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Major city · Japan

Fukushima福島

Base here 1 night for the fruit, sake and Iizaka onsen; 2 nights only if you add Hanamiyama in spring or a Mount Shinobu walk.

Fukushima is the capital of Fukushima Prefecture, sitting in a basin on the Tohoku Shinkansen 1 h 45 min from Tokyo. It is a compact, low-key city known for peaches, pears and sake, with hot-spring towns in the hills 20–40 min away. Most travellers use it as a rail stop between Tokyo and Sendai, or as a base for the prefecture's onsen and Aizu region.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
More ways in
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
JPY
Best months
Apr–May for blossom, Oct–Nov for autumn colour and fruit
avoid Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-August Obon crowds
Airports
FKS · NRT · HND
Nights
1
Rules in force · 5
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • Japan ↗IC cards (ICOCA/Suica) are topped up with cash at station machines.
  • Japan ↗Smoking while walking is banned in most city centres; use designated areas.
  • Japan ↗Shinkansen bags 160–250 cm (L+W+H) need a seat reserved with the oversized-baggage area.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Fukushima110 ▾

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Fukushima, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee¥400–700 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Street or quick mealRamen (Kitakata style)¥600–1,000 (≈ US$5–7)
  • Beerdraught in an izakaya / can at a konbini¥500–750 (≈ US$4–6)¥250–350 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)5 km (3.1 mi) taxiLate-night surcharge after 22:00.¥2,000–2,600 (≈ US$14–18)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week¥2,000–4,000 (≈ US$14–30)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Prefectural Museum of Art)¥280 (≈ US$2)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person¥3,500 (≈ US$25)
  • Mid-range bedBusiness-hotel double room, a night, per room¥14,000 (≈ US$95)
  • High-end bedBusiness-hotel double room, a night, per room¥30,000 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ¥7,000 (≈ US$50) · Mid ¥13,000 (≈ US$90) · High ¥25,000 (≈ US$170)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Peaches, pears and other fruitSake breweriesIizaka and Takayu onsenHanamiyama spring blossomMount Shinobu
Airports
FKS Fukushima Airport (About 40 min by bus to Koriyama, then Shinkansen or local train to Fukushima; check current schedules.) · NRT Narita (Most travellers arrive via Tokyo and take the Tohoku Shinkansen.) · HND Haneda (Same: connect in Tokyo to the Shinkansen.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    not flagged

    5°C (41°F)

  2. Feb

    not flagged

    6°C (43°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    10°C (50°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    17°C (63°F)

  5. May

    Best

    22°C (72°F)

  6. Jun

    not flagged

    25°C (77°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    28°C (82°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    31°C (88°F)

  9. Sep

    not flagged

    26°C (79°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    20°C (68°F)

  11. Nov

    Best

    14°C (57°F)

  12. Dec

    not flagged

    8°C (46°F)

Best: Apr–May, Oct–Nov. Avoid: Jul–Aug. Month by month →

Warmest Aug (31°C (88°F)), coolest Jan (−2°C (28°F) low), wettest Jul (13 rain days), driest Feb (8). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Fukushima: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

5°C (41°F)

−2°C (28°F)

9 rd

Feb

6°C (43°F)

−2°C (28°F)

8 rd

Mar

10°C (50°F)

0°C (32°F)

9 rd

Apr

17°C (63°F)

6°C (43°F)

9 rd

May

22°C (72°F)

11°C (52°F)

9 rd

Jun

25°C (77°F)

16°C (61°F)

11 rd

Jul

28°C (82°F)

20°C (68°F)

13 rd

Aug

31°C (88°F)

22°C (72°F)

11 rd

Sep

26°C (79°F)

18°C (64°F)

11 rd

Oct

20°C (68°F)

11°C (52°F)

8 rd

Nov

14°C (57°F)

5°C (41°F)

8 rd

Dec

8°C (46°F)

0°C (32°F)

9 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable from JR Fukushima Station. Local trains and buses reach the onsen towns and outer sights; taxis are plentiful at the station but scarcer elsewhere. Share cycles are cheap but need a Japanese-only app.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Iizaka Onsen

go

Door to door: About 30 min

JR Fukushima line from a separate northern platform, about 20 min

Riverside spa town with free foot baths and an English-speaking information centre; easy half day.

Hanamiyama Park

go

Door to door: About 30–40 min

Bus from the station in season, then a short walk

Spring blossom on a hillside; expect crowds. Check bus times at the tourist office.

Aizuwakamatsuovernight

Door to door: About 1.5 h

JR Ban'etsu West line, about 1 h 15 min

Castle town worth a night, not a rushed return trip.

Koriyama

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Tohoku Shinkansen, about 15 min

Bigger city with more shops and connections; easy half day.

Inawashiro

go

Door to door: About 1.25 h

JR Ban'etsu West line, about 1 h

Lake and Mount Bandai views; a full day or an overnight.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Around JR Fukushima Station

Business hotels, the east-side bar and restaurant streets, and the underpass linking both sides.

Downtown arcade (Passeo Dori / Azuma Dori)

Izakayas, craft beer bars and shops; walkable from the station.

Iizaka Onsen

Riverside hot-spring town about 20 min by JR line; sleep here for a ryokan night.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥7,000–11,000 (≈ US$50–75) excl. bed
Mid
¥11,000–18,000 (≈ US$75–130) excl. bed
High
¥18,000 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Business-hotel double room1 × 1 night × ¥14,000¥14,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × ¥13,000¥26,000
Shinkansen Tokyo → Fukushima, one way (non-reserved)2 × ¥8,500¥17,000
JR Fukushima → Iizaka Onsen, one way2 × ¥300¥600
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ¥2,500¥5,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge¥6,260
Trip total≈ ¥34,430 per person per day, bed included¥68,860≈ US$500

2026 estimate in yen; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee¥400–700 (≈ US$3–5)
Ramen (Kitakata style)¥600–1,000 (≈ US$5–7)
Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini¥500–750 (≈ US$4–6) / ¥250–350 (≈ US$2–3)
5 km taxiLate-night surcharge after 22:00.¥2,000–2,600 (≈ US$14–18)
Mamador confection (box)¥800–1,500 (≈ US$6–11)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week¥2,000–4,000 (≈ US$14–30)
Museum entry (Prefectural Museum of Art)¥280 (≈ US$2)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A calm, low-crime regional city. The real issues are winter snow and ice on pavements, summer heat, and the radiation question people arrive with: the city is outside the evacuation zone and background levels are low, but check current official guidance if it matters to you.
  • The 2011 earthquake and the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant 60 km (37 mi) away dominate the news; the city itself is well outside the evacuation zone, which covers about 2.4% of the prefecture (as of 2024).
  • Some travellers worry about radiation; levels in the city are low and a short stay is not considered harmful, but decide for yourself and check current official guidance.
  • Many underground walkways are shortcuts, not through-routes; the long one under the station is the main one.
  • Rural buses and some onsen trains are infrequent; check the last departure before you go.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire and ambulance
119
Japan Visitor Hotline (JNTO, 24 h, English)
050-3816-2787

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Fukushima福島

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

ここまでお願いしますTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire and ambulance119
  • Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787

Embassy

No embassies in Fukushima; most are in Tokyo. Check your embassy's site for the nearest consular help.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Shinkansen Tokyo → Fukushima: about ¥8,500 (≈ US$60) non-reserved, 1 h 45 min
  • JR Fukushima → Iizaka Onsen: about ¥300 (≈ US$3), 20 min
  • Fukushima Airport → Koriyama by bus: about ¥800 (≈ US$6), 40 min

Say or show

  • すみません — Excuse me / Sorry (sumimasen)
  • ありがとうございます — Thank you (arigatō gozaimasu)
  • これをください — This one, please (kore o kudasai)
  • いくらですか? — How much is it? (ikura desu ka)
  • カードで払えますか? — Can I pay by card? (kādo de haraemasu ka)
  • トイレはどこですか? — Where is the toilet? (toire wa doko desu ka)

Fruit and sake make good gifts; ask the shop to wrap for travel.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Fukushima. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–May for blossom, Oct–Nov for autumn colour and fruit · avoid Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-August Obon crowds · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for FKS and the Tokyo Shinkansen fallback, with last-train checks.
  2. Walking clusters: station and arcade, Mount Shinobu, Iizaka.
  3. Place pages with verified hours for the art museum, Hanamiyama and the onsen information centre.
  4. Eat pages with last orders for the east-side izakaya streets.

Sources