Field trip report Nihonmatsu city, Fukushima prefecture On the 22nd of November 2015, I took a trip with a few other Fukushima University international

students to Nihonmatsu city in Fukushima prefecture, Japan. After a year of living in Japan, I

had never been to this city so close to me, so I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and once

again I was not disappointed with the experience of Japanese Culture the city had to offer. This is

one of the reasons I decided attend Fukushima University in Fukushima Prefecture: to

experience real Japanese culture, the metropolitan areas of Tokyo and Kyoto may have lost that

touch.

The trip was on a Sunday and it is about an hour drive from Fukushima city. Luck was in time

for our trip as there was a festival held at our first destination.

1. Nihonmatsu chrysanthemum figures and Kasumigajo Park These wax like figures were displayed at remnants of a castle (Kasumigajo) of which the

land was once ruled by the renowned Samurai Lords. The display at first glance from afar

can be mistaken as a living being. Like in my country Fiji, traditional culture is of importance

and similarities can be compared here. I noticed the strict seating arrangement, style and

posture of the Samurai lords, their kin and women portraying an important and delicate

custom of its time- Honour. I presume this Honour rubs off on to the present Japanese people

which is why they have a lot of respect for each other.

The architecture of the castle showed glimpses of the past, gardens, stonewalls and sort of zig

zag in- design, I guess to deliberately slow enemy approach if comes under siege. At the

festival along with great entertainment, there was a lot of traditional food and items. Also

there was a mini zoo where rabbits, sika deer and guinea pigs were on display for children to

feed and cuddle them. I really recommend kids to visit this spot. All these are located in one

castle which will make life easier especially for travelers and to top it off the scenery was

spectacular, lily ponds, massive flower arrangement and art display which I guess women

will really love.

2. Lunch at Sora-no-niwa Natural restaurant and Hanakanzashi hotel Next we checked in at Sora-no-niwa restaurant for lunch. Dake means mountain peak and as

you can guess this restaurant was way inland with sort of an eco-tourism style forest and

greenery- my type of place. The food was delicious and professionally prepared with a mix

of Japanese and Western style cuisine.

Fukushima prefecture is famous for its hot springs or onsen. After lunch we were taken to a

Japanese style hotel- Hanakanzashi. It is small and cozy, the perfect getaway for newlyweds

or couples who have just found romance in each other or oldies that are rekindling that fire

burning within and need that extra silence away from the buzzing busy world. Hanakanzashi

has a special offer this hotel has few rooms that have their own private onsens just an open

backdoor away from your own private hot spring bathe. The manager made a generous offer

to those that contact her before arrival, can bargain for a reduce price, you cannot refuse the

deal for a lovely place like this.

3. Dake street hot spring At this stop we took a trip through the streets of Dake. Along the way to our destination,

there were hot springs pouring out profusely into drains, just goes to show the many that this

place has. At our point stop, we were able to get into a hot spring pool for legs warming

session free of charge. The water was quite hot and in cold weather would have been just

what the doctor ordered. We spent a few minutes here before finally making our way to our

last destination- a full boy hot spring bath.

4. Hotel Kounkaku Further drive up to the mountains is Hotel Kounkaku with a beautiful view and not a single

skyscraper to obscure the sweet serene that this place has to offer. I could see almost the

whole of Fukushima prefecture from this view. In the hotel we were treated to a hot bath and

then we prepared to leave for home. We dispersed at Fukushima city station.

Fukushima prefecture has been through a lot of rebuilding since the March, 2011 disaster. The

people and businesses have just found their way back into full mode. As a foreigner I see this as

an opportunity for travelers to seize as prices can be low and in a way it’s a win-win situation for

both the travelers and Nihonmatsu, we help each other. And Nihonmatsu city is a great place to

start from, it sets the tone and the mood. Not to mention, we had a TV crew following us through

our trip for documentation purposes, not paparazzi—such celebrities we were. I would like to

thank Nihonmatsu city officials for this trip, especially our guide for the tour who made it a safe

and enjoyable trip.

Chris Leong

(Fiji International Student)