福島

 From Li Kun.

To most people, Fukushima is primarily known for its nuclear power plant. However, its scenic landscapes also deserve attention.

At the end of April, I went on a trip to Fukushima with my friend. We mainly visited Lake Inawashiro (猪苗代湖), Mount Bandai (磐梯山), and Mount Issaikyo (一切経山). Unfortunately, the weather during our visit wasn't very good—it was either windy or rainy—so the experience on the road wasn't the best. Still, we were deeply impressed by the breathtaking scenery.

From the top of Mount Issaikyo, I got my first full view of a volcanic crater: the striking Azuma-Kofuji (吾妻小富士).

Standing atop Azuma-Kofuji, I was struck by the vast, barren terrain that resembled a gobi desert—stark and beautiful in its own way.

                                                

 五色沼（魔女の瞳）

 Goshikinuma Pond (The Witch's Eye)

To my surprise, there was still a lot of snow on Mount Bandai, which made the hike quite challenging. Even more unexpectedly, I came across an abandoned onsen ryokan. It was closed down because the hot spring had run dry (from comment of google map).