Fukushima
- For other places with the same name, see Fukushima (disambiguation).
Fukushima (福島) is the capital city of Fukushima Prefecture in Honshu, Japan in the Fukushima Basin and its surrounding parts. Fukushima prefecture is the third biggest prefecture in Japan (13,782.54 km²). Known for its fruit production, Fukushima is particularly proud of their peaches, but pears and apples and persimmons are also grown. Fukushima is called peach city, because it produces the most peaches in Japan.
Fukushima was hit by high magnitude earthquake in spring 2011. A nuclear plant Fukushima Dai-ichi, located some 60 km to the south-east at the Pacific coast, was damaged in the quake and an evacuation zone was established. Fukushima city is well outside the evacuation zone. Elevated radiation levels have been detected (though still quite low), and while debate rages on about the long-term effects of these levels, a short stay in Fukushima is not likely to do you any harm.
Get in
By plane
It is a 40-minute bus ride from Fukushima Airport to Koriyama station (¥800), from which you will then have to travel to Fukushima station by Shinkansen (¥2920, 15 minutes) or local train (¥820, 45 minutes). It may be a bit more convenient to arrive in Tokyo and take the Shinkansen from there.
By train
Fukushima is a stop on the Tohoku Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Sendai, and is also served by the JR Tohoku and Yamagata lines. The Yamagata Shinkansen branches off here, traveling over conventional lines to Yamagata and Shinjo.
The travel time from Tokyo to Fukushima by Shinkansen is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes, with 2 to 4 departures every hour at a cost of ¥8500 each way (non-reserved seats).
By bus
JR Bus' Abukuma makes five daily round-trips to Fukushima from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo (5 hours, ¥4800). At night, JR Bus runs the Dream Fukushima from Tokyo and Yokohama stations (6 hours from Tokyo, ¥4800). Tohoku Bus' overnight bus, called the Suite, is cheaper at ¥4500 but arrives earlier in the morning.
Kintetsu Bus and Fukushima Kotsu's Galaxy bus runs overnight to Fukushima from Kyoto (11 hours, ¥12130) and Osaka (12 hours, ¥12740).
Willer Express offers bus service to Fukushima from Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, with online bookings available in English. Willer Express' prices vary by the day you are traveling and the class of bus. Willer Express offers "Standard" (similar to Sakura's offering), and "Relax" (slightly larger seats with more leg room, a blanket, and a dome looking thing to keep the light from your eyes).
Get around
Be prepared to walk or take a taxi. The buses will take you out of Fukushima and the trains will do the same.
See
In the city
- 1 Iwaya-Kannon (岩谷観音). Iwaya-Kannon has sixty Buddhas carved into the rock face of Mount Shinobu (信夫山) and offers a decent place to take a look down at the city.
- 2 Hanamiyama Park (花見山). This park is the place to go in spring for cherry blossom viewing. It is quickly becoming a place famous throughout Japan, be prepared for crowds. You can take a short trail up a hill and see some amazing panoramas as well as enjoy walking underneath gorgeous light-pink canopies. There are regular buses leaving for Hanamiyama from the train station. Ask the people at the tourist office for more details.
- 3 Prefectural Art Museum. Small museum mostly with local art, though it does have some national and internal exhibits as well.
- 5 Fukushima Racetrack. If you feel like betting on horses then this is the place to go in Fukushima. Live races only happen during certain times of the year, but video races are available year-round. Entry costs ¥100, plus whatever you bet when inside..
- 6 Kotori No Mori (小鳥の森), Yamaguchi Miyawaki-98, ☏ +81 24-531-8411. 8:30-17:00, closed on Mondays. It's a steep walk up a small mountain. The trails at the top are short and quiet. It is very peaceful but not so special. Free.
Onsens
- 7 Iizaka hot springs (N part of Fukushima city). is a great place for a day trip from Fukushima.
Iizaka onsen can be reached by a special short JR line. The train leaves Fukushima from a separate platform in the northern part of the station approximately every 30 minutes. The end station is Iizaka onsen and the trip takes about 20 min. The 8 information center is just across the street, open all year round between 9:00 and 18:00 (Tel. 024-542-4241). The staff can speak English and will equip you with an useful English booklet of the onsen and help you booking a day or overnight visit to one of the bath houses. Also they offer tours through the spa town and its surroundings. While strolling through the streets, you can enjoy three foot baths (open throughout the year, free of charge).
Other onsens:
- 9 Takayu Hot Springs.
- 10 Tsuchiyu Hot Springs.
- 11 Shin-Noji Hot Springs. Nice hot Spring in Fukushima
Outside of city
- 12 Goshiki-numa, Five Colored Lakes (五色沼). These lakes are a beautiful attraction visited by many sightseers. The lakes were formed after Mount Bandai (磐梯山) erupted in the 1800's. The minerals from the eruption give each lake a different color.
Do
- 1 Shiki No Sato (四季の里), Kamisaginishi-1-1 Arai. Discover agricultural activity in this park with an animals area, a watermill, crafts, restaurants and hot springs
- Waraji Festival. First Friday and Saturday in August. This festival involves tons of dancing, parades, food stalls, and a huge waraji (Japanese sandal).
- Obon Festival.
Buy
- fruit You can buy lots of fruit. Peaches and apples are very good from this region.
Eat
- Kitakata Ramen
- Sake and Soba noodles Famous in the Aizuwakamatsu region.
- Peaches Fukushima city is famous for the peach and produces a large amount of delicious peaches every summer, try one.
- Kitakata Ramen Burger Ramen-flavored burgers. The buns are made from Kitakata's "Yukichikara" flour and filled with ingredients used for making ramen. The char siu (Chinese-style barbecued pork) filling is made from Hayama Kogen Ton brand pork, raised in Fukushima's Hayama Highland.
- 1 Akai (お食事処 赤井). Mo-Tu Th-Fr, 11:00-15:00 17:00-20:00. Great kitakata ramen, and other dishes at cheap prices. 600¥.
Drink
There are lots of izakayas and beer gardens in Fukushima. Passeo Dori and the roads branching from it are where most of the best places are found. Two examples are Yatta Iwamora and Jyuhachiban (十八番).
- Namazu-tei (なまず停). This bar, also known as "Catfish", is a cozy blues bar which has live music most weekends. The house band, "Blues Cruiser", has a cheap cover charge, and also a fantastic harmonica player. Namazu sometimes has a DJ playing, with more of a focus on bossanova and jazz. Johnny the barman speaks passable English, and knows pretty well all there is to know about the Blues, having in his past run "Gangster," a major blues venue in Tokyo. Door charge ¥400-4000, depending on the performer.
- Neo. Neo is the other club in Fukushima. A smaller smokey room with decent music and young clientele Door charge ¥2000, ¥500 per drink.
Sleep
- 1 Hotel Sunroute Plaza, Omachi7-11 (15 min walk (1 km) from JR station). A pleasant business hotel with a magnificent view of the mountains surrounding the city and the Abukuma river flowing through the town from the top floors. Wi-fi is provided in the lobby only, rooms are equipped with LAN internet connection. ¥ 21.000 (incl. breakfast).
Stay Healthy
The tap water is generally safe, and hasn't been contaminated by radiation from the nearby Dai-ichi power plant.
Go next
- Aizu-Wakamatsu with the Tsuruga-jo Castle and the Fukushima prefectural museum and the nearby Mount Bandai.
| Routes through Fukushima |
| Shin-Aomori ← Sendai Template:Lfarrow Shiroishi-Zaō ← | N  S
|
→ Kōriyama → Tokyo |
| Shinjo ← Yonezawa ← | N  S
|
→ END → connects to Tōhoku line |
| Akita ← Yonezawa ← | N  S
|
→ END |
| Sendai ← Shiroishi ← | N  S
|
→ Nihonmatsu Template:Rtarrow Koriyama → Utsunomiya |
| Sendai ← Shiroishi ← | N  S
|
→ Nihonmatsu Template:Rtarrow Koriyama → Utsunomiya |