Summer Weekend in Urabandai Lake District in Fukushima

This is a follow on to my recent trip report on Aizuwakamatsu. Mt. Bandai and the Bandai Kogen (Urabandai) area surrounds Aizuwakamatsu and it can be an easy add on of 1-2 days if you’d like to enjoy the cool mountain air and scenery in summer, autumn leaves in fall, or snow sports in winter. We traveled to Bandai Kogen as a stand alone weekend trip in summer 2020 but we would have combined Aizuwakamatsu and Urabandai if we had known how close they were to each other.

Note: We are currently based in Japan. Tourist entry is still not permitted but hopefully this post will help with future planning or for those who are also currently based in Japan.

About Bandai Kogen (Urabandai):

If you love the lakes of the Upper Midwest in the U.S. you will love the Urabandai Lake District in summer. Not only is it much, much cooler and more pleasant to explore in July or August than hot/humid Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka it is also super peaceful and surrounded by green trees, birds, and gorgeous flowers. If you’re tired of the cityscapes of Japan, escape here for some R&R.

– [JapanGuide Urabandai Area](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7752.html)

– [Urabandai Lake District](https://www.urabandai-inf.com/en/)

– [My Trip Report on Nearby Aizuwakamatsu ](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/metuf4/samurai_history_in_aizuwakamatsu_in_fukushima/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)

What To See/Do in Urabandai

– [Easy Hike Around Goshikinuma (5 Ponds) ](https://www.urabandai-inf.com/en/?page_id=141)

– [Onogawa Fudotaki Waterfall](https://www.urabandai-inf.com/en/?page_id=24988)

– [Water Sports on Lakes ](https://www.urabandai-inf.com/en/?page_id=25592)

– [Scenic Drives in Summer/Autumn ](https://www.urabandai-inf.com/en/?page_id=25608)

– [Winter Season in Urabandai](https://www.urabandai-inf.com/en/?page_id=25402)

– [Bandai Ski Resorts](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7753.html)

– [Other Nearby Areas (mostly accessible by car)](https://www.urabandai-inf.com/en/?page_id=236)

Getting There: As we are currently based in Japan, we did this as a long weekend road trip from the Tokyo area in our personal automobile. It is possible to get to Urabandai by a [combination of train/bus](https://www.urabandai-inf.com/en/?page_id=249)and then use a [sightseeing taxi ](https://www.urabandai-inf.com/en/?page_id=25550) to explore. The hotel or guesthouse you stay at may also be able to help arrange a sightseeing taxi if needed.

However, in summer and fall you may want your own car to truly be able to easily explore this rural mountain area. It’s a very long drive from Tokyo so you’d be much better off taking the train to Aizuwakamatsu and renting a car there to drive up to Urabandai. If you think there is any possibility you may rent a car while visiting Japan, be sure to obtain an International Driver’s Permit in your home country before departing for Japan.

– [Car Rental in Japan](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2024.html)
– [Driving in Japan](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2022.html)

Lodging: We stayed two nights at [Bandai Lakeside Guesthouse ](https://goo.gl/maps/nZaExypUfnXtArdr5) and loved it. They have a [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/bandailakesideguesthouse/) where they regularly post photos of the gorgeous scenery and it truly is beautiful no matter what time of year you come. This is a small guesthouse with basic Japanese style rooms where you sleep on the floor on futons. The rooms may have a sink but you will use shared toilets and bath facilities which are just down the hall. There are two small, gender separated baths with a shower area and large soaking tub. When we were there you could make the women’s bath private so my husband and I were able to relax in the soaking bath together after a long day of hiking/exploring. Due to how small this guesthouse is and the set up of the baths it’d be tattoo friendly. The location is gorgeous, right next to a small lake and you can rent kayaks to use or swim in the lake. Bring swimsuits, water shoes, and your own beach towel to use.

This is an LGBT friendly guesthouse and the service is great. One manager speaks English well and the other is the chef and prepares amazing meals for breakfast and dinner. Urabandai is a small, rural mountain area so there’s not a lot of restaurants or nightlife. There is a convenience store and a couple restaurants but you’d be much better off making reservations to have breakfast and dinner at Bandai Lakeside Guesthouse. The dining area overlooks the lake, there is a super comfy couch, and they have a couple beers on tap. In addition to the guest rooms, they also have a couple camping sites right next to the lake so if you’d like to camp shoot them an email or FB message to enquire about that option. If we revisit the Urabandai area again we will stay here for sure.