Okawa
Okawa or "big river" runs parallel with National Highway 118 in a southern direction from Aizu-Wakamatsu City down to Tajima, a country town still inside the Aizu district . Roughly halfway to Tajima is the Okawa Hatori Public Park . In the river's upper reaches one can see strange rock formations; precipices of wonderful and weird shapes. The most famous of which is called "the Tower of Hetsuri" where strange tower-like rock formations seem to stand in a line. It is so wonderful that it has been declared a National Natural Treasure. The Okawa valley starts to broaden out and form a flood plain when it reaches the town of Shimogo. The flood plain is a popular place for people to relax by the side of the clear, shallow, fast-flowing Okawa river . The stretch of river from the spa resort town of Ashinomaki to Magoshi is very famous among ayu fishermen. Ayu is a small, freshwater fish which is a popular delicacy in season in Japan. On the 1st of July, the opening day of the ayu fishing season , you can see many keen ayu fishermen lining the banks of this part of the river.
In autumn it is a beautiful spot for having an imonikai (potato soup and barbecue party) , as the trees on the mountainsides rising up behind the river are awash with different shades of red, brown and yellow leaves.