Ko-Chou Fang, Source

Fukushima

Spring blossoms, fruit orchards and hot springs

Fukushima is a prefectural capital in northern Honshu, a compact city in a basin below the Azuma Mountains. In April the flowers of Hanamiyama Park cover a hillside on the edge of town. Orchards on the Fruit Line grow peaches, cherries, apples and pears. Visitors can pick fruit in season while Iizaka Onsen has public baths that date back centuries. Mt. Shinobu has an art museum and carved Buddhist figures. The centre is small and the sights are spread around it, so a car or a day on buses and trains is useful.

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City in Japan

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$$	Medium
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$$$+	Very expensive, luxury

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Safety: 7.9

General Safety:	8
Health & medical:	8
Accessibility:	6
Tap water:	9

Read details

2/5

English is spoken at major hotels, museums and tourist centres, but less so in small shops and restaurants. Signage is improving, but a translation app is helpful for a smooth visit.

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Last update: 20 Oct 2026

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Fukushima Summary

These place ratings give you a quick overview of how well a destination matches different types of trips.

‘Best for’ scores:
The specific interest scores show where this place really shines – whether it's ideal for hiking, food & drink experiences, museums or other activities. These highlights help you understand what makes the destination special at a glance.

‘Your personal’ scores:
This reflects how well a place matches your personal preferences. You can adjust the importances of travel topics or other personal requirements categories in your account settings.

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Great for rural landscapes and outdoor activities. Explore mountain hiking trails, visit historic samurai towns, relax in hot springs and enjoy scenic lakes and forests.

Place score

7.8

Best at:

Spotless

Spirits

Cherry blossoms

Forests

Mountains

Personal score

Suited for

👶 6

Families

🧓 6

Seniors

🛡️ 7

Travel Beginners

👩 7

Solo

Japan – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	100 V, 50 Hz Plug: Type A Type A: Read about power adapters
Currency:	Japanese Yen (JPY) £1 ≈ JP¥210
Cashless info:	Rating 4/5 Cashless payments are becoming more common, especially in cities, with some shops still preferring cash. Be prepared for occasional cash-only situations in rural areas. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is not customary in Japan and can be considered rude. Excellent service is the norm, and tipping is unnecessary in most places.
Public drinking:	Public drinking is legal and commonly accepted, particularly during festivals and events.
Public smoking:	Smoking is prohibited in indoor public places but allowed in designated outdoor areas. Some restaurants may have smoking sections.

New Year (January)	One of the most important holidays, expect crowded temples and high prices. Plan ahead.
Golden Week (April-May)	The busiest travel time, expect high demand for accommodation and transport.
Obon (August)	A time to honour ancestors, many businesses close, and transport can be crowded.

Emergency contact:	Emergency Number: 110 (Police), 119 (Fire & Ambulance)
Taxi apps:	Uber, JapanTaxi, DiDi
Other:	Japan is a country of respect, so understanding local customs and etiquette is important. Public transport is efficient, but can be crowded during peak hours.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Fukushima, Japan

🌨️

Jan

❄️

Feb

🌤️

Mar

🌤️

Apr

🌤️

May

🌤️

Jun

🌦️

Jul

🌤️

Aug

🌤️

Sep

🌦️

Oct

🌤️

Nov

🌤️

Dec

High season:	April, Nov.
Shoulder season:	Jan. - Feb., May, July - Aug., Oct.
Crowdedness:	2 (Few tourists)

Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info

Climate details

Climate varies by area: Aizu inland is snowy and cold in winter with skiing late December to March, the Pacific coast is milder with little snow, summers are hot and humid everywhere

Soma Nomaoi samurai horse festival last weekend of July

Bandai-Azuma Skyline mountain road open only late April to early November

Don't miss

🌸 Visit Hanamiyama Park to see stunning spring cherry blossoms
♨️ Relax in the tranquil hot springs of Iizaka Onsen
🏯 Explore Tsuruga Castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu and its castle park
🚗 Ride the scenic Bandai-Azuma Skyline for mountain views
🍑 Taste juicy local peaches at a summer roadside stand
🏔️ Hike Mount Azuma-Kofuji and admire its volcanic crater

You've been here?

Why travel to Fukushima?

Hanamiyama Park is a hillside of spring flowers, where cherry, plum and forsythia trees have snow-capped mountains behind them. The park is free to enter and mid-to-late April is the peak. Walking from the foot of the hill to the summit takes about an hour. The Fruit Line has dozens of orchards where you can pick fruit by season. Summer brings cherries and peaches, late autumn brings apples and winter brings strawberries. Iizaka Onsen, about 20 minutes by train, has the historic Sabakoyu bath that the poet Basho visited. Takayu Onsen and Tsuchiyu Onsen are in the mountains above the city. Mt. Shinobu has the Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art, with about 3,800 works including pieces by Monet and Gauguin. Iwaya Kannon on the east side has more than 60 carved Buddhist figures believed to be about 300 years old. Haguro Shrine on the summit has a 12 m straw sandal. Fukushima fits into a day or two and works as a day trip from Sendai or Tokyo. The Bandai-Azuma Skyline and the Goshikinuma Ponds are reached by car in the mountains beyond the city.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art
2 Azuma Baseball Stadium
3 Iizaka-Onsen
4 Fukushima Sky Park
5 Haguro shrine

🎡Places for activities

1 Fukushima Racecourse
2 Adatara Kogen Ski Resort

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Hanamiyama Park
2 Lake Inawashiro

🛍️Shopping

1 S-PAL福島

🍽️Eat & Drink

1 Ganso Enban Gyoza Manpuku
Founded in 1953, Manpuku is credited with creating Fukushima’s enban gyoza: pan-fried dumplings arranged in a disk. The Nakamamachi shop also serves boiled dumplings, house pickles and seasonal hot pots, about 15 minutes on foot from Fukushima Station.
2 Yamame Gyoza
Open since September 1964, Yamame makes enban gyoza with wrappers hand-stretched after each order. It stands in Wasedacho, roughly a six-minute walk from Fukushima Station, and pairs its dumplings with local Fukushima sake.
3 Gyoza Terui Fukushima Station East Exit
Gyoza Terui serves Fukushima-style enban gyoza, crisp pan-fried dumplings cooked in a circular arrangement. This branch is inside the East Exit area of Fukushima Station, providing a convenient introduction to the city’s postwar dumpling tradition.
4 Hanashibe
Hanashibe is an izakaya in Okitamachi serving enban gyoza alongside Japanese pub dishes and Fukushima sake. It is part of Fukushima City’s registered gyoza group, within the central dining district south of Fukushima Station.
5 Wine & Gyoza Bar Terui
Wine & Gyoza Bar Terui presents the city’s enban gyoza in a bar setting, matching pan-fried dumplings with wine and small plates. It is located in central Fukushima City, close to the Okitamachi nightlife district.
6 Peachman Cafe
Peachman Cafe is operated by Fruit Farm Kato and uses fruit grown by the farm in its seasonal desserts. Near the Osasao interchange in northern Fukushima City, it serves peach shaved ice in summer, plus pies and baked sweets.
7 Minamo Cafe
Minamo Cafe specialises in chiffon cake, fruit parfaits and drinks using Fukushima’s seasonal produce, with pasta also available. It is on Banseicho in central Fukushima City, a short walk from the nightlife streets around Okitamachi.
8 Chocotto Cafe Momon
Chocotto Cafe Momon serves seasonal fruit parfaits, house-made cakes and pizza lunches. It occupies a back street in Shinmachi, central Fukushima City, with counter and table seating near the Abumagawa River side of downtown.
9 Ashiyu Cafe Casval
Ashiyu Cafe Casval combines coffee and light meals with a natural hot-spring footbath supplied directly from the source. It is in Tsuchiyu Onsen, around 40 minutes by car from Fukushima Station, across from Yamane Aizuya.
10 Coffee Gourmet
Coffee Gourmet is a long-running local coffeehouse on Ekimae Street, serving coffee, desserts and full meals. It is part of the central Fukushima City walking route, a short distance from Fukushima Station and the main shopping streets.

🎈Events

Waraji Festival (August)
Mt. Shinobu Dawn Procession (February)
Hanamiyama Cherry Blossom Festival (April)
Fruit Harvest Festivals (summer/autumn)
Azuma Fireworks Festival
Fukushima Sky Park Events
Takayu Onsen Autumn Leaves Festival
Iizaka Kenka Matsuri (October)
Winter Illuminations

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Knowledge before you go

Hanamiyama shuttle buses run only during blossom season in April.
Iizaka Onsen's historic Sabakoyu bath runs very hot, so you can add cold water.
The Fruit Line and Bandai-Azuma Skyline are much easier by car than by public transport.
Cherries and peaches ripen in summer and apples in late autumn, so choose your orchard visit by season.

How to travel to Fukushima

Trains are the easiest way to reach Fukushima, with the Tohoku Shinkansen stopping at Fukushima Station. From Tokyo it takes about 90 minutes and from Sendai about 25 minutes. The Yamagata Shinkansen also branches here. From Osaka, a Shinkansen with local trains takes about 5 hours. A night bus takes more than 10 hours. A flight from Osaka Itami to Fukushima Airport takes about 1 hour 10 minutes, but the airport is outside the city. Haneda (HND) and Narita (NRT) take roughly 2.5 to 2.75 hours by airport train or bus and the Shinkansen from Tokyo. Sendai Airport is about 2 hours by expressway bus. By road, the Tohoku Expressway serves the city at Fukushima-Nishi IC.

Access summary

From Fukushima Airport (FKS): Airport bus and train connections, around 60–90 minutes total.
From Tokyo: JR Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, about 1.5–2 hours.
From Sendai: JR Tohoku Shinkansen or local/express trains, roughly 25–60 minutes.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Fukushima

Most visitors stay around Fukushima Station, where business hotels are the main type of lodging. The station area is convenient for the Shinkansen, the Iizaka Line and the Hanamiyama shuttle. For a hot spring stay, Iizaka Onsen is about 20 minutes away by local train and has ryokan and public baths. Takayu Onsen at the foot of the mountain has about 10 traditional ryokan. Tsuchiyu Onsen is about 40 minutes by bus. These suit a night of soaking after a day of sightseeing. Sendai, 25 minutes away by Shinkansen, has far more hotels. Book early for the April blossom weeks, when rooms around the city tighten.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

HOTEL SANKYO FUKUSHIMA

8.5

APA Hotel Fukushima-Ekimae

8.7

The Celecton Fukushima

8.0

Richmond Hotel Fukushima Ekimae

8.9

Sansuiso

8.9

APA Hotel - Fukushima Ekihigashi

7.4

Hotel Route Inn Grand FukushimaEkimae Higashiguchi

9.1

Comfort Inn Fukushima Nishi Inter

8.1

Grand Park Hotel Excel Fukushima Ebisu

7.3

Toyoko Inn Fukushima-eki Higashi-guchi No.2

8.2

Explore more accommodations

How to get around Fukushima

The centre around Fukushima Station is compact.

Around the station:
The tourist information centre is at the west exit and hire bicycles are available through the Share Cycle system. Taxis are available at the station and a ride to the Fruit Line takes about 20 minutes.

Hanamiyama Park:
During blossom season shuttle buses run from the east exit of the station. A return trip costs JP¥500 (£2.37) and the park is a 15-minute walk from the bus stop.

Other sights:
Trains and buses cover most other sights. The Iizaka Line takes about 20 minutes to Iizaka Onsen while a bus takes about 40 minutes to Tsuchiyu Onsen.

By car:
Orchards on the Fruit Line and the mountain roads beyond the city are far easier with a car. Many visitors hire a car in Fukushima or Koriyama for a mountain day.

Food in Fukushima

Food in Fukushima draws on its fruit and its mountain farms, with fruit, vegetables and rice central to many dishes. The station area has restaurants and convenience stores for quick meals. Agricultural products are monitored for radioactivity and anything above the limits is kept off the market.

Orchard fruit:
Peaches, cherries, apples, pears and grapes come straight from orchards and many let you eat as you pick. Local sake, craft beer made with local fruit and kokeshi crafts are sold at the product promotion centre in Corasse Fukushima.

Enban gyoza:
A local speciality of the city, this is a round pan-fried dumpling served flat on a plate. The name means disc, after its shape.

Ikaninjin:
A regional home dish of strips of squid and carrot simmered in soy. It's typically served as a side dish.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

We calculate the average costs when travelling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.

To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

-26 %

Daily expenses in Fukushima are around 26% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend considerably less on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

-20 %

Your exchange rate (GBP to JPY) is 20% better than in recent years. That means travelling now is considerably cheaper compared to the past.

Travel costs

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	£48	£108	£301
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	£23	£56	£113
🍝 Food per day	£20	£44	£151
🚕 Transportation per day	£5	£8	£38

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	£14
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	£4.40
🍟 Fast food combo	£5
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	£7
☕ Cappuccino	£2.70
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l	£5.50

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	£1.30
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	£24
⛽ Petrol, 1 l	£0.80

Other

🎞️ Cinema ticket	£9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	£37
🤧 Cold medication	£8.50
💇 Basic haircut	£12.50

Safety information overview

General safety

Fukushima is very safe for travellers, with low crime in the centre and around the station. The main risks are natural. Earthquakes occur in the region and winter snow affects mountain roads. Bears live in the surrounding mountains so hikers should take care.

Health & Medical

Health risks are low and Fukushima Medical University hospital and other large hospitals serve the city. English-speaking care is limited, so carry travel insurance. Radiation levels in most of the prefecture are similar to other major cities. Monitoring readings are public.

Accessibility

The area around Fukushima Station is flat and suits walking. Hanamiyama Park has steep slopes and gravel paths, with accessible toilets and disabled parking. Mt. Shinobu has steps. Shuttle buses help but still leave a 15-minute walk to the park.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink in Fukushima. The prefecture monitors it to strict standards and no radioactive cesium or iodine has been detected in it since monitoring began after the nuclear accident. Shops and vending machines sell bottled drinks near the station.