Fukushima Trip - Day 5 (October 31, 2017)

After a brief break from advertising in the previous two episodes due to concerns about overwhelming viewers with autumn foliage, we're back with Episode 5!

However, this episode presented a unique challenge: choosing the perfect cover image. The beauty of the day's scenery, coupled with the surprise snowfall, made the decision difficult.

Ultimately, we chose the image based on a personal connection. While we've previously posed with realistic 3D paintings of autumn leaves, this time we were immersed in the real thing. Standing amidst the vibrant foliage felt surreal, confirming that this wasn't a dream. The experience was truly breathtaking, and we wanted to share that feeling through the cover image.

Even without rain, we couldn't resist using an umbrella as a stylish prop.

I would like to inform you that my experience of traveling by train and bus in Fukushima ended on the 4th.

On the 5th and 6th, we rented a car and drove around ourselves. I didn't drive, I just sat in the car like a lady. Hehe.

We rented a small car (about the same size as a Vios in Thailand) for 8,100 yen (2,430 baht) per day, excluding fuel.

On the 5th, the main places we visited were > Day 5 Tatsuzawafudo Falls and the waterfall under the Takinotsuri Bridge.

After checking out of the Washington Hotel, we put our luggage in the trunk of the car. We will be staying at a ryokan tonight.

Let's start our journey! But wait, to get to the location we want to go, we need to use Google Maps.

At first, I was very confused by the GPS on the car's screen, but luckily, there was a friend from the blog who was an expert and told me how to use the GPS in the car.

That is, enter the phone number of the destination we want to go to. The GPS will guide us there.

But at that time, I just followed the car in front of me. Hehe.

Prepare 690 yen for the first toll gate. The yellow card is the expressway card you received at the entrance.

The price will be indicated on the exit ticket. What I liked and was impressed by was the service from the expressway staff who bowed their heads to greet us and informed us of the amount to be paid.

They didn't just reach out their hand from the cash collection window like in our country. 555

Now we are heading to Tatsuzawafudo Falls.

Coordinates: https://goo.gl/maps/3fZJy1qEiWF2

The scenery was breathtaking, with the leaves changing color all around us. The higher we climbed, the more vibrant the colors became. Fortunately, Typhoon No. 22 had already passed, so we were lucky to have such clear weather.

On the way to the waterfall, there is a place to stop on the side of the road. Public restrooms.

Oh my god, the public restrooms on the side of the road here have toilet paper! 555

It's great, the people who take care of the area must keep refilling it.

And then we arrived at the entrance to Tatsuzawafudo Falls, where we will see the changing leaves fluttering in the wind all the time.

From the parking lot, there is a path leading to the Tatsuzawafudo waterfall area. Based on visual estimation, it is approximately 400 meters by foot. We chose to walk against the direction of the flowing stream. It must be the way to the waterfall for sure.

It was quite certain that there were many photographers and tourists carrying tripods and professional cameras walking in.

And what was amazing was that many of these Japanese photographers looked like senior citizens. I guess they came together as a group for a trip.

We could only look at them and enjoy the colorful leaves on both sides of the road.

When we arrived at Tatsuzawafudo Falls, I wanted to scream!

Because it was so beautiful, it was the peak at this time!

The area around the waterfall is usually quite popular with photographers and tourists.

Everyone finds their own angle, so the scene in front of you is not crowded with people. It's great, I must say, the time I went was the most beautiful, the waterfall was truly magnificent.

Tatsuzawafudo Falls: A Cascading Beauty Steeped in Spirituality

Tatsuzawafudo Falls, cascading down from Mount Funamyojin in the Adatara mountain range, offers a breathtaking spectacle. The waterfall plunges into the Fudo-gawa River, creating a mesmerizing scene.

Beyond its natural beauty, Tatsuzawafudo Falls holds spiritual significance. Nestled beside the falls, an ancient pavilion and intricately carved stone Buddha statues imbue the area with a sense of serenity.

After immersing ourselves in the falls' splendor, we continued our journey by car. The vibrant hues of the changing leaves continued to captivate us as we drove along. The freedom of our rental car allowed us to stop at any scenic spot that caught our eye, capturing the beauty of the landscape through photographs and videos.

We parked at the Bandai-Azuma Lake Line. Our original goal was to see the changing leaves at the larger Bandai Azuma Skyline, but the car's GPS displayed a symbol indicating that the road was closed. We decided to drive there anyway to see if it was truly closed, and it was! So, we ended up parking here to take some photos.

The red leaves are as beautiful as they are at the peak of the season.

When the first road was closed, we drove to the second road. The higher we drove up the mountain, the more we started to see small patches of snow on the side of the road.

We screamed with excitement.

This was a surprise reward from nature. This was also the first snow of the year in Fukushima.

We saw it for the first time without expecting it.

Stop, stop, stop! I can't take it anymore. I have to stop and play with this little snow on the side of the road. 555

The snow has gathered together in small lumps, and I can squeeze it into a fine white powder.

This is the result of the 22nd typhoon that came in the past few days, when it rained all the way.

This has caused the temperature to drop continuously, resulting in the first snowfall on this high mountain.

It's amazing for us because we didn't expect to see it.

The weather was freezing, but it was so much fun! My hands were numb from the cold, and the wind was strong, but I didn't care. I had never seen so much snow before, and I was so excited that I forgot how cold I was. I don't even know what the temperature was.

My clothes kept me warm, even though it was so cold. I wore a thermal shirt, a down jacket, and a coat. I also wore thermal tights under my jeans, and I wore wool socks and waterproof KEEN Terradora boots. I was so prepared, even though I didn't know if I would see any snow.

I had such a great time playing in the snow. I wish I could have stayed longer.

I'm so glad I got to experience this. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The road is muddy and full of puddles from the melting snow.

It's quite slippery, but we manage to keep our balance. We're more focused on the snow around us.

Even though our hands are freezing, we don't bother putting on gloves. We're too busy taking photos.

We forget to worry about whether our camera will break.

We're actually on our way to Bandai Azuma Skyline.

Coordinates: https://goo.gl/maps/B77sib7KE482

But the road is closed again. We guess it's because of the heavy snowfall.

No problem at all! We're having too much fun with the snow to worry about anything else.

Look, we've got a big snowball now!

Half a day in Fukushima is worth the trip for us. 555

It's time to go down the mountain. Let's stop by and take some pictures along the way.

With beautiful views as always, the leaves on both sides of the road have fallen, with patches of snow covering them.

As we drove down the mountain, our next destination was Takinotsuri Bridge, a waterfall located beneath a suspension bridge. Our guide, Ms. Yee (Namfa), took us on a shortcut route that followed the GPS. We guessed that this route was rarely used by cars, as the road was narrow and covered with fallen leaves. However, it was a beautiful route, like something out of a photograph we had seen before.

We have now stepped through the wall of the photograph and arrived at the actual location.

We are so happy!

Next, we will continue to Shinsui Park, which is the location of the Takinotsuri Suspension Bridge.

The bridge is located in the town of Tsuchiyu Onsen.

The Takinotsuri Suspension Bridge can be accessed from two directions: west and south. You can walk through it to the other side.

The entrance is an old temple. It's not far to walk, and the cool air makes it easy.

You can also see the beautiful streams and rivers flowing into the village.

The wooden walkway extends along both sides of the bridge. We are unsure what lies at the end of the path.

Instead, we choose to ascend the wooden bridge and admire the scenery from a higher vantage point.

The interior reveals a waterfall cascading down a path, with a check dam constructed to retain and regulate water flow. This enhances the moisture content of the surrounding forest. As the air cools and darkness descends, it's time to depart from Shinsui Park.

Our stomachs are growling, a sign of hunger. We were so engrossed in our sightseeing that we forgot to eat lunch.

Our water photography assistant that makes the water flow smoothly, here it is, a tripod.

It helped a lot on the trip ^^

Walking back out the other way, we encounter a large weir right here.

This is the first point, conveniently located next to the Tsuchiyu Onsen bus stop.

On the evening of the 5th, we drove back from Shinsui Park to Aizu-Wakamatsu city, which took a little over an hour.

We had a dinner appointment with friends at a delicious restaurant near the train station.

The name is in Japanese again, I can't read it.

The food was delicious and well-prepared. It was a mix of Japanese and international fusion cuisine. We only managed to take pictures of two dishes, as we were too hungry and devoured the rest. The highlight of the meal was the delicious spiced chicken and the uni. The total bill for four people, including drinks, came to 10,768 yen (3,230 baht). After the meal, we went our separate ways and checked into our ryokan for the first night. We were looking forward to resting and continuing our journey to Fukushima on the 6th, which would be the last day of our trip.

Autumn Fukushima < Day 6: The classic wooden temple Enzoji Temple + Following the popular train spot Tadami River First Bridge

Thank you for watching.

Rinsa Yoyolive