Today I'm up bright and early, it's a little before 7:00 a.m.

But I'm here to try something new

I'm going to try the all-inclusive bus tour

that the students from the Fukushima University put together

I'm going to see if I can go buy a ticket and we're gonna get on our way!

Today I'm headed back to Aizu-Wakamatsu.

Last time I visited here I came by bullet train

but you can actually get here more easily and cheaply by a direct, highway JR bus!

Many people know Aizu-wakamatsu as a castle city

that's one of the last places that fought

to keep the traditional, samurai way of life before the modernization of Japan.

Today the city still boasts its rich culture

through historic spots and some new local favorites which you can visit

through the city's little golden ticket, the Ochoko Pass.

So here it is, the Ochoko Pass!

You show them the date on the back, and you're free to ride, all day long!

One of the things about traveling in Japan is that it's pretty easy to get to a lot of places

but once you're there sometimes its hard to get around within the city.

But one of the things I appreciate here in Aizu-Wakamatsu already

is that there are two buses dedicated to getting you around.

And all you have to do is show your pass, get on and ride!

So let's check out the first spot here...

The next spot is Cafe Taro,

a jazzy joint that makes Agetaro, which is kind of like a deep-fried donut

for a discount when you show your Ochoko pass.

I got the "Anko" (red bean) flavor agetaro!

No idea what this is going to taste like...

There's anko (red beans) inside, and a sugar coating on the outside

it's still crispy and still kind of like fluffy on the inside and perfectly warm.

There's a CASTLE here!

Inside the castle is museum commemorating the Aizu people

and on top of the castle is a breathtaking view

and a detailed history of how the town was once burned in a fire during the Civil War

Afterwards I made my final stop for the day at Matsudaira's Royal Garden

before heading home to our Ryokan for the night

It's so calm and peaceful in here!

when we first arrived we showed our Ochoko Pass

and they gave us some free green tea

to enjoy during our time here for an ultimate relaxing treat.

Good morning, everyone! Welcome to Day 2 in Aizu-Wakamatsu!

This little beauty got us around town yesterday pretty well

with discounts and free stuff like the green tea

but it's over today, since it's only a 1-day pass.

So I'm going to get a ticket for the same local bus

so without the ochoko pass I won't get the same discounts but

but it's still going to be fun and easy to get around

but first I wanted to show you the room that I stayed in!

it's right on the water, there's hot springs,

the room is pretty big, there's a lot of space here

you can see the bed back there, and there's the view from the windows!

The bathroom's pretty nice! It has these marble accents.

but the bus is coming in half an hour so I'm gonna get packed and get out the door!

The spots I shared today we're all ones I picked out

but you can pick any type of tour activity local food or historic site that you want to see

on the website for the ochoko pass!

In addition to a full day of free bus rides

all of the participating destinations offer some kind of perk

when you show your Ochoko pass.

You can visit for a day, but I came back for a few days

To learn more about the stories of Japan's Last Samurai

and why they disappeared after the Boshin War.

To find out, I visited Nisshinkan

a school in Fukushima where students go to learn the samurai code.

I'll share more of this in my next video. So until then, stay tuned!