In late 2024, I had the chance to visit Nihonmatsu in Fukushima Prefecture as part of a government initiative to encourage more tourists heading to Tohoku to stop by along the way. Truth be told, until this opportunity came up, even I didn’t know much about this part of Fukushima. Sandwiched between Koriyama and Fukushima City, Nihonmatsu is a true hidden gem that has yet to experience any of the ill effects of overtourism. My visit was specifically timed with the city’s Chrysanthemum Doll Festival, which has been held every October and November for many decades, but this former castle town is worth visiting at just about any time of the year.
Historically, Nihonmatsu was a significant castle stronghold with a legacy stretching back centuries. During the Edo period (1603–1868), it served as the seat of the Nihonmatsu Domain under the rule of the Niwa clan, and its strategic position along the Oshu Kaido made it an important hub for travelers and merchants moving between what’s now Tokyo and northern Japan. Though the original Nihonmatsu Castle was largely destroyed in war, the ruins now stand as a beautifully preserved park that offers a peek into the city’s feudal past.
In addition to its long history, Nihonmatsu also offers a number of other interesting attractions around town. From the beautiful nature found on the slopes of Mt. Adatara to relaxing hot springs and famous sake breweries, the city presents a true smorgasbord of allures for visitors to explore. Of all the off-the-beaten-path destinations I’ve been to recently, my trip to Nihonmatsu was one of the most memorable for just how flexible the city can be. No matter what you’re drawn to, there is truly something for everyone in Nihonmatsu.
How to Get There
Let’s take a quick moment to cover some key logistics so that you, the reader, can get a sense of where Nihonmatsu is located in Fukushima Prefecture and how to fit it into a Tohoku itinerary. Assuming you’re coming from Tokyo’s central areas, you’ll need to start by taking one of the bullet trains that stop at Koriyama Station. Here, it’s helpful to use a service like Jorudan to calculate departure times, and be careful not to board the Hayabusa Shinkansen, which heads directly to Sendai and skips Koriyama entirely. These are reserve seats only anyway so it should be a difficult mistake to make but it’s worth noting anyway.
After arriving in Koriyama, you’ll need to make a decision: do you want to rent a car, or take a local train to Nihonmatsu? On my trip, I was fortunate enough to be carted around by local representatives since I myself don’t drive, but the journey to Nihonmatsu is only about half an hour on the local trains. Overall, getting to Nihonmatsu itself isn’t too difficult. The real challenge is making the rounds to key spots in the region. While some attractions are simple enough to reach on foot, others require a long bus ride up into the mountains.
Before moving on, let me add that I highly recommend spending the night at one of Dake Onsen’s many hot spring-featuring lodgings. During my time in Nihonmatsu, I stayed at Mt. Inn, which is both foreigner-friendly and well-equipped with outdoor adventure options (making it perfect for anyone planning to summit Mt. Adatara). Plus, they even have a full-fledged rally car simulator, perfect for motorsports fans planning to visit the Ebisu Circuit. More on that in a second.
The Nihonmatsu Castle Area
Nihonmatsu Castle holds a special place in the city’s historical and cultural landscape. Originally constructed in the 14th century, this castle became a stronghold for the Hatakeyama clan before eventually passing to the Niwa clan that ruled from 1643 onwards. Unlike many other castles in Japan that have undergone heavy reconstruction, Nihonmatsu Castle retains its historic charm as a partially preserved ruin, allowing visitors to walk in the footsteps of samurai. Though the main keep was destroyed during the Boshin War, the stone walls and remnants of the castle grounds offer a glimpse into the past, evoking a sense of awe for those who wander its grounds.
Located on a hillside overlooking the city’s administrative center, the castle grounds (now known as Kasumiga Castle Park) are at their best in spring and autumn. The park holds roughly 2,500 Somei Yoshino cherry trees and is counted among Japan’s official Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots, and the local nickname “Kasumiga,” meaning “castle of mist,” comes from the haze of pink petals wrapping the stone walls each April. Autumn flips the palette, with the Japanese beech and Mongolian oak around the Kasumigaike and Ruriike ponds turning red and gold through October, lit at night so the foliage reflects off the water.
One of the most iconic events at Nihonmatsu Castle is the Chrysanthemum Doll Festival, a tradition that has been held annually for over half a century. Every October and November, the castle grounds are adorned with larger-than-life chrysanthemum displays, often featuring dolls dressed in colorful chrysanthemums that bring scenes from Japanese folklore and history to life. These floral masterpieces require immense skill and dedication to create, and they draw spectators from across the country who come to see this rare art form in its full glory. Set against the castle ruins, the dolls and flowers create an enchanting atmosphere that feels both timeless and uniquely Nihonmatsu.
The most affecting marker at the castle has nothing to do with cherry blossoms or chrysanthemums. The statue at the entrance commemorates the Nihonmatsu Shonentai, a unit of around 62 samurai boys aged 12 to 17 who were ordered into the castle’s defense during the Boshin War. When the new government’s 7,000 troops reached the gates on July 29, 1868, the castle fell in half a day. 16 of the boys, including their commander Kimura Jutaro, died in the action. Their statue stands at the foot of the keep ruins.
Compared to some of the other spots in Nihonmatsu, getting to the castle is comparatively simple. From Nihonmatsu Station, the castle grounds are only about a 20-minute walk, giving you a chance to enjoy the charming townscape along the way. If you’d prefer a quicker route, taxis are readily available at the station and can get you to the castle in just a few minutes. Just be sure not to miss the Nihonmatsu Castle Information Center while exploring the area!
Nihonmatsu’s Mt. Adatara
Next up, we have Mt. Adatara. The 1,700-meter stratovolcano sits inside Bandai-Asahi National Park and is listed among Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains (Nihon Hyakumeizan), with panoramic views that reach Mt. Bandai and the Pacific Ocean on clear days. Locally, the mountain carries a literary weight beyond its hiking credentials: the poet Takamura Kotaro wrote his wife Chieko’s hometown view of Adatara into the 1941 poetry collection Chieko-sho, and the mountain has been associated with that book ever since. For most visitors today, though, Adatara reads as an accessible day climb with a ropeway shortcut for anyone not interested in the full hike.
For those skipping the full ascent, the Mt. Adatara Ropeway runs from the trailhead up to Yakushi-dake station at around 1,350 meters in about 10 minutes, cutting most of the elevation gain out of the climb. From the upper station, the summit is roughly an hour’s walk along a well-defined ridgeline trail, with the forested valleys of Bandai-Asahi spreading out below. The line operates only during the warm-weather hiking season, generally late spring through mid-November, which is why most of the day-trippers from Tokyo and Sendai turn up between June and the autumn foliage peak in mid-October.
At the top, the mountain’s defining feature is Numa-no-daira, the active volcanic crater that gives Adatara its smoldering character. From the upper ropeway station, it’s about a 1.5-hour walk along marked trails to reach the crater rim, with the sulfur deposits and steam vents visible from the safe vantage points above. The basin floor itself has been off-limits to hikers since 1997, when four climbers in a group of 14 were killed by accumulated hydrogen sulfide gas after fog pushed them off the trail near the southern rim. Adatara had a small phreatic eruption the year before that, in 1996, and the JMA still monitors the volcano as active.
Beyond the summit hike, the mountain works in every season. Autumn foliage peaks across the slopes in mid-October. Winter turns the lower flanks into the Adatara Kogen ski area, with snowshoe and backcountry routes higher up. Down at the base, Dake Onsen offers sulfur baths fed by the same volcanic system that gives the upper crater its color, and Mt. Inn (mentioned above) sits in walking distance of several of the inn-onsen complexes. Honestly, I am amazed that Nihonmatsu and Mt. Adatara weren’t on my radar until just recently.
Note that Mt. Adatara is located to the west of central Nihonmatsu. To get there from the eastern part of the city where the main station sits, you’ll need to take a relatively long bus ride if you don’t have your own set of wheels. Buses to the mountain depart from Nihonmatsu Station, with schedules typically aligning with the hiking season, but it’s best to check local timetables in advance. If you’re traveling by car, the drive is straightforward and takes around 30 minutes from central Nihonmatsu, with ample parking available near the Adatara Ropeway station. However you get there, Mt. Adatara’s trails and ropeway access make it a convenient and rewarding adventure just outside the city center.
Motorsports on the Ebisu Circuit
Situated high up in the mountains of Nihonmatsu, the Ebisu Circuit is a motorsport enthusiast’s dream. Founded in the 1980s by the legendary Kumakubo Nobushige, the circuit was originally intended to give racers a safe and legal place to practice drifting, a motorsport that actually originated in Japan. Over the years, the Ebisu Circuit has grown into an internationally recognized drifter’s pilgrimage that is famous for its unique design and variety of challenging tracks. Today, it’s a magnet for drivers and fans from around the world, who come not only to race but also to experience the adrenaline-charged culture of Japanese motorsports.
What sets Ebisu Circuit apart from other tracks is its configuration of multiple courses, each with its own distinct layout and challenge level. The complex boasts seven individual tracks, ranging from the fast-paced Higashi Course, which features long sweeping curves, to the tight corners and technical demands of the Touge Course, designed to replicate the feel of winding mountain roads. There’s even a “Drift Land” course specifically dedicated to beginners looking to test their drifting skills in a controlled environment. This variety makes Ebisu Circuit accessible to all levels of drivers, from novices trying drifting for the first time to seasoned professionals looking to push their skills to the limit.
One of the Ebisu Circuit’s biggest annual events is the G1 Grand Prix, where professional and amateur drifters alike come together to compete in a high-stakes, high-speed spectacle that draws motorsport fans from around the world. The G1 Grand Prix, alongside other major drift events like the Ebisu Drift Festival, showcases some of the best talent in the drifting world and provides an up-close look at the skill, precision, and creativity that go into this unique sport. During the Ebisu Drift Festival, for instance, Ebisu Circuit becomes a nonstop hub of excitement, with drivers drifting around the clock over several days—a truly unique experience for both participants and spectators.
For those looking to experience the thrill of drifting without getting behind the wheel, Ebisu Circuit offers an exhilarating Drift Taxi service. This unique experience allows visitors to ride shotgun with a professional driver as they drift around the track, providing a firsthand taste of the intense speed, skill, and control that drifting demands. The Drift Taxi takes you through sharp corners, high-speed turns, and adrenaline-pumping maneuvers that showcase why Ebisu Circuit is regarded as one of the world’s premier drift circuits.
What makes Nihonmatsu the natural home for the Ebisu Circuit is its hilly geography. You see, drifting was born on Japan’s mountain passes (the Hakone Touge, the Gunma highlands of Initial D fame, etc.) before it migrated to professional circuits in the 1990s under figures like Tsuchiya Keiichi. The Ebisu Circuit, carved into the very same kind of terrain in Fukushima, is that culture given a legal home.
The Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival
The Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival is held annually from October 4th to 6th and is one of the most vibrant and historic celebrations in Fukushima. With over 350 years of history, the festival was instituted in 1664 by the daimyo Niwa Mitsushige as the grand annual rite of Nihonmatsu Shrine. Known as one of Japan’s three major lantern festivals, the Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival attracts locals and outsiders alike who come to see the streets of Nihonmatsu filled with the seven district floats, each standing over 11 meters tall. The opening night, October 4th, is the one to plan around: that’s when the seven floats are ceremonially lit from the shrine’s sacred Goshinka flame, with roughly 3,000 lanterns burning across the floats by full lighting.
At the heart of the festival are the massive wooden floats called Taikodai, each carrying roughly 300 paper lanterns up its tiered frame. These lantern-lit floats, crafted and maintained by the city’s seven historical boroughs, are stunning works of art that reflect both traditional craftsmanship and local pride. Each float is pulled through the streets by teams of residents who chant and play traditional festival music on drums and flutes, with the music coming from inside the float rather than from accompanying musicians. The sight of these towering, illuminated floats moving through Nihonmatsu’s historic streets, with roughly 3,000 lanterns lit across the seven Taikodai by full evening, is one of Tohoku’s most photographed festival moments.
The Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival is a highly interactive celebration that invites all revelers to become part of the festivities. Unlike with many other celebrations, locals and travelers alike can join in the procession, helping to pull the floats and chanting along with the residents. This hands-on participation fosters a strong sense of community and connection between locals and visitors, giving everyone a chance to share in the joy of the occasion. For those who prefer to watch, the streets and main square provide excellent vantage points to enjoy the festival, with plenty of food stalls and vendors offering traditional Japanese festival foods like yakisoba, takoyaki, and sweet treats.
One of the highlights of the festival is the informal pride contest between the boroughs, each of which maintains its own Taikodai design and trains its own drum and flute corps. While friendly, the rivalry adds an extra layer of excitement to the event, as each borough’s team seeks to outdo the others in both presentation and enthusiasm. This sense of friendly competition brings a lively dynamic to the festival as each float makes its way through the streets, accompanied by cheers and applause from the residents lining the procession route.
Assuming the timing works for you, the Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival is easy to fit into a Tohoku trip in early October. If you can only catch one of the three nights, make it the 4th: the seven Taikodai converge on the shrine grounds for the Goshinka lighting, which is the most photographed part of the festival. Whether you’re a festival enthusiast or simply curious about local traditions, the Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival is one of Tohoku’s most accessible celebrations, with Koriyama Station only 15 minutes south by local train if the local hotels fill up during the run.
Other Nearby Attractions
In addition to all the spots I’ve featured thus far, there are still many other attractions within Nihonmatsu worth checking out. For example, immediately beside the Ebisu Circuit, you’ll also find the Tohoku Safari Park. If you’re a fan of zoos, you’ll want to swing by here to take a quick rest after your adrenaline-pumping drifting experience at the Ebisu Circuit. Note that Tohoku Safari Park’s grounds are actually housed within the same complex as the Ebisu Circuit, so it can be a bit confusing when trying to look up directions.
Back towards Nihonmatsu’s central areas, there is also the Daishichi Sake Brewery, which was incorporated way back in 1752 and still continues to use traditional brewing methods. When I went, I had the honor of having the current head of the company show me around the place and was privy to his in-depth explanation of the sake brewing process. While you might not get this VIP treatment at Daishichi Shuzo, you can still partake in a tasting of some of the finest sake that I’ve had the chance to sample to date.
Of course, as a huge fan of this part of Fukushima, I simply have to suggest that you consider Aizu-Wakamatsu and Ouchijuku. Reachable via the Ban-Etsu West Line from Koriyama Station, this important stronghold is one of my all-time favorites. From the double helix-shaped Sazaedo temple building to Tsuruga Castle, there is so much to see and do in Aizu-Wakamatsu, so consider diving deeper into Fukushima should you have the time. Likewise, Kitakata to the north of Aizu-Wakamatsu is also great, especially if you’re a ramen connoisseur.
Until next time travelers…
