Discover Ouse

The Area

Ouse is located in west-central Fukushima Prefecture. A peaceful woodland area where rolling fields stretch into the distance, the area is blessed with an abundant water supply from the Asaka Canal, which draws its water from Lake Inawashiro, and meltwater from Mt. Asakayama (also known as Mt. Hitaitoriyama). A wide variety of aquatic life, and depending on the season, fireflies, thrive in and around the Ouse River and Tadano River which flow through the area. In Ouse, you don’t simply admire nature from afar; you breathe it in.

Population and Industry

Ouse has a population of 3,771 (as of 2018), and the majority of its residents are farmers cultivating vegetables and fruit trees. All agricultural products raised in the area’s rich soil are renowned for their high quality, and the rice, which grows in abundance, supports the great yields of Koriyama, one of Japan’s leading rice-producing regions. In addition, the area’s pickle-sharing culture, in which freshly picked vegetables are made into tsukemono pickles and shared among neighbors, has resulted in an abundance of local specialties—including exquisite daikon and cucumber tsukemono pickles.

One of Ouse’s local specialties is carp. Since the Edo period (1603-1867), carp aquaculture in reservoirs has flourished, and even in Koriyama, which boasts the top production output by municipality, Ouse stands out, with the region’s best-known breeder operating out of Ouse. Carp cultivated in the mineral-rich water flowing from Lake Inawashiro are rich in calcium and are processed and prepared for sale in a variety of ways, including koi umani (carp stewed in a thick, sweet sauce) and koi arai (carp sashimi chilled in ice water).

To support sixth industry agri-business (meaning the integration of crop production, processing and sales) and local fruit-producing farms, the city of Koriyama devised and brought to fruition the Fukushima Winery Project. The result—the Fukushima Ouse Winery, a vinification and distillation facility—began operations in 2015. At the winery, visitors can enjoy alcoholic beverages made with grapes, peaches, pears, and apples grown in Ouse.

Attractions and Legends

There’s so much to see in Ouse! To start, there’s the stunning Jodomatsu Park, also called Riku-no-Matsushima (“Matsushima on the Shore”) and Shimizuike Park, the birthplace of Koriyama’s modern water supply. Then there are Koriyama’s designated natural monuments, an enormous Japanese yew and an enormous gingko, not to mention the roughly 700-meter row of cherry trees along the Ouse River. Ouse really is a nature retreat!

Hot springs also gush from the ground, including Yasumi-ishi Onsen Hot Spring, also known as rei sen (“miraculous spring”). It is said that the Heian period (794–1185) military commander Hachimantaro Yoshie (also called Minamoto-no-Yoshie) once rested here.

One of the area’s traditional events is the Tadano-no-Kuwagaramaita Ue Odori, a Koriyama-designated important intangible folk cultural property. Still popular today, the traditional performing art combines dance, songs and comedic skits. 

Other events and festivals take place throughout the year, including Ouse Park Cherry Blossom Festival (April), Ouse Summer Festival (August), Cabbage Mochi MUSICLIVE (September), and Jodomatsu Park Festival (October).

Access

By Car
・ Tohoku Expressway from the Tokyo area to Koriyama-Minami Interchange: approximately three hours
→ Approximately 15 minutes by car from Koriyama-Minami Interchange

By Train
・ Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Koriyama Station: approximately 80 minutes
・ Shinkansen form Sendai Station to Koriyama Station: approximately 40 minutes
→ Approximately 30 minutes by bus from Koriyama Station

By Bus
・ Sakura Kanko from Tokyo Station to Koriyama Station: approximately five hours – from 2,500 yen, one-way
・ JR Bus Tohoku form Shinjuku Station to Koriyama Station: approximately four hours -from 2,800 yen, one-way
・ JR Bus Tohoku from Tokyo Station to Koriyama Station: approximately five hours – from 3,500 yen, one-way (overnight bus)
→ Approximately 30 minutes by bus from Koriyama Station