Aizu Bukeyashiki Museum

Aizu Bukeyashiki is a facility where you can tour the historic residence associated with the Saigo family. It offers enough to enjoy for a full day, including a historical museum, teahouse, domain rice-polishing mill, hands-on craft workshop, art museum, the Kogo Koubou KOKON studio, and restaurants. The Saigo family served for generations as chief retainers (karo) to the Matsudaira clan as a hereditary vassal house, giving the family a distinguished lineage. The grand residence—an impressive blend of Japanese and Western architecture—spans about 2,400 tsubo, with 38 rooms and an astonishing 328 tatami mats. Rooms display period furnishings, allowing visitors to glimpse daily life of the time, with many preserved architectural highlights throughout. The hands-on workshop is fun for both children and adults, offering traditional craft experiences such as painting Akabeko, painting Okiagari-koboshi dolls, and glass engraving to create one-of-a-kind items. At the dining spot "Kyoyotei," you can relax and enjoy local cuisine, including popular Kitakata ramen. Access is easy: about 15 minutes by car from Aizuwakamatsu IC; about 15 minutes from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station by loop bus; about 7 minutes by taxi.