Enjoy more than just skiing! A half-day itinerary to experience the quintessential Japanese scenery around AizukogenTakatsue Ski Resort.

2026.07.19

Is there nothing to do once the ski season is over? I think it's impossible to sightsee in the countryside without a car, right? That's not true! We'll introduce a itinerary that takes advantage of convenient and affordable shared taxis to venture a little further from the ski resort and experience the charm of the countryside.

Access to Aizu kogen Takatsue Ski Resort

Direct service from Asakusa ! A roughly 3-hour train journey on the Limited Express Liberty Aizu!

The journey from Tobu Asakusa Station in Tokyo to Aizu Kogen-Ozeguchi Station takes approximately 3 hours on the "Limited Express Liberty Aizu" train.
You'll arrive smoothly at the nature-rich Aizu Kogen ( Highlands)  without any transfers.

I recommend the 11:00 AM departure from Asakusa.
A train trip where you can enjoy the scenery outside the window while eating your bento box sounds wonderful!

Arrived at Aizu-Kogen- Ozeguchi Station. Transfer to a shared taxi.

Getting off at Aizu-Kogen- Ozeguchi Station around 2 PM.
Take a pre-booked shared on-demand taxi to Takatsue Ski Resort (Familia).
Price: 900 yen. Duration: Approximately 30 minutes.
 *Reservations must be made by phone by 5 PM the day before.
*Since this is a shared ride, the pickup time may vary. Please confirm the day before.

Checking into Vacation Lodge FamiliA, Aizu kogen

You'll arrive around 2:30 or 3 PM, so let's relax in the lounge first and then plan where to go next.

If you plan to go out on the morning of the second day, please inquire about shared taxis by 5 PM.
The Maezawa Magariya settlement and Yunohana Onsen, which are mentioned in the next heading, are both very affordable at just 330 yen one way.

Once the plans are set, let's take a walk nearby. You can walk while listening to the quiet sound of the river flowing,
Let's refresh ourselves by listening to the birdsong, seeing the colors of the trees, and breathing in the crisp, cool air, even in spring.

Day 2: In the morning, we'll embark on a journey to experience the quintessential Japanese landscape.

Maezawa Magariya Village

It has been designated as a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings .

In 1907, after a major fire destroyed most of the buildings in the settlement, they were all rebuilt simultaneously by carpenters from the surrounding area, resulting in a landscape with a unified design.

The houses (main buildings) have thatched roofs and are classified into straight houses and L-shaped houses (curved houses) based on their structure, with the latter being the most common.

The Chumon-zukuri style is a structure that allowed people to live together with farm horses, which were once cherished as family members. The gable end features highly decorative elements such as windows for letting in light, wooden beams and crossbeams, carvings on the front panels, and fox-shaped lattices.

Within the settlement, there are 20 traditional houses, including 13 houses with a central gate structure (curved houses). People still live their lives in these traditional houses, preserving the original landscape of Japan.

Village entrance fee: Adults 300 yen / High school students and younger 150 yen
(*Admission is free during the winter months until March.)

⚠️Most of the thatched-roof buildings in the Maezawa Magariya settlement are currently inhabited. Please observe proper etiquette, such as asking permission before entering the property or pointing your camera at residents for photography.

Enjoy the local specialty "Tachi Soba" in the Yunohana Onsen area.

Take a shared taxi departing around noon to the Yunohana Onsen area.
Now, let's try the local specialty, "Tachi Soba."
There are several soba restaurants, but they are all small, so I highly recommend calling ahead and making a reservation.
Since you can get off the shared taxi anywhere, let's make a reservation to be dropped off in front of the soba restaurant.

To the four "communal public baths" that the villagers continue to protect.

Yunohana Onsen has four public baths, two of which are mixed-gender.
Purchase a bathing ticket (400 yen) at a nearby shop, restaurant, or inn. You can use it to bathe at all four locations as many times as you like on the same day.

We hope you enjoy visiting all four hot springs,
For those new to hot springs, "Kobo no Yu" is highly recommended. It has only indoor baths, with separate changing rooms and showers for men and women.

After enjoying the hot springs, you can take a taxi back to the Takatsue area.

Spending the evening in the lounge

I returned to the FamiliA and took a breather.
It's also nice to sit in the lounge with a cup of coffee and read that book you've been wanting to read.
Now that I've refreshed yourself nicely, or if you start a workation, come up with some great ideas.

It would be nice to enjoy a little more of a stroll around the neighborhood.

Day 3: Let's enjoy some detours on the way back.

To coincide with the 10:00 AM check-out, you can take a shared taxi to Takaharu Kogen Oze-guchi.

"I wish I could have relaxed a bit longer."
"There are other places I'd like to go too."
That's what you'd think.

To venture a little further and visit Ouchi juku Village in the neighboring Shimogo Town of Shimogo and Hinoemata Village, where Ozeguchi Park is located, you'll need another two or three nights, using the Familia as your base.

Get off at Kinugawa along the way.

Take the train departing Aizu-Kogen ozeguchi station around 11:00 AM, and enjoy some sightseeing with stops along the way on your return trip.
For example, you could get off at Kinugawa Station and enjoy lunch or sweets, or relax in a footbath or a day trip to a hot spring.

Actually, staying another night at Kinugawa or Nikko would be a real luxury, wouldn't it?

From Kinugawa station, there are more trains, including some late in the day, so you could easily spend the entire afternoon strolling around the hot spring town.

What did you think?
Take a direct flight from Tokyo without transfers to the mountains where Japan's nature, history, and way of life remain.
Instead of limiting your destination to your accommodation, wouldn't it be wonderful to use Familia as a base and leisurely explore the surrounding area?

"I did this in that village over there!"
"I found the story the old woman I met at the hot springs to be very interesting."

When you return to Familia, please tell us all about what happened!