Best way to Yanaizu from Tokyo

Hello all,

I will be in Tokyo in two weeks and am hoping to make a day trip to Yanaizu to visit the Saito Kiyoshi museum. Would appreciate any guidance on the best way to get there and back -- also any eating recommendations while there. Thank you!

A day trip from Tokyo will be difficult (may be possible, but takes a lot of time). I stayed overnight in Aizu-wakamatsu.

I visited Aizu-Yanaizu earlier this year to visit temples in the area (not the museum). The museum is just a little further walk from the Aizu-Yanaizu train station past the temples. The fastest way from Tokyo is to take Shinkansen to Kōriyama Station, then transfer to go to Aizu-Wakamatsu, and another transfer to Aizu-Yanaizu. The problems are the frequency of trains (Tadami Line) between Aizu-Wakamatsu and Aizu-Yanaizu, and trains are sometimes delayed due to high wind (makes sense they installed wind turbines along the ridgeline).

Once you are in Yanaizu, there are eateries and souvenir shops along the river.

See below link on access to Aizu-Yanaizu.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7712.html

Thank you redbull. Is there a particular eatery that you recommend? Or place to stay?

I tried to make a chain trip plan by using both Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen trains, but it seems difficult to do it due to the low-frequency Tadami line. GoogleMaps also suggests using more frequent Aizu Bus from Aizu-Wakamatsu to the Museum. One of the bus stops is nearer to the Museum than the JR station.
https://www.town.yanaizu.fukushima.jp/bijutsu/en/visit/access/

Tokyo 820-1325 Museum 1556-2107 Tokyo is one of the day trip solutions, however, I would stay in Aizu-Wakamatsu on the day before to enjoy local meals there. Even for the part of Koriyama and Aizu-Wakamatsu, Google suggests using a bus. And the bus could be better to go to a hotel or a ryokan in the city center.
https://www.aizubus.com/highway/iwaki/pdf/timetable_from_iwaki_2017070...

Restaurants for local cousines:
https://www.aizukanko.com/gourmet/scid_12/type_side/d.html
Source-Katsu-Don:
https://www.aizukanko.com/gourmet/scid_14/type_side/d.html
Soba:
https://www.aizukanko.com/gourmet/scid_13/type_side/d.html
Ramen:
https://www.aizukanko.com/gourmet/scid_15/type_side/d.html
https://www.aizukanko.com/gourmet/
https://aizuwakamatsu.mylocal.jp/trip/en/
https://aizuwakamatsu.mylocal.jp/en_US/trip/difference/men

For the next day, one of the solutions would be this one: Aizu-Wakamatsu 938-(Bus)-1100 Museum 1302-(JR)-1811 Tokyo

Tagoto looks nice for a food lover to stay in Aizu-Wakamatsu.
https://www.aizukanko.com/gourmet/451/
http://tagoto-aizu.com/en/index.html

If you wish to stay in Yanaizu, I suggest you open the google map and zoom in on Yanaizu. I see at least one onsen, several inns, and a bunch of eateries. I do not have a first hand account of those establishments (except for two manju shops near the Aizu-yanaizu train station). One inn really stood out, riverfront, as viewed from Enzoji temple - Tsukimitei. http://www.tsukimitei.com/

I searched the day trip option from Tokyo for a Saturday (it may vary on other days). If you take the 09:16 Shinkansen from Tokyo, you can arrive at Aizu-yanaizu station at 14:04. I estimate the museum to be about 15 minutes walk from the station. For the return trip, you can take a 16:17 train from Aizu-yanaizu and arrive back in Tokyo at 21:12. If more time is needed, the last train leaves Aizu-yanaizu at 19:59 and arrive in Tokyo at 23:44.

If I stay in Yanaizu Onsen, I would not take Tsukimitei. I would refer to the numbers of stars and votes by Google Local Guides. Azumaya or Takinoya in the center of an Onsen Town or Kawachiya near the Museum looks nicer.

4.0 22 http://www.kawachiya-gr.jp/hotel/
3.8 53 http://akabeko.info/
4.2 8 http://hanahotel.jp/
4.3 7 http://www.aizu-azumaya.com/
4.0 5 http://uchidaya.info/
3.0 3 http://www.tsukimitei.com/

http://www.okuaizu.net/en/