Ultimate Fukushima Japan Travel Guide – How to Plan a Trip to the Best Hidden Gem

If Fukushima isn’t on your radar, let me enlighten you to this hidden gem in Japan! Please don’t be like most tourists that only visit Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. That’s like going to California and only going to Disneyland! 

Instead, head to a city just over an hour away from Tokyo, where there’s a place most people skip entirely: Fukushima.

For many, the name is still tied to the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster. And because of that, travelers often move on without a second thought. But that perception barely scratches the surface of what Fukushima actually is today — a destination rich in culture, nature, craftsmanship, and experiences that feel far more personal than anything you’ll find on the typical tourist path.

This is where you go when you want to feel like you’ve truly discovered something. Like you’ve truly learned about and embraced a culture, and had an actual authentic experience.

And the best part? It’s one of the easiest trips you can add to your Japan itinerary, as either a day trip, or preferably a longer one!

Here’s everything you need to know to plan your trip to Fukushima!

Disclaimer: This post was made in collaboration with the Fukushima Prefecture Tourism Board, however all thoughts and opinions are my own and I really did LOVE this place!

Essential Travel Tips for Fukushima

Before diving into the itinerary, a little planning goes a long way here, especially if you want to explore beyond just the main city.

Also, especially if this is your first time in Japan. The country is incredibly organized when it comes to transportation and living in general, but it can be extremely confusing for those of us not used to it!

Here’s everything you need to know:

How to Get to Fukushima Japan

Getting to Fukushima is relatively straightforward, but again, still very confusing if you haven’t traveled in Japan before. Here’s the easiest way to explain it.

Please use my link for cheap fare finders when booking your flights!

1. Fly into Narita or Haneda airports. They both have train stations at the airport that have routes to connect you to a station with the Shinkansan bullet trains, so take a JR rail (easiest) or metro to get to one. Stations with Shinkansan departures are:
2. If you’re already in the city in Tokyo, or any other city, do they same – google where the nearest Shinkansan station is, and take a train to it.
3. Once you reach a Shinkansan station, go to a Shinkansan Ticket Office and ask for a ticket on the Tohoku Shinkansen that goes to Fukushima. It should be around $60 USD.
4. You’ll arrive in just over an hour. It’s fast, efficient, and makes Fukushima one of the most accessible “off-the-beaten-path” destinations in Japan!

Once you arrive, getting around depends on how much you want to explore, how adventurous you are, and what your budget is!

The main city and major towns are accessible by local trains and taxis, but if you’re planning to visit more rural areas, nature spots, or onsen towns, renting a car will give you much more flexibility.

Costs, Payment Methods, and Money Stuff

One thing to definitely note: while Japan is incredibly modern, Fukushima still retains a more local, traditional feel. Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels and larger establishments, but smaller shops, rural restaurants, and local experiences often require cash, and there weren’t too many ATMs. 

So it’s best to carry some yen with you, and I’d recommend going to an ATM or money exchange at the airport.

Language and Connectivity in Fukushima

English is not commonly spoken in Fukushima, or in most of Japan. Tourists are mostly domestic, or from other Asian countries. You will likely be some of the only non-Asian travelers there, and to me, that makes it even more of an incredible experience!

Please don’t go to places like Japan or China, or anywhere in the world just assuming people will speak English. Instead, be prepared to adapt to THEIR local language.

Here’s some tips for language and connectivity in Fukushima/Japan in General:

• Use Google Translate or similar apps for real time talking translations and for the camera feature that will let you translate Japanese writing
• Save/Learn a few basic important terms 
• Do not get frustrated if people don’t speak English. You’re in THEIR country, so you should learn THEIR language.
• You’ll want to be sure to always be connected to use translate apps, and I recently found out a great secret! You can get an unlimited data eSIM for less than $10 for A WEEK on this website! Here’s also a step by step guide about how to install and use eSIMS, plus other options that are easier to figure out.

Japanese Culture, Traditions, and Rules

Out of the 146 countries I’ve been to so far, Japan has some of the most polite cultural customs, but with them also comes many social rules! If you’ve never been to Japan, you definitely need to make sure you know them and adhere to them, otherwise you’ll end up offending someone or giving tourists a bad name!

There are different rules for different things, here’s a general overview:

• Be quiet, or quieter than you likely normally are at home. This is considered polite, whereas being loud is seen as very rude and offensive.
• Dress somewhat modestly in rural areas and definitely when visiting shrines, temples, or cultural centers
• Take your shoes off in most hotel rooms, people’s homes, and some restaurants

Top Highlights of Fukushima

Now that you’re prepared to go to Japan, let’s talk about the highlights of Fukushima! As I mentioned earlier, I had the privilege of going there as part of a collaboration with the tourism board, but I loved it so much that I stayed an extra two nights!

Here’s everything we did in Fukushima that I’d highly recommend!

Onsen Hotels and Onsen Road

If a relaxing, restorative trip to a mountain area rich in culture and nature sounds like your vibe, definitely book a couple nights at one of the beautiful onsen hotels! 

There are several areas where you can find them, but my favorite was Koriyama City. It’s a tiny town, with a short main street, but along it are several public foot baths (no nakedness required or allowed), beautiful rivers, waterfalls, and of course, multiple onsens in each hotel.

The famous hotel we stayed at was Sansuiso; this was like an onsen oasis, and if you’ve ever seen social media posts about Fukushima, an image of one of their onsens overlooking a waterfall was likely on it. There’s three different floors of onsens with both indoor and outdoor options!

We also stayed at Aizu Higashiyama Onsen Chiyotaki, which was a very traditional Japanese hotel, and such an incredible, authentic experience! Here the onsens do say “no tattoos” just FYI (but I still was able to get in without anyone noticing), and as part of traditions and cultural customs, you do have to go in fully nude! But don’t worry, the onsens are gender-separated, and it’s very normal to do that!

The dinner at this hotel was a top notch buffet, maybe one of the best I’ve been to in the world! It included fresh high grade sashimi and nigiri, and local delicacies (that I would never eat) like horse sashimi, and a funny little plant encased in clear jelly called “Water Shield”. 

Ouchi Juku Old Town Experience

There are several Edo-era Old Towns built along what used to be Japan’s main walking road from Tokyo to other prefectures! One of the most well preserved ones is Ouchi Joku in Fukushima!

The little town has original (some restored) wooden homes with thatched roofs, that served as homes, inns, and restaurants for the foot-travelers in the past, and now still do for the travelers that come to visit!

If you have the time, it’s best to just wander in and out of all the houses, but if you only have a few hours or want more guidance, here’s what I’d recommend:

First – look for the sake shop on the right and head inside for a little sake tasting! We bought a bottle of plum wine that was delicious!

Then, go put your name down for a lunch reservation at the famous Misawaya soba noodle restaurant, where you eat your meal with a massive green onion!

While you’re waiting for your reservation, wander along the beautiful dirt road and check out the many souvenir shops – all of which are cash only! 

Once you’ve reached the end, keep going, and climb up several stairs to get to the trail where the viewpoint is. This is where most people take the token photo/video, but I was much more mesmerized by the details and flowers close up!

Finally, go back and enjoy your soba noodles with green onion! Be sure to ask if they have any “forest vegetables” you can try as well, they’re delicious!

Prefer your travel tips in video form? Please check out my Fukushima YouTube Vlog!

Immersive Cultural and Art Experiences

If doing hands-on activities is your thing, you’re going to absolutely love the authentic experiences you get in Fukushima! I’ve been to Japan six times, and this was the first time many of the cultural traditions were explained to me in depth through immersive opportunities!

Here were some of my favorites:

Samurai Class 

Learn the ancient history and meaning behind Japan’s samurais, from a (social media famous) samurai themself, Battosai! He will explain to you (with the help of a translator) the history of the samurai, purpose and evolution of their swords, and then do a quick demonstration on how to use a samurai sword.

Then, you’ll dress up in a traditional black samurai training outfit and will get to use a training sword on a cardboard dummy! I chopped the head off of mine on the first try! The samurai classroom is also located at a beautiful shrine, which makes for some awesome memories, and photo opps!

Sushi Making Class

If you love sushi, you must do this sushi making class in Fukushima! A master chef at Joban-mono will explain to you the traditional techniques of making sushi rice, how to cut the fish, and the proper way to mold the rice to the fish to make nigiri.

Make Your Own Whiskey and Tasting 

Visit the Asaka Distillery and cellar in Fukushima, and then enjoy whiskey tasting where you can then choose your favorites and blend them together to make your very own one-of-a-kind whiskey to take home! It was really fun and extra unique to be able to take my own creation home!

Akabeko Painting 

You’ll notice a cute little red hippo-looking animal around Fukushima. This is called Akabeko and it’s a highly respected mythical creature said to be a messenger from the universe. Akabekos can be purchased already painted with unique designs, or! You can paint your own! We did the self-paint experience upstairs of Akabeko Land where we were given our very own little Akabeko figures to paint, and then take home!

The Van Gogh Exhibit at Fukushima Museum

Another art experience we got to do was something absolutely incredible – we had the honor of doing a private “Night at the Museum” tour at Fukushima Museum, where some of Van Gogh’s most famous works of art are currently on display! 

We had a little over thirty minutes of uninterrupted one-on-one time with Van Gogh’s “Self Portrait”, “Interior of a Cafe”, and “Cafe Terrace at Night”, along with several others. For art lovers this is a bucketlist experience, and for those who aren’t, you may very well become one after this experience!

The Van Gogh exhibit was a limited edition but there are always beautiful works of art there year round!

Below are the details for the Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art:

• Museum Hours: 9:30am to 5pm (last entry at 4:30pm)
• Tickets: Cash only upon arrival (3000 yen right now for the exhibit)
• How to get there by train: take the JR Rail to Bijutsukan-Toshokan-Mae Station via Iizaka Line from the east exit of JR Fukushima Station 

Hiking and Boating in Pristine Nature

One of the main things that stood out to me about Fukushima, was how green and naturally picturesque it is! From snow capped mountains to bright blue lakes, and several seasons boasting various types of colorful flower blooms.

If you’re a nature lover, be sure to spend check out these spots:

• Bandai Asahi National Park and Volcano 
• Mugenkyo no Watashi river ride with traditional wooden boat experience
• Waterfall and hot spring trail in Koriyama City

Traditional Temples, Castles and Shrines

Most travelers envision the breathtaking tiered castles and red inari that are staples of Japan, and there are plenty of them in Fukushima, minus the crowds! Here are two main ones to check out for that authentic Japanese architecture!

Isasumi Shrine

Isasumi Shrine is an active place of worship for locals, and welcomes visitors as well! It’s a beautiful complex that is worth at least an hour of exploring, and there’s also a beautiful lake across from it, and a row of inari nearby as well!

Tsuruga Castle Park

The Tsuruga Castle is what Japanese fairy tale dreams are made of! The park around it is full of stunning flower trees and bushes, with some flowers growing to the size of my head! It’s only open for tours during the day, but during the spring it has a light-up experience in the evening, and this is when it’s also full of flowering blossoms!

3 Day Itinerary for Fukushima Japan!

Fukushima may have small towns, but the prefecture is actually really big and pretty spread out! Most of the main highlights are around an hour apart from each other by car, so it’s essential to plan to group them together based on the area!

As previously mentioned, it would be easiest to either rent a car and self-drive, or hire a taxi for the day. The trains go to some of the areas, but you’d still need to find a taxi from there.

There aren’t any official Fukushima multi-day tours, but since I now have connections there, our team could very easily plan and book everything for you! Please email: Biz@mylifesamovie.com with your travel dates and information if you’re interested!

Otherwise, here’s a suggested 3 day itinerary for Fukushima that includes all of my favorite things to do there!

Day 1: Arrive and Immerse!

There’s so much to do and see in Fukushima, so I’d suggest jumping straight into it as soon as you arrive! Here’s my suggestions:

• Start super early and head first to the Samurai class
• Do the Joban-mono sushi making class for lunch
• Head to Asaka Distillery for a whiskey tasting and making experience
• Go back to the hotel to freshen up and rest briefly
• Visit the Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art before heading to a local restaurant for dinner!

Day 2: Restore Through Nature

Today is all about getting in touch with the nature of Fukushima! Grab your hiking shoes and some bear bells (half joke) and head all the way up to the mountains!

• Start with a hike in Bandai San to see its multicolored blue and green lakes
• Go to Shibukawa Tonya for a traditional Japanese lunch
• Continue to Mugenkyo no Watashi lake for a quick row boat experience
• End at Aizu Higashiyama Onsen Chiyotaki, enjoy their various onsens in the evening and delicious buffet dinner

Day 3: Cultural Experiences

• Stroll Ouchi Juku old town and hike up to the view point
• Eat soba noodles with a green onion for lunch at Misawaya
• Head to Aizu-Wakamatsu town to paint your own Akabeko at Akabeko Land
• Visit Tsuruga Castle, it lights up at night!
• End in Koriyama City hot spring town, do a self-guided foot-bath crawl down the main street
• Enjoy the various onsens and dinner at Sansuiso

So! If you want a truly unique, authentic, magical experience in Japan, go experience Fukushima! 

For other Japan travel tips, check out my posts below!

• Beautiful Okinawa Japan Travel Guide
• Complete Guide to My Secret Wakayama Japan!
• 6 Tokyo Nightlife Experiences to Try
• Best Tokyo Cherry Blossoms Viewing Areas in 2023