In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Koriyama
郡山市
Spend a half‑day to a full day in Koriyama, mainly for a quick visit to Ryokusuien Garden and the city museum; stay elsewhere if you need more time.
Koriyama is Fukushima's commercial hub, well‑linked by the Tohoku Shinkansen (80 min from Tokyo) and highways. Its main attractions are a garden, a city art museum and a history museum, all within walking distance of the station, so a short stay fits most itineraries.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 郡山市
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, snow) and heavy rain in Jun–Jul
- Stay
- 0–1 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 ¥8,000–12,000 excl. bed · High ¥12,000+ 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 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Ramen at Kourakuen | ¥500–800 |
| Coffee | ¥300–500 |
| Taxi (5 km (3.1 mi))Taxi (3.1 mi (5 km)) | ¥2,200–2,700 |
| Ryokusuien Garden entry | ¥300 |
| Koriyama City Museum of Art entry | ¥500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FKS · Fukushima Airport
- 20 km (12 mi) south, flights to Okinawa, Osaka, Sapporo; limited international service12 mi (20 km) south, flights to Okinawa, Osaka, Sapporo; limited international service
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Shinkansen and JR local trains from Koriyama Station; city bus network covers the centre. Walk 5–10 min between garden, museum and station.
See and do
Known for
- Ryokusuien Garden
- Koriyama City Museum of Art
- Asaka History Museum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Aizu-Wakamatsu | JR Ban'etsu West Line, about 1 h 20 min | ≈2 h total |
| Bandai (Mount Bandai area) | JR Ban'etsu West Line to Bandai‑Miharu, then bus | ≈2 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Koriyama Station area
- Convenient for Shinkansen, bus and car rentals; many business hotels.
Language
Japanese everywhere; English on rail signs, ticket machines and in large hotels, thin elsewhere. Menus with photos and translation apps close most gaps.
- Write addresses in Japanese for taxi drivers; the hotel card works.
- A camera translation app reads menus and machine labels.
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
- Winter snow can close roads and delay trains; check schedules in Jan–Feb.
- Asaka History Museum closed Oct 2023–Mar 2027 for repairs (check reopening).
- Taxi fares rise after midnight; have cash for small rides.
Koriyama is generally safe; winter snow can make sidewalks slippery and some streets less lit after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Koriyama yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ryokusuien Garden
- Koriyama City Museum of Art
- Asaka History Museum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Koriyama city official site: www.city.koriyama.lg.jp/
- Koriyama tourist association (Japanese): www.kanko-koriyama.gr.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Koriyama, revision 5237279 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237279
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Koriyama郡山市
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/koriyama). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.