HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > The Mugenkyo Ferry in Fukushima
Take a ride on the “foggy gorge ferry,” a hand-rowed boat ride across the Tadami River through a fantastical world of fog
Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization
The Mugenkyo Ferry is a popular activity that takes visitors around the Tadami River, which flows along the border between Kanayama Town and Mishima Town in Fukushima Prefecture. The ferry is generally in operation from late April to mid-November and offers a spectacular view that will make you think you’ve been transported to another world.
In the past, rowboats were used as a means of transportation between the village of Mifuke in Kanayama Town and the other side of the river, but the village was unfortunately closed due to a landslide in 1964. Then in 2010, a group of volunteers revived the ferry service and called it the Mugenkyo Ferry, which roughly translates to “foggy gorge ferry.” It is said that this name was given because the valley, shrouded in river mist on summer mornings and evenings, is as fleeting and beautiful as a dream or a vision.
The scenic views from the surface of the Tadami River, including the nostalgic rowing ferry and the river fog that appears in summer, have attracted much attention from both inside and outside of Japan. The river also attracts attention as a “power spot,” an area believed to endow people with refreshing energy, thanks to its shrines and Buddhist statues in places around the river where there used to be settlements.
How to get there
From Tokyo Station, take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Koriyama Station (about 1 hour and 20 minutes). From there, take the JR Ban-etsu-West Line to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station (about 1 hour and 20 minutes), then transfer to the JR Tadami Line and get off at Hayato Station (about 1 hour and 30 minutes). From Hayato Station, a 5-minute walk will take you to the Mugenkyo ferry landing.
19 Hayato, Mishima-machi, Onuma-gun, Fukushima-ken
