Road Station Urabandai

The 1888 eruption of Mount Bandai reshaped this entire plateau in Fukushima Prefecture, creating hundreds of lakes and marshes in the landscape. Road Station Urabandai sits in the middle of it all, and serves as a good base for exploring nearby Goshikinuma, the Five Colored Lakes whose waters range from cobalt blue to emerald green depending on their mineral content. The station has restaurants serving local mountain cuisine, a farmers' market stocking seasonal highland produce and mushrooms, and regional craft shops. Winter transforms the surrounding area into one of Tohoku's premier ski destinations. The views of Mount Bandai from the station are impressive year-round.