Fukushima

Fukushima has been a place of scenic beauty and history for centuries, but since 2011 the world equates the name with the difficulties at the Fukushima nuclear plant. What visitors to Japan should know is that the contaminated area, deemed unsafe, is less than 10% of this amazing prefecture. There is so much to see in the mountainous interior as well as sightseeing in the coastal areas that are rebuilding and finding their place in the world again. You can enjoy wonderful festivals throughout the year in Fukushima, but one of special note is the Aizuwakamatsu’s Aizu Festival held in late September. The Aizu festival is a celebration of the time of the samurai and includes displays of sword dancing and fighting, and processions of around five hundred people carrying flags and tools representing well known lords of the samurai period.