戸駅西口, board JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 and alight at Towada Art Center 十和田市現代美術館.

- From Yakeyama 焼山 (bus stop nearest to Oirase Keiryu Hotel, opposite to Cosmo petrol kiosk), board Towada Kanko Tetsudo Bus 十和田観光電鉄バス (Yakeyama~Towada Onsenkyo~Towada-shi line 焼山～十和田湖温泉郷～十和田市線) and alight at Towada Art Center 十和田市現代美術館.

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Towada-ko / Lake Towada 十和田湖, Otome no zo 乙女の像

Visited 21.05.2016 (Sat)



Sequel. After sighting of Lake Towada from an elevation at Kankodai 瞰湖台, I decided to go for the alternative option of lake viewing at grade level (especially after the positive experience gained from Tazawa-ko a few days ago). Boarded the JR Bus Tohoku from Shimoutarube and alighted at Towada-ko Station 十和田湖駅, the last stop of the bus route. I had about 20 minutes to spare before hopping onto the next bus to return to Oirase Keiryu Hotel. Due to limited time, my original plan was to just to make my way to the water side and take a peek at the lake. However, after checking Google map, I decided to take some risk to venture slightly further in search of the statue of Otome (Otome no zo 乙女の像 or maiden statue), commonly referred to as the symbol of Lake Towada.

Otome no zo. Lake Towada is a crater lake which measures about 46 km in circumference and 327 m in depth, making it the third deepest lake in Japan and also the largest lake on Honshu island of Japan. Referred to as the symbol of Lake Towada, Otome no zo is a bronze statue built in 1953 by Kotaro Takamura 高村光太郎 (1883 - 1956), a sculptor and poet. This statue, which is his last completed masterpiece before his demise, depicts two nude women facing each other and almost holding on/touching each other's left hand. Different from Tatsuko-zo which is erected within Lake Tazawa iteslf, the statue of Otome is located inland.







Clear. Along the way to see the statue, I could not help but to slow down my pace every now and then to admire and capture photographs of the beautiful lake scenery. The lake is enclosed by mountain ranges that are covered with dense vegetation, and the water is so clear that I could make out the bed of the lake. Alternatively, visitors can also choose to hop onto a excursion boat here to embark on a lake cruise - either from here to Nenokuchi 子ノ口 or a round trip. Having tried both ways of admiring Lake Towada - at an elevation from Kankodai 瞰湖台 and at grade level, I concluded that the view seen from a higher altitude was way more scenic and breathtaking.



Missed the bus! Upon reaching the statue, I realised that it was only 8 minutes away from my bus departure timing! Immediately, I set off for the bus station hopping that I could still catch the bus. Unfortunately, I arrived at the bus station 2 minutes late and the bus had already departed (punctually as usual). While trying to catch my breath from the run I did to catch the bus, I recollected my thoughts to decide on the pathforward. I could wait for the next bus departing an hour later but I would not be able to catch the connecting bus to Towada Art Center from Oirase Keiryu Hotel (Yakeyama bus stop). Wanted very much to visit Towada Art Center and I decided to take a taxi back to the hotel to catch up on time (so happened that I spotted one right in front of me). Eventually, my itinerary was back in shape as I managed to return to Oirase Keiryu Hotel to collect my luggage and board the desired bus heading for Towada Art Center timely. In return for that, I had to pay a hefty price for the mistake made as the entire taxi fare amount to about 6,000 yen (75 SGD) for the journey from Lake Towada to Oirase Keiryu Hotel! Nevertheless, such hiccups are inevitable and I try to perceive them as valuable lessons learnt during a trip.


Bought a melon flavoured soft serve to cool down.

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Towada-ko / Lake Towada 十和田湖, Otome no zo 乙女の像
http://towadako.or.jp/rekishi-densetsu/otomenozou/
Lake Towada excursion boat: http://www.toutetsu.co.jp/ship.html



How to get there? 

(1) By JR Bus Tohoku and walk.
- From Aomori Ekimae Bus Terminal Bus Stop 11 or Shin Aomori JR Station East Exit Bus Stop 1, board JR Bus Tohoku Mizumi-go みずうみ号 heading for Hakkoda Ropeway, Oirase Keiryu and Towada-ko.
- From Hachinohe JR Station Bus Stop, board JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 heading for Towada-ko.
- From Yakeyama bus stop 焼山 (nearest to Oirase Keiryu Hotel), board either JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 or Mizumi-go みずうみ号 heading for Towada-ko.
Alight at the last stop, Towada-ko Station 十和田湖駅. Otome no zo is about 800 m away from the bus station.
Bus schedule: https://www.jrbustohoku.co.jp/route/detail.php?r=45&rc=11

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Towada-ko / Lake Towada Kankodai Observation Deck 十和田湖 瞰湖台

Visited 21.05.2016 (Sat)






Ground level vs altitude. There are two ways to admire Towada-ko (Lake Towada) either on ground level or an elevation, and each has its own pros and cons. I managed to view Towada-ko from both perspectives. Personally I prefer to view such natural landform from an elevation in order to capture a better overview of the lake and its surroundings, and at times even able to make out its shape at sufficiently high altitudes. One of the best spot to embrace a panoramic view of Towada-ko in Kankodai 瞰湖台. However, in order to gain access to such breathtaking scenery, one will have to scale some heights via various means. The most convenient and least physically taxing method is by ropeway or cable car, if it is available. Unfortunately, such mode of transportation is not offered for this particular observation deck for Towada-ko. There are no buses that stop by Kankodai and the nearest bus stop (Shimoutarube 下宇樽部) is situated at the foot of the observation deck, separated by a 2 km distance. After checking the bus schedule and some pondering, I decided to pay this place a visit when I am visiting Oirase Keiryu.



Embarkation. Boarded JR Bus Tohoku heading for Towada-ko as per plan at Yakeyama 焼山 (the bus stop nearest to Oirase Keiryu Hotel 奥入瀬渓流ホテル which I stayed overnight at) on the morning of Day 10. About half an hour later, I arrived at Shimoutarube 下宇樽部. Just before I alighted the bus, I confirmed with the driver whether this was the nearest bus stop for Kankodai. He nodded and at the same time warned me that it would be a long walk and whether I was okay with that. I reassured him that I was aware of the arduous climb that lies ahead. Spotted the directional sign pointing to the road that led to Kankodai and began my journey on foot.

Lone. There is no dedicated pedestrian walkway on either side of the road, therefore I had to walk along the road shoulder. Terrain was pretty flat at the start and my legs could feel the gradual increase in gradient along the way. The surrounding dense vegetation provided shade from the sun and the cooling weather made walking less painful and more bearable. Throughout the entire journey, I was the sole traveller making my way up by foot, while every now and then, I would see cars driving past me heading for the same destination. About 40 minutes later, an observation deck finally came into my line of sight and I made the last push. When I finally stepped foot onto Kankodai and saw the scenery of Towada-ko at an altitude of 583 m high, I could only exclaim that the journey to here was extremely worthwhile.





Speechless. Weather was exceptionally good on the day of my visit. The calm and peaceful lake became a natural piece of mirror for the clear sky and it was difficult to make out whether the deep blue water was a result of mirror effect or its original colour. Towada-ko is the largest crater lake on the Honshu island of Japan and it has a unique outline which looked like the letter M from a bird's eye view. The lake spans across the borders of Aomori Prefecture and Akita Prefecture and is drained by Oirase-gawa (Oirase river), another well known scenic nature spot in Aomori Prefecture. Love the contrast between the blue lake and green vegetation cover on its circumference and I could imagine how picturesque it would be if the lake is decorated by mesmerising shades of autumn foliage in October. Spent about 20 minutes here to admire the panoramic view and enjoy the occasional breeze, before embarking on the descend to catch my bus.

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Towada-ko Kankodai 十和田湖 瞰湖台
http://towadako.or.jp/sansaku-map/utarube/

How to get there? 

(1) By JR Bus Tohoku and walk.

- From Aomori Ekimae Bus Terminal Bus Stop 11 or Shin Aomori JR Station East Exit Bus Stop 1, board JR Bus Tohoku Mizumi-go みずうみ号 heading for Hakkoda Ropeway, Oirase Keiryu and Towada-ko.
- From Hachinohe JR Station Bus Stop, board JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 heading for Towada-ko.
- From Yakeyama bus stop 焼山 (nearest to Oirase Keiryu Hotel), board either JR Bus Tohoku Oirase-go おいらせ号 or Mizumi-go みずうみ号 heading for Towada-ko.

Alight at Shimoutarube下宇樽部. It takes another 40 minutes walk to arrive at the observation deck. Do be mindful that there are some up slope on the road to Kankodai.





JR Bus Tohoku: https://www.jrbustohoku.co.jp/route/detail.php?r=45&rc=11
* Note that the bus fare is covered by nationwide JR pass and JR East rail passes.

Tohoku Solo Trip 2016 東北一人の旅 - Day 10 Itinerary: Oirase Keiryu 奥入瀬渓流, Towada 十和田

Day 10: 21.05.2016 (Sat)

Hotel (0600 hrs) > Ishigedo 石ヶ戸 (0611 hrs)
by hotel free shuttle bus.

Walked from Ishigedo 石ヶ戸 to Sanmidare no nagare 三乱の流れ.

Sanmidare no nagare 三乱の流れ (0637 hrs) > Hotel (0645 hrs)
by hotel free shuttle bus.

Breakfast: Oirase Keiryu Hotel 奥入瀬渓流ホテル

Yakeyama 焼山(0835 hrs) > Shimoutarube 下宇樽部 (0911 hrs)
by JR Bus Tohoku.

Walked to Kankodai (Lake Towada Observation Deck) 瞰湖台.
http://towadako.or.jp/sansaku-map/utarube/

Shimoutarube 下宇樽部 (1049 hrs) > Towada-ko 十和田湖 休屋 (1058 hrs)
by JR Bus Tohoku.

Visited Otome no zo / Maiden Statue 乙女の像.

Towada-ko 十和田湖 休屋 > Oirase Keiryu Hotel 奥入瀬渓流ホテル
by taxi. [6,150 yen]

Yakeyama 焼山(1236 hrs) > Towada Art Center 十和田現代美術館 (1325 hrs)
by Towada Kanko Tetsudo Bus. [1,020 yen]
http://www.toutetsu.co.jp/jikoku/towada-yakeyama.htm

Visited Towada Art Center 十和田現代美術館. [510 yen]
http://towadaartcenter.com/web/towadaartcenter.html

Lunch: Cafe & Shop at Towada Art Center

Visited Art Station Towada アートステーショントワダ.
http://www.artstowada.com/data.cgi?id=140531042222

Towada Art Center 十和田現代美術館 (1647 hrs) > Hachinohe JR 八戸駅 (1735 hrs)
by JR Bus Tohoku.

Hachinohe JR 八戸駅 (1812 hrs) > Sendai JR 仙台駅 (1929 hrs)
by Hayabusa はやぶさ 32.

Sendai JR 仙台駅 (2000 hrs) > Fukushima JR福島駅 (2022 hrs)
by Yamabiko やまびこ 56.

Check in: Toyoko Inn Fukushima Eki Higashi Guchi 1 東横イン福島駅東口１
http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00070/

Dinner: Gyoza at Hanashibe はなしべ

- End of Day 10 -