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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Tsukuba
つくば
Go for one full day from Tokyo on the Tsukuba Express (45 min, ¥1,150): Mount Tsukuba and the JAXA space centre. Sleep here only if you hike.
Tsukuba is a science city built around the University of Tsukuba and a cluster of national research institutes, 45 minutes from Akihabara on the Tsukuba Express. The draw for visitors is Mount Tsukuba, a double-peaked mountain with a shrine, cable car and hiking trails, plus free science museums and the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center. The city itself is spread out, flat and easy by bicycle. Most travellers come as a day trip from Tokyo; one night makes the mountain comfortable.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- つくば
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-August Obon
- 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 ¥6,000–10,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–16,000 excl. bed · High ¥16,000+ 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 | ¥400–700 |
| Miso ramen | ¥800–1,000 |
| Tonkatsu set meal | ¥1,000–2,000 |
| Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| Tsukuba Express Akihabara to Tsukuba | ¥1,150 |
| Mount Tsukuba cable car, one way | ¥580 |
| Tsukuba Expo Center entry | ¥410, or ¥820 with the planetarium |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NRT · Narita
- Direct express bus to Tsukuba station, about 1 h 40 min, six a day; by train it takes at least two changes
- HND · Haneda
- No direct bus; train via Tokyo or Akihabara to the Tsukuba Express
Typical fares
- Akihabara → Tsukuba, Tsukuba Express
- ¥1,150, about 45 min
- Narita Airport → Tsukuba, express bus
- about ¥2,400, about 1 h 40 min, six a day
- Tsukuba station → Mount Tsukuba Shrine, shuttle bus
- about ¥720 one way; last bus back around 17:00about ¥720 one way; last bus back around 5:00 PM
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
The city is flat and spread out: rent a bicycle in front of Tsukuba station (about ¥500 a day, return by 18:30) or use the Tsukuba-san Shuttle Bus for the mountain. The Tsukuba Express links the station to Tokyo's Akihabara in about 45 minutes; no reservation needed.The city is flat and spread out: rent a bicycle in front of Tsukuba station (about ¥500 a day, return by 6:30 PM) or use the Tsukuba-san Shuttle Bus for the mountain. The Tsukuba Express links the station to Tokyo's Akihabara in about 45 minutes; no reservation needed.
See and do
Known for
- Mount Tsukuba and its shrine
- JAXA Tsukuba Space Center
- University of Tsukuba and research institutes
- Free science museums
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo (Akihabara) | Tsukuba Express, about 45 min, ¥1,150, no reservation | About 1 h |
| Tsuchiura | Bus or train via Tsukuba Center, about 30–40 min | About 45 min |
| Ushiku | Train via Tsuchiura or the Joban line, about 40–50 min | About 1 h |
| Mito | Joban line from Tsuchiura, about 1 h | 1.5–2 h |
| Hitachi | Joban line via Tsuchiura and Mito, about 1 h 45 min | About 2 h |
| Tone | Bus or train via Tsuchiura, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Tsukuba Station and Tsukuba Center
- Buses, Tsukuba Express and most hotels in one block; best for one night with bags.
- Kenkyū Gakuen and university side
- One stop from Tsukuba station, quieter, near the campus and shopping centres.
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
- Mount Tsukuba buses stop early: the last shuttle back to the city leaves around 17:00, so start the climb before noon.
- The JAXA Space Center is a long walk from the station with one entrance on Gakuen East Road: bicycle or bus, not a stroll.
- Guided tours at JAXA and Science Square run at set times and need booking: check the official sites before you go.
- The city shuts down early; most restaurants and bars close well before midnight.
Tsukuba is a low-risk city; the real hazards are summer heat on the mountain, unlit trails after the last bus, and bicycles on shared paths. Carry cash: small restaurants and the mountain buses may not take cards.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tsukuba yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mount Tsukuba and its shrine
- JAXA Tsukuba Space Center
- University of Tsukuba and research institutes
- Free science museums
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tsukuba city official site: www.city.tsukuba.lg.jp/
- Tsukuba city tourism section: www.city.tsukuba.lg.jp/tourism/index.html
- Tsukuba Tourist Association: ttca.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Tsukuba, revision 5329711 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5329711
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Tsukubaつくば
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
No embassies in Tsukuba; most are in Tokyo. The US embassy is in Tokyo (check the address).
Mount Tsukuba buses and the cable car stop early; plan the descent before 17:00.Mount Tsukuba buses and the cable car stop early; plan the descent before 5:00 PM.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/tsukuba). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.