Mount Bandai
The 1819 meter high Mount Bandai stands in the southern part of the Bandai Asahi National Park, which is the second largest national park in Japan after Hokkaido's Daisetsuzan. It is commonly referred to as Aizu Bandai Mountain in Japan.Mount Bandai is actually a volcano and there have been two recorded large scale eruptions; in AD 806 and in AD 1888. The eruption of 1888 was probably witnessed by Hideyo Noguchi, the eminent doctor, when he was a young boy living in the town of Inawashiro nearby. It was a very violent eruption which completely altered the landscape of the northern side of the volcano, wiping out villages and creating several lakes and marshes.
The area around Mount Bandai and nearby Lake Inawashiro is the most popular resort area in Fukushima Prefecture. In this area there are 5 special scenic toll roads and countless spas, pensions, hotels and ryokans (traditional Japanese inns). In summer water sports and fishing are very popular and in winter it is a mecca for skiing and snowboarding.