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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Fukui
福井市
Give Fukui one night as a Hokuriku Shinkansen stop: Ichijodani ruins, Eiheiji at opening, and a bowl of sauce katsudon.
Fukui is the capital of Fukui Prefecture and now a Hokuriku Shinkansen station, 2 h 51 min from Tokyo. The city itself is a low-rise castle town with a moat, two small gardens and a good local food identity; the reasons to stop are the Ichijodani ruins outside town, Eiheiji temple to the east, and the dinosaur country further out. One night covers the city and one side trip; two nights if you add Katsuyama or the coast.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 福井市
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-August Obon, New Year
- Stay
- 1–2 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 ¥7,000–11,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥11,000–18,000 excl. bed · High ¥18,000+ 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 | ¥400–700 |
| Oroshi soba | ¥800–1,300 |
| Sauce katsudon | ¥900–1,600 |
| Yakitori skewers in Katamachi | ¥150–400 each |
| Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| Museum entry | ¥100–340 |
| Onsen entry (Gokurakuyu) | ¥630 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KMQ · Komatsu Airport
- Bus to Komatsu Station ¥260, then Hokuriku line local about 50 min to Fukui (¥820)
- KIX · Kansai International Airport
- Haruka to Shin-Osaka, then Thunderbird to Tsuruga and Shinkansen; about 3 h 30 min total
- NGO · Chubu Centrair
- Useful if you are routing through Chubu; rail via Nagoya and Maibara
Typical fares
- Tokyo → Fukui, Hokuriku Shinkansen
- about ¥15,810, 2 h 51 min
- Komatsu Airport → Fukui
- bus ¥260 plus local train ¥820, about 1 h
- Fukui Station → Eiheiji by bus
- about ¥750 one way, 30 min
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
Fukui Railway trams leave from outside JR Fukui Station: the northern line runs to Tawaramachi (art museum, history museum, Yokokan Garden) and the southern line to Echizen-Takefu, with Sanjuhassha the last stop inside the city. Fares are cheap and paid on board. Many sights are too far apart to walk end to end, so use a tram or bus to the nearest stop and walk from there.
See and do
Known for
- Ichijodani Asakura ruins
- Eiheiji temple
- Sauce katsudon
- Oroshi soba
- Fukui Castle moat
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Eiheiji | Keifuku bus from Fukui Station east exit, about 30 min | About 45–60 min |
| Ichijodani Asakura ruins | Bus from Fukui Station toward Ichijodani, about 30–40 min, then walk | About 1 h |
| Katsuyama | JR or Echizen Railway via Echizen-Takefu, then bus; about 1 h 30 min | 1.5–2 h |
| Sabae | Hokuriku line local or Shinkansen, 15–20 min | About 30 min |
| Tsuruga | Thunderbird or Hokuriku line, 40–50 min | About 1 h |
| Obama | JR Obama line from Tsuruga, about 40 min | About 1 h 45 min |
Sleep
- Fukui Station west side
- Hotels within 5 min of the Shinkansen and JR exits; best for one night with bags.
- Katamachi
- Izakaya and bar district, 10–15 min walk or a short taxi from the station; noisier at night.
- Around the castle and Yokokan
- Quieter, near the moat, gardens and prefectural offices; a 15–20 min walk from the station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？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
- Sights are spread out; plan tram or bus legs rather than walking everything.
- Some museums close one day a week and over New Year: check the official site before you go.
- Fukui Airport has no scheduled passenger flights; do not book it.
- Small restaurants and soba shops may close early or sell out; go at lunch.
Fukui is a quiet, low-crime city and walking at night is normal. The real risks are winter snow on the coast road, icy pavements in January–February, and long gaps between rural buses: check the last service before you leave town.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Fukui yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ichijodani Asakura ruins
- Eiheiji temple
- Sauce katsudon
- Oroshi soba
- Fukui Castle moat
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Fukui City official site: www.city.fukui.lg.jp/
- Fuku-iro, Fukui city tourism guide: fuku-iro.jp/index.html
- Wikivoyage: Fukui, revision 5211155 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5211155
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Fukui福井市
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Fukui; most countries keep embassies in Tokyo and consulates in Osaka or Nagoya.
Cash still works best at soba shops and small izakaya; carry some yen.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/fukui). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.