Aizumisato

Aizumisato (会津美里町) is a quaint little town on the outer edges of the main city of the Aizu region, Aizu Wakamatsu. It is situated on the western edge of the Aizu basin, nestled next to the mountains that form the basin's edge.

History
Aizumisato was created in 2005 with the merger of three separate towns: Aizutakada (会津高田), Aizuhongo (会津本郷), and Niitsuru (新鶴). Although the towns are all under the same jurisdiction, they are each approximately a 15 minute drive away from each other. Aizuhongo is the closest to Aizu Wakamatsu (only about a 5-10 minute drive away from the city limits), with Aizutakada being the next closest (a 20-25 minute drive away from the western city limits), and Niitsuru being the furthest (a 30-35 minute drive away from the city limits). Each of these smaller towns runs along the 401 highway into Aizu Wakamatsu.

Geography and Climate
Aizumisato lies in a valley and is surrounded by mountains on all sides. As a result, Aizumisato, along with many of the towns and cities in the valley, has some of the highest temperatures and humidity levels in Fukushima prefecture during summertime. However, winter is a completely different story. Aizumisato experiences almost continuous snowfall from November or December until well into March and April along with some of the lowest temperatures in Fukushima. Another result of living among the mountains is that the earthquakes can be much milder in Aizu than the rest of the prefecture, especially in comparison to the coastline.

Transportation


There are four train stations that are located in Aizumisato. They are the Aizutakada, Aizuhongo, Negishi, and Niitsuru Stations, and each runs along the Tadami Line connecting Aizu Wakamatsu to the western areas of the ken, such as Mishima and Tadami. From the stations in Aizumisato, Aizu Wakamatsu is only a 20-25 minute train ride away. However, the train runs infrequently (only 6 times a day), so if you're traveling by train, be aware of the schedule. You don't want to get stuck somewhere without transportation home.

Aizumisato also has buses available from each of the towns into Aizu Wakamatsu. The buses have several different stops within the city and end at the bus station, opposite the train station in central Wakamatsu.

Schools
Aizumisato has 3 ALTs through the JET Programme, each of whom teaches in each of the three towns. The schools are divided mostly by number of students so that each ALT has approximately the same number. This also means that there are varying numbers of schools that an ALT in Aizumisato will teach at.

In Aizutakada (or Takada for short), the ALT predominantly teaches at Takada Junior High School (高田中学校) and Miyakawa Elementary School (宮川小学校) during the week, with monthly visits to two of the local nursery schools, Sakura Nursery School (さくら保育所) and Himawari Nursery School (ひまわり保育所).

In Aizuhongo (or Hongo for short), the ALT teaches at Hongo Junior High School (本郷中学校), Hongo Elementary School (本郷小学校), and Kindergarten (幼稚園). The schedule is varied throughout the week.

In Niitsuru the ALT teaches at Niitsuru Junior High School (新鶴中学校), Niitsuru Elementary School (新鶴小学校), Takada Elementary School (高田小学校), and Kindergarten (幼稚園). The schedule is varied throughout the week.

Things to do
Aizutakada is home to Isasumi Shrine (伊佐須美神社) [Japanese only], a local tourist attraction. It is a mid-range nationally ranked shrine in Japan. The shrine is home to the annual "taue-shinji" or rice planting Shinto ritual. The ritual has been performed in this shrine for centuries and Fukushima prefecture has designated the shrine as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The Otaue Festival falls on July 11 or 12 annually.

Festivals and Events
Iris Festival (あやめ祭り): Around the first week of July, the Iris Festival is held at Isasumi Shrine. With over 150 different species and over 10 million flowers in total, it's a beautiful and relaxing walk filled with irises.

Rice Planting Festival (御田植え祭): On July 11 or 12, the Rice Planting Festival is held at Isasumi Shrine. Morning rituals and running through the streets of Aizutakada, followed by rice planting in the evening make for an interesting day.

Hongo Pottery Festival (陶祖祭): Aizuhongo, known for its pottery, holds a pottery festival mid-September where beautiful pottery pieces from local artisans and schools are featured and sold.

Prosperity Festival (大俵引き祭り): This festival held mid-January in Aizutakada dates back 400 years. It is essentially a giant game of tug-of-war between the town farmers and merchants. The team that wins gains prosperity in the upcoming year.

Restaurants and Food
くるみの樹 (Kurumi no Ki):  Located on the western side of Takada, this is a great place for pizza. Although it's not quite American-style pizza, their pizzas are fire-roasted and pretty tasty. They offer a variety of seasonal pizzas in a comfy, cozy setting. As a plus, the owners are very nice people as well!

やなぎ亭 (Yanagi tei): Looking for a great bowl of ramen in Misato? Look no further! Located in Niitsuru, you can sit down to a delicious, steaming bowl of ramen here for a very reasonable price.

Resources and Links
Find trains from Aizumisato here.