Enjoy the Sea, Lakes, and Highlands! 13 Recommended Tourist Spots in Fukushima for Family Trips

Fukushima offers very different scenery and ways to spend time in each area, from the coast of Iwaki to Lake Inawashiro, the Urabandai highlands, and the historic streets of Aizu.
Even if you base yourself in just one area, such as Iwaki, Inawashiro, or Aizu, you can combine nearby spots for a wide range of experiences, including play, nature, and culture.

Indoor facilities such as aquariums and science museums are well balanced with natural spots such as lakes, highlands, and caves.
It is easy to choose where to go based on the weather or how everyone feels that day, making it simple to add variety to your itinerary.

In addition to theme parks and hands-on facilities, Fukushima has plenty of science museums and memorial museums.
Play can naturally lead into experiences with nature and history, expanding the range of experiences as you travel.

This large leisure facility uses hot springs and brings together pools, shows, and dining in one place. With a lazy river, water slides, and an all-weather domed water park, it is easy to enjoy without worrying about the weather.
Because most facilities are indoors and use hot springs, the resort has a lively tropical beach mood regardless of the season or weather. Its scale is a major draw, with enough to keep families entertained all day, including the Hula Girls stage show.

This hands-on aquarium themed around Fukushima’s ocean combines exhibits and experiences. Its theme is the “shiome,” the meeting point of two currents that flow off Fukushima and enrich its waters: the Kuroshio Current and the Oyashio Current.
Features such as a large tank recreating the sea where the Kuroshio and Oyashio meet, as well as a triangular tunnel, let visitors feel the movement of fish up close. There are also touch pools and fishing experiences, so kids can learn how the ocean works while having fun.

This safari park lets you drive through the grounds and observe animals up close. In the free-roaming area, lions and giraffes come surprisingly close, creating an impressive scene.
Including rare white tigers and white lions, the park is home to an amazing Approx. 116 species and 700 animals and birds! Feeding experien

This leisure spot combines an amusement park with indoor facilities, making it fun for a wide range of ages. It offers classic attractions such as a roller coaster, go-karts, and a carousel.
The most popular ride in “Dreamland” is an exciting roller coaster that races along a 700-meter course full of elevation changes. Another appealing feature is the open grassy space where you can take a break between activities.

This theme park-style facility lets visitors experience the world of Licca-chan, blending tours with hands-on activities.
Inside, there are exhibits of dolls from past generations and areas where you can watch the production process, offering a look at how things are made.
With dress rentals, visitors can become Licca-chan and tour or stroll through the castle filled with Licca-chan dolls and its romantic garden. There is also a doll-making experience, making it appealing as a way to turn memories into something tangible.

This participatory science museum focuses on insects and nature, offering learning experiences both indoors and outdoors. In addition to exhibits and science shows, it has a strong lineup of experiments and craft programs.
Nature experience classes, including wildlife observation in the outdoor biotope and fields around the facility, are also popular. Through observation and hands-on experiences, visitors can develop a deeper interest in the nature close to them.

Located inside a high-rise building in front of the station, this space-themed science museum centers on exhibits and a planetarium. It features devices that let visitors learn hands-on about the mechanisms of space and science, making them easy for children to understand.
The “Space Theater (Planetarium)” is the museum’s signature attraction and is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s highest planetarium above ground level. Looking up at the starry sky helps spark interest in space.

This museum introduces the life and research of bacteriologist Hideyo Noguchi and consists of his birthplace and exhibition facilities. Visitors can trace his character through photos, materials, and recreated displays.
Hands-on games that families can enjoy while learning about his achievements are also well received. The museum is designed so visitors can feel close to the story of this historical figure.

This limestone cave extends 600 meters and is known for the variety and abundance of its stalactites.
Visitors walk through an underground space lined with stalactites, experiencing changes in the terrain firsthand. The route continues through areas such as an Approx. 29-meter-high hall and spaces filled with distinctive formations, with the scenery changing as you walk.
The exploration course offers an even more adventurous route.

This hiking course takes you through a group of ponds and lakes in the Urabandai area, where you can enjoy the colors of nature. The water surfaces vary in color from pond to pond, including Bishamon-numa Pond and Ao-numa Pond.
The name does not mean there are five ponds; it comes from the many colors you can see here. As you walk the Approx. 4-kilometer trail, you can enjoy the changing scenery.

Located near the center of Fukushima Prefecture, this lake spans two cities and one town: Aizuwakamatsu City, Koriyama City, and Inawashiro Town. It is Japan’s fourth-largest lake, and its open views of Mt. Bandai are a highlight.
Visitors can enjoy leisure activities such as lake swimming and boating, as well as relaxing time along the lakeshore. In the expansive scenery, families can share a peaceful, unhurried moment.

This castle symbolizes the history of Aizu and is a landmark of Aizuwakamatsu City, also known as a famous cherry blossom spot. Its keep, the only one in Japan roofed with red tiles, conveys the beautiful appearance of a castle from the feudal era to the present day.
The inside of the keep is a museum where visitors can learn about the region’s history and culture. Together with a stroll through the castle grounds, it is a spot where you can sense the flow of history.

This post town is lined with thatched-roof houses and preserves scenery that evokes the Edo period. Restaurants and souvenir shops stand along the old road, making it enjoyable to explore on foot.
Many houses also serve as shops, with soba restaurants offering the local specialty negi soba, along with sweet shops and souvenir stores scattered throughout. You can enjoy a relaxed town walk while moving between food and scenery.

Surrounded by nature along the Arakawa River, this hot spring inn offers a space where you can spend a leisurely time with its garden. A spacious courtyard and mountain stream views spread out before you, allowing you to feel the changing seasons while still inside the property.
True to its nickname as an “inn devoted to hot springs,” it features five bathing areas in total, including open-air and indoor baths. Enjoying the different baths makes for a calm and relaxing stay.

Located in the center of Iizaka Onsen, this resort hotel offers both hot springs and dining. With a buffet featuring live cooking stations and a wide range of room types, it is easy for many generations to enjoy.
On the grounds is Hanamomo no Yu, a group of open-air baths overlooking the garden, where visitors can enjoy water drawn from Iizaka’s hot spring source in multiple indoor baths with different temperatures and spacious open-air baths. It is best enjoyed together with the atmosphere of the hot spring town.

This official hotel is directly connected to Spa Resort Hawaiians, offering a stay integrated with the facility. Because guests can move between the pools and hot spring facilities with ease, the reduced travel burden is another plus.
Inside the hotel, art themed around Hawaiian nature and culture is displayed throughout, creating a resort mood where guests can chat and unwind. The stay itself becomes an extraordinary experience.