Taxi Sightseeing: A Deeper Look into Shirakawa City #2
There are lots of different ways to sightsee, but one method many people probably haven’t tried before is taxis. Taxi Sightseeing, offered by Shirakawa Kanko Kotsu Co., Ltd. in Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, is a service for just that―taxis designated specifically for sightseeing around the city and its surroundings.
Shirakawa City is located between Tokyo and Sendai, just 1.5 hours from Tokyo by bullet train. It is at the southern end of Fukushima Prefecture, bordering Tochigi Prefecture, and it is historically known as the “gateway to the Tohoku region.” While it has a number of sightseeing spots, cultural heritages, and National Historic Sites, there is a lack of accessible public transportation services such as trains or buses throughout the city. This is where Taxi Sightseeing comes in handy.
In early December, a coworker and I took a trip to Shirakawa City to try out this Taxi Sightseeing service. There were three courses to choose from: two hours, three hours, and six hours. I went on the two-hour course, while my coworker took part in the three-hour course. After arriving at Shin-Shirakawa Station, we convened with our respective taxi drivers and began our tours.
Remains of a War-Torn Era: Komine-jo Castle
After spending around 30 minutes at the Barrier Site, we made our way to Komine-jo Castle, which was about a 20-minute drive. While it’s called Komine-jo Castle, what can be seen there today is actually the remains of the castle that used to sit within the stone walls. The castle itself was destroyed during the Boshin War, and it was never rebuilt. The driver told me that a lot of people are unaware of this, however, and often mistake the three-story keep tower for a small, cute castle. This keep tower is a reconstruction, and it is one of the only tower keep reconstructions in Japan made entirely of wood.
The three-story keep tower of Komine-jo Castle.
The main gate (also a wooden reconstruction), keep tower, and castle courtyard lie at the top of a hill, and all three are open to the public. Visitors are welcome to go inside the keep tower, and there are several plaques placed around the building with information on the keep, the castle, and historical events. Some of the materials used to reconstruct the keep tower are actually original pieces, and a few of the floorboards sport actual bullet holes from the war.
A bullet hole in the floor of the keep tower.
In front of the castle grounds is a large park. Since my visit was on a weekday morning it was almost entirely empty, but my driver told me that the park is a popular spot for families to visit, and it is usually full of kids playing and people having picnics.
The park with the tower keep in the background.
At the edge of the park is Ninomaru Chaya, a café and gift shop. Time on my tour was running out, so I only had time for a brief stop, but I heard from the shopkeepers that the daruma burgers sold at the café are particularly popular among tourists and locals alike. (Daruma are traditional round Japanese dolls that are considered symbols of good luck.) The gift shop sells all sorts of Shirakawa and Fukushima specialty goods, including daruma dolls, sweets, and sake.
Ninomaru Chaya café and gift shop.
Daruma dolls for sale at the Ninomaru Chaya gift shop.
Finally, we headed back to Shin-Shirakawa Station, which is about ten minutes away from Komine-jo Castle. This concluded the tour, which was almost precisely two hours long. The bullet train only stops at Shin-Shirakawa Station about once an hour, so I had some extra time before getting on the train. There is a ramen restaurant right next to the ticket gates, so while waiting for my train back to Tokyo, I had a bowl of the famed Shirakawa ramen.
Shirakawa ramen at the station restaurant.
Check out the link below to reserve a tour or get more information on Taxi Sightseeing in Shirakawa City.
https://taxi.wowu.jp/shirakawa/book
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