Aizu-Bange station (会津坂下駅 Aizu-Bange eki) is located in the town of Aizu-Bange (会津坂下町 Aizu-bange-machi) and a manned station.
Aizu-Bange was developed as a commercial area next to Aizu-Wakamatsu in the Edo period.
There are big supermarkets, pachinko parlors, restaurants in the town so people living in Okuaizu come there for shopping and eating out.
In addition, there are sake breweries and miso and soy sauce manufacturers in the town.
Hachini Brewery (八二醸造所 Hachini-jōzōjo) producing miso and soy sauce is a long-established store having a history of over 200 years; the oldest fermented food shop in Aizu.
You can see utensils for making their products in the past exhibited in the store.
They are making soy sauce and miso with wooden tubs even today.
However, they say that there are no craftsmen who can make such tubs at present so those tubs used now may be the last.
Therefore, products made in them can be regarded as precious food.
Takasagoya (高砂屋商店 Takasagoya syō ten) makes a delicious soy sauce "Kintakasago soy sauce (キンタカサゴ醤油 Kintakasago syō yu) " which received the highest award in the National fair of soy sauce 2016.
I hear a lot of ramen shops in Aizu use their products.
My family used to use it too and I still use it as my usual.
When I began living in Tokyo, I had asked my parents to send me the soy sauce as I could not get used to the taste of common soy sauce.
Also, there is the Hiroki Sake Brewery (廣木酒造 Hiroki syuzō) which produces a very popular brand “Hiroki (飛露喜)” .
There are other sake breweries: the Akebono Sake Brewery (曙酒造 Akebono syuzō) and the Toyokuni Sake Brewery (豊国酒造 Toyokuni syuzō), and they also make good quality sake which won many great awards.
Walking around a Sake Brewery, you will notice a slightly sweet smell which is born from fermenting ingredients.
Gonoi sake shop (五の井酒店 ) is a noteworthy shop for people who are interested in Aizu sake.
I think no other shops have as many brands as this shop.
There were also overseas wine brands which I haven’t seen, and that impressed me.
Otawara festival is held there on January as well the Takada area, Aizu-misato.
In the festival, participants wear only loincloths.
They get as lively as those in the Takada area.
In addition, a Japanese famous singer “ Hachiro Kasuga (春日八郎) was from the town.
Do you know Enka (演歌)?
Enka is a Japanese balladic song.
Hachiro Kasuga was one of the most famous Enka singers and performed from 1950 to 1990.
There is a memorial hall for him in the town and a lot of his fans visit there.
Please listen to his Enka songs.