Sukagawa

Sukagawa (須賀川) is a city in Fukushima Prefecture.

Tourist information sites

 * The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site with integrated Google Translate.
 * The city government's official site has a Japanese-only tourism section.

By train
Sukagawa is situated on the Tohoku Main Line, with regular trains running to Tokyo (via Shirakawa) in the south and Sendai (via Koriyama) in the north. The fastest way to get to and from Tokyo is by catching a Shinkansen (bullet train) to Koriyama and then changhing to a local train for the trip to Sukagawa.

By plane
Sukagawa is home to the only airport in Fukushima prefecture.

See

 * Sukagawa Peony Garden is one of the world's largest of such gardens. The best time to see the Peonies is in May.
 * Midorigaoka Park is located on top of a hill, and is the site of the annual Taimatsu Akashi (torch festival).

Do
One of the most spectacular festivals held every year in Sukagawa is the Taimatsu Akashi (torch festival). The festival has a 400-odd year history, and was started to commemorate the defense of the city against an attack by a feudal lord. In order to ward off their would-be attackers, residents constructed a number of giant torches and set them alight on top of a hill. The festival includes a parade, during which the 10m long torches are carried through the streets of the town, before finally being erected on top of Midorigaoka park and then set alight. Torches are constructed and/or sponsored by local schools and businesses, whose students or employees later carry them in the parade.

The festival is free and takes place on the second Saturday of November every year. The parade generally starts around midafternoon, culminating in the erection and lighting of the torches from about 6 or 7pm.

Access to the festival is free, and there are usually free buses available from outside the station to Midorigaoka park.

Go next

 * Koriyama
 * Kagamiishi
 * Tamakawa
 * Hirata
 * Ten-ei
 * Ishikawa
 * Yabuki
 * Izumizaki
 * Shirakawa