Important Cultural Property of Fukushima

Hidden along a quiet rural road in Aizumisato, Fukushima, the Jōfukuin Yakushidō (also known as Tago Yakushidō) is a refined mid-Muromachi-period hall in the Karayō (Chinese Zen) style. Designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1904, it is one of the finest such examples in northern Japan.

Located on a wooded rise within the grounds of Nakamura Castle in Fukushima Prefecture, the Honden, Heiden, and Haiden of Soma Nakamura Shrine were built in 1643 by Soma Yoshitane, the second lord of the Nakamura Domain, and were designated a National Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1983. This orthodox Kan'ei-era gongen-zukuri compound shrine — generously crafted from zelkova wood and adorned with horse carvings on the kaerumata struts — stands as a benchmark of early-Edo shrine architecture in the Tohoku region. It remains the solemn departure point for the Soma Nomaoi, a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property featuring hundreds of armored mounted samurai.

Discover the Former Date District Office in Koori, Fukushima — a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in 1883. Explore this stunning giyōfū (pseudo-Western) wooden building blending Japanese and Western architectural styles in the heart of Tohoku.

The Main Hall of Baba Tsutsukowake Shrine in Tanagura, Fukushima is a designated National Important Cultural Property and one of only a handful of late 16th-century shrine halls remaining in Tohoku. Built in 1594 by Satake Yoshinobu and relocated in 1625, this Ichinomiya of Mutsu Province preserves a fascinating bridge between medieval and early modern Japanese architecture.

Quietly standing in the wooded hills of Tamura City, Fukushima, Doyama Ouji Shrine Main Hall is the oldest nationally designated Important Cultural Property in central Fukushima. Built around 1498 in the late Muromachi period and originally a Buddhist Kannon Hall, it survived the Meiji-era anti-Buddhist movement by becoming a Shinto shrine. The hipped-roof structure, ancient cedars, and a famed 140-year-old weeping cherry make it an unforgettable rural Japan experience.