Higashiyama Onsen 東山温泉

Experience hot spring culture in one of the top three onsen villages of old Tohoku.

Higashiyama Onsen is accessible by train, then bus or taxi.

From Tokyo, take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Koriyama. Change here on the JR Ban-etsu West line to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station. The Aizu Wakamatsu Town Bus or a short 10-minute taxi ride will get you to the area.

Located close to town, Higashiyama Onsen was discovered about 1,300 years ago, supposedly by the Buddhist priest Gyoki. The feudal lords and their samurai retainers came to the hot springs to relax, as did poets and writers.

Nearby, there are a variety of different things to check out. Head to Tsuruga Castle , a reconstruction of the original castle that stood in Aizuwakamatsu for centuries. There's also the Aizu Samurai Mansion , a 38-room complex that showcases the lives of people from the Edo period (1603-1867).