Yunishigawa Duck Tour

In the upper reaches of the Kinugawa River, there are four dams to protect the region from flooding. The newest of these is Yunishigawa Dam. With a height of 119 meters and a length of 320 meters, this gravity-type concrete dam has been becoming popular with tourists for its enormous scale and majesty. The rich natural scenery is of course a sight to behold from atop the dam, but the Yunishigawa Duck Tour is also an excellent experience, as it will allow you to see the dam from the lake surface.

You can view the dam from this, the first amphibious sightseeing bus in Japan! The vehicle’s height is 3.7 meters, and it provides visitors with an experience that is just a little bit extra. The most fun part is the splash-in, where the bus drops from the lakeshore into the reservoir. After enjoying the thrill of splashing and plunging into the water, participants can enjoy the breathtaking view of nature from the lake’s surface. If you’re lucky, you may even encounter the local wildlife, including wild monkeys, deer, and birds of prey as they gracefully soar through the sky. Because the tour also allows visitors to actually go inside the dam (which is otherwise closed to the public), it is truly a special experience. For the Yunishigawa Duck Tour, you can choose from two departure points: Roadside Station Yunishigawa, which is directly connected to Yunishigawa-onsen Station on the Yagan Tetsudo Railway Aizu-Kinugawa Line; or Yunishigawa Mizu no Sato, which is right beside the Mizu no Sato Sightseeing Center, accessible on the bus bound for Yunishigawa Onsen from Yunishigawa-onsen Station. Whichever one you choose, the tour takes around 70–80 minutes.