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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Date
伊達
Half a day from Fukushima City: see Ryozen Shrine, try dried persimmons, then move on. Not worth a night unless you have a specific interest in the Date Clan.
Date is a small city in northern Fukushima Prefecture, formed in 2006 from five towns. It is the birthplace of the Date Clan and a centre for dried persimmons (Isazawa). The main draw is Ryozen Shrine on Mount Ryozen. Most travellers pass through on the way to or from Fukushima City, about 20 minutes south.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 伊達
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Jan–Feb (cold, snow possible)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥5,000–8,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥8,000–15,000 excl. bed · High ¥15,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥300–500 |
| Ramen or soba | ¥700–1,200 |
| Beer (can at konbini) | ¥250–350 |
| Taxi 5 km (3.1 mi)Taxi 3.1 mi (5 km) | ¥2,000–2,500 |
| Bus ride within Date | ¥200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FKS · Fukushima Airport
- About 1 h by car or bus; limited domestic flights.
Typical fares
- Fukushima → Hobara, JR
- about ¥500, 20 min (check)
- Taxi Hobara → Ryozen Shrine
- ¥2,500–3,000 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Car is easiest. Abukuma Express and JR Tohoku Main Line stop at Hobara and Yanagawa stations; buses are infrequent. A taxi from Hobara station to Ryozen Shrine is about 15 min.
See and do
Known for
- Ryozen Shrine
- Dried persimmons (Isazawa)
- Date Clan birthplace (Takako)
- Ryozen Castle ruins
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fukushima City | JR Tohoku Main Line or Abukuma Express, about 20 min | 30–40 min |
| Aizuwakamatsu | JR Ban'etsu West Line from Fukushima, about 1.5 h | 2 h |
| Iwaki | JR Joban Line from Fukushima, about 1.5 h | 2 h |
Sleep
- Fukushima City
- 20 min south by train; more hotels and restaurants. Use as a base for a day trip.
- Date city centre
- A few minshuku and small hotels; limited options. Check availability before planning a stay.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうarigatō |
| Where is Ryozen Shrine? | 霊山神社はどこですか？ryōzen jinja wa doko desu ka |
| How much is this? | これはいくらですか？kore wa ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Ryozen Shrine involves a steep climb up Mount Ryozen; wear sturdy shoes.
- Dried persimmon season is autumn to early winter; outside that, the speciality is harder to find.
- The official tourist site is Japanese-only; some download materials are in English (check).
Date is well outside the 2011 evacuation zone. Radiation levels are low; tap water and local produce are safe. Standard rural Japan precautions apply.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Date yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ryozen Shrine
- Dried persimmons (Isazawa)
- Date Clan birthplace (Takako)
- Ryozen Castle ruins
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Date City official website: www.city.fukushima-date.lg.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Date (Fukushima), revision 5312055 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5312055
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/date-fukushima). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.