Aizu-Wakamatsu
会津若松市37°30′ N 139°56′ ECityPop. 117,924Tohoku
Aizu-Wakamatsu suits travellers who want a castle town with a direct winter bus to NEKOMA Mountain's South Area. The trade-off is a 45-minute ride each way to the slopes.
Photo くろふね · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Stay in Aizu-Wakamatsu if you want a city's restaurants and history in the evenings, and ski days at NEKOMA by bus.
The name
Wakamatsu
若松Wakamatsu means young pine. Gamo Ujisato gave the name when he took over the castle town of Kurokawa in 1590, and Aizu, the name of the basin, was added in 1955.
japanese
The encyclopedias record the renamings and give no story behind the choice of Wakamatsu.
Eat in Aizu-Wakamatsu
Aizu-Wakamatsu grew around a castle the Ashina family began in 1384, when the place was called Kurokawa. Gamo Ujisato arrived in 1590, renamed the castle Tsuruga-jo and the town Wakamatsu, and laid out the castle town. The city took its present name in 1955. The keep standing today is a reconstruction, and the city has been marking 60 years since it was rebuilt.
In winter the city works as a base for NEKOMA Mountain. A route bus leaves from in front of Aizu-Wakamatsu Station for the South Area, the former Alts Bandai, in about 45 minutes for ¥1,000, with no booking. The JR Ban-etsu West Line reaches Bandai-machi in 15 minutes and Koriyama, on the Tohoku Shinkansen, in about 75 minutes.
Worth knowing
- On a day off, the city's tourism site offers rental bikes from the station and a hands-free service that carries your bags while you look round.
Quick answers about Aizu-Wakamatsuよくある質問
How do you get from Aizu-Wakamatsu to NEKOMA Mountain?
Take the route bus from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station to NEKOMA's South Area. It runs from 12 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, takes about 45 minutes and costs ¥1,000 for an adult, with no booking.
How do you get to Aizu-Wakamatsu from Tokyo?
Take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Koriyama and change to the Ban-etsu West Line. On 16 October 2026 the fastest morning trip took 2 hours 51 minutes for ¥9,660.
What does the name Aizu-Wakamatsu mean?
Aizu-Wakamatsu comes from the local name Wakamatsu, meaning wakamatsu means young pine. Gamo Ujisato gave the name when he took over the castle town of Kurokawa in 1590, and Aizu, the name of the basin, was added in 1955. The encyclopedias record the renamings and give no story behind the choice of Wakamatsu.
Is Aizu-Wakamatsu a good place to stay?
Stay in Aizu-Wakamatsu if you want a city's restaurants and history in the evenings, and ski days at NEKOMA by bus.
Within 12 km
Places to eat and drink nearby食
Within 12 km
