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
Minamata
水俣
Half a day for the disease museum and coast; one night if you add a hot spring. Not a base for Kyushu travel.
Minamata is known for the mercury poisoning disaster that gave the world the name Minamata disease. The town sits on the Shiranui Coast and has a free museum documenting the tragedy, plus nearby hot springs. Most visitors come for a few hours from Kumamoto or Kagoshima on the Shinkansen.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 水俣
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Jan–Feb (cold)
- 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 ¥8,000–15,000 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 · 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 |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥300–500 |
| Ramen bowl | ¥700–1,000 |
| Beer (can at konbini) | ¥250–350 |
| Taxi from station to museum | ¥1,500–2,000 |
| Bus ride (single) | ¥200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KMJ · Kumamoto Airport
- Bus to Kumamoto Station (about 1 h), then Shinkansen to Shin-Minamata (40 min)
- KOJ · Kagoshima Airport
- Bus to Kagoshima-Chuo Station (about 50 min), then Shinkansen to Shin-Minamata (35 min)
Typical fares
- Shin-Minamata → Kumamoto, Shinkansen
- about ¥4,500 reserved, 40 min (check)
- Shin-Minamata → Kagoshima-Chuo, Shinkansen
- about ¥4,000 reserved, 35 min (check)
- Bus to museum from station
- about ¥300 (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
Sanko Bus runs from both Minamata and Shin-Minamata stations to the museum and hot springs. Taxis are available at the station. Walking is possible in the compact centre.
See and do
Known for
- Minamata disease history
- Minamata Disease Municipal Museum
- Shiranui Coast
- Yunoko and Yunotsuru hot springs
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hitoyoshi | Local train or bus via Kuma River area, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Yatsushiro | Hisatsu Orange Railway, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
| Amakusa | Bus via Matsushima, about 1.5 h | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Shin-Minamata Station area
- Closest to the Shinkansen; a few business hotels and ryokan.
- Yunoko Onsen
- Hot spring town 5 km (3.1 mi) south; ryokan with baths and sea views.Hot spring town 3.1 mi (5 km) south; ryokan with baths and sea views.
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arigatou gozaimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Where is the museum? | 資料館はどこですか？shiryōkan wa doko desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu 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
- The museum is closed on Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday).
- No English signage at the hot springs; check if they accept day visitors.
- Cash only at many small shops and ryokan.
Very safe. The main risk is heat stroke in summer; carry water. The museum content is sobering but not graphic.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Minamata yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Minamata disease history
- Minamata Disease Municipal Museum
- Shiranui Coast
- Yunoko and Yunotsuru hot springs
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Minamata City official website: www.city.minamata.lg.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Minamata, revision 5231403 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5231403
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Minamata水俣
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)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
The US consulate in Fukuoka covers this area; most other countries have embassies in Tokyo.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/minamata). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.