Fukushima Prefecture

城市概覽

Fukushima is the third largest prefecture in Japan (14,000 km²), and one of its least densely populated. Two mountain ranges divide the prefecture into three main regions: Aizu in the west, Naka dōri ("center lane") in the centre and Hama dōri ("coast lane") in the east. Aizu is mountainous with snowy winters, while the climate in Hama dōri is moderated by the Pacific Ocean.

Tourist information Fukushima Travel is the prefecture's official multilingual tourist information site.

如何抵達

By plane Fukushima is served by Fukushima Airport (FKS IATA), located near Sukagawa to the south of Koriyama. The airport is served by JAL and ANA, with domestic services to Osaka, Sapporo and Naha. There are also international services to Shanghai and Seoul. The surrounding prefectures have airports (Niigata Airport, Sendai Airport, and Ibaraki Airport) that may offer more convenient access to parts of Fukushima than connecting with Tokyo, should Fukushima Airport not meet your needs.

By train High speed rail access is provided by the Tohoku Shinkansen, which serves Shirakawa, Koriyama and Fukushima stations. The Tohoku Shinkansen links Fukushima with Tokyo in the south and the rest of Tohoku to the north. The Yamagata Shinkansen runs from Fukushima to various cities in Yamagata prefecture. Local train services include the Tohoku Main Line, which generally follows the route of the Tohoku Shinkansen; and the West Ban'etsu Line, linking Koriyama with Niigata via the ski resorts of Inawashiro and Aizuwakamatsu. The local (slow, but with great scenery) Suigun line connects Koriyama station with Mito. The Jōban Line runs along the East Coast in Fukushima and was cleared for all length in 2020 after nine years of decontamination and reconstruction efforts.

By bus

當地交通

By car Several expressways serve Fukushima prefecture and provide fast connection by car:

Tōhoku Expressway — south-north connection, parallel to national route 4 as well as Tōhoku Shinkansen. Connects Shirakawa, Koriyama and Fukushima. Ban-etsu Expressway — connects Iwaki at the Pacific coast with Koriyama and Aizu-Wakamatsu and continues north-west towards Niigata at the Japan Sea coast. The route parallels the national route 49. Jōban Expressway — runs along the Pacific coast from Tokyo metropolitan area to Iwaki. In 2015 the northmost part reaching Sendai and crossing also the Fukushima exclusion zone was completed. The route is parallel to the national route 6.

By train For those who arrive by Shinkansen, Koriyama Station has the most connections and provides transfer access to the widest range of sites in the prefecture. You can transfer at Koriyama Station to access the Ban-etsu East Line to access Iwaki and the Joban Line that runs along the coast and the Ban-est West Line, which gives access to Lake Inawashiro, Mount Bandai, Aizu-Wakamatsu and Kitakata. From Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, you can access the Tadami Line and the private Aizu Tetsudo line to visit sites including the famous Ouchi-juku. Fukushima Station has less transfer lines and its location next to prefectural borders make it generally less useful for those looking to travel within the prefecture. The Ou Main Line only has a few stations in Fukushima before it enters Yonezawa in Yamagata, and the private Iizaka Line is entirely contained within Fukushima City. The Abukuma Express Line only gives access to Date before entering Miyagi. Every Shinkansen Station provides access to the Tohoku Main Line.

必看景點

Abukumado Cave (あぶくま洞 Abukumadō), Tamura. An 80 million-year-old, 3,000-meter-long limestone cave discovered in 1969. Traversing the 600 meters open to the public will take about an hour. This is a developed cave for tourism, so there are footpaths, lighting, handrails, and information signs. At the same time, the mix of small passages to huge grand hall cavern, and large variety of rock formations not found elsewhere in Japan, will satisfy all but the most picky cave enthusiasts. If you are looking for more adventure, for a small fee you can try the exploration course. Expect to squeeze through a few tight areas, but it is certainly a lot of fun! Irimizu Cave (入水洞 Irimizudō), Tamura. Another cave, 6 km away from Abukumado Cave. This undeveloped cave is for the hard-core adventurer. Its 3 interconnected courses follow a 10 °C stream as its snakes its way through darkness. The water height is rarely higher than your ankles and not swift. Water drips from the ceiling so light raincoats or even wetsuits may be a good idea. A hard hat with light is highly recommended. Tsuruga Castle (鶴ヶ城 Tsurugajō), Aizuwakamatsu. Built in 1384, this was the site of one of the last battles of the Boshin War between samurai fighting for the shogunate and new government forces formed during the Meiji Restoration of 1868. While the castle is a concrete reconstruction (there are very few original castles left in Japan), it remains an impressive attraction thanks to its large scale, unique red roof, and natural and historical surroundings. It is considered one of the best places to learn about samurai history and culture in Japan.

體驗活動

Skiing and snowboarding: The western part of Fukushima prefecture (Aizu) offers excellent conditions for winter sports from late November to early May. It has 24 ski resorts, for example at Mount Bandai or Mount Adatara. Hot springs: Fukushima prefecture has a fine selection of hot springs and onsen accommodation. Their styles range from modern hot spring leisure facilities like Spa Resort Hawaiians in Iwaki to traditional onsen villages with public bath-houses, foot-baths and ryokans. There are Iizaka Hot Springs and Tsuchiyu Hot Springs just outside Fukushima city or Higashiyama Hot Springs and Ashinomaki Hot Springs near Aizu-Wakamatsu. Cherry tree blossom time is best enjoyed in Fukushima Hanamiyama Park. East of Koriyama, a famous weeping cherry tree that is more than 1000 years old, Miharu Takizakura, is a magnificent specimen. It can be admired also after sunset with artificial illumination. Another cherry blossoms appreciation locations include Komine Castle in Shirakawa, Tanagura Castle ruins in Tanagura, Tsuruga Castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu or banks of Natsui river in Natsui. Scenic views are guaranteed when taking the mountain toll road Bandai Azuma Skyline. The panoramas are especially colourful in the autumn. The route passes directly next to the crater of Mt. Azuma. Visitors can park their cars at the visitor center and take the short walk up to the crater's rim. The road is closed in winter. Fukushima Drift Ebisu Circuit is a drifting car park with several race courses. It is located in Nihonmatsu City next to the Safari Park. They occasionally have events to see, otherwise you can go in and watch practices and take pictures with cool cars in the parking lot if you are lucky. There is a drift school for those that are interested, but it is a multi-day course taught in Japanese. The race tracks are sometimes used for motorcycle events as well.

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