Aizu-Miyashita station (会津宮下) is located in the Miyashita area of the town of Mishima (三島町 Mishima-machi) and is a manned station.
The Miyashita area is the center of Mishima.
If you visit the area you will find black signs that have unique crests like Chinese characters under the eaves of the houses.
They are called “Yago (屋号)”.
Yago was used to tell the name of each house in old times in Japan.
The Miyashita area is working on townscape design and reproducing the traditional culture for it.
As introduced in the page of Aizu-Nishikata station, the area also holds a handmade crafts festival on the same day Aizu Kojin Maturi is held there.
The festival held in the area is called “ Tewassa no Sato Matsuri (てわっさの里まつり)“.
The contents of those two festivals are almost the same except the venue.
Since the shops open around the houses in the village, the shopping will be pretty unique and interesting.
You can go to the two venues by free shuttle buses without taking much time.
When a new year came, a day in the middle of January, a very traditional folk festival called “Sainokami (歳の神)” is held at many places in Mishima.
In each area of the town, the people build decorated towers that are made of straw and wood.
At night, the people set fire to the tower.
The flame of those towers is held sacred and the people warm themselves at the fire and eat rice cakes burned by the fire.
The people believe that is to protect them from diseases for the year.
This kind of traditional folk event is found all over Japan but Mishima’s has been designated an important intangible folk cultural asset in Japan.
A venue for Sainokami will be held near the station so you can see it.
You will find other traditional village culture in Mishima.
Of course, there is a fine inn with hot-spring there.