How to Visit Fukushima

Fukushima is easily accessible from most major transport hubs within Japan. At just 90 minutes from Tokyo, most travelers will find it’s a direct ride on the Shinkansen (bullet train) to reach the central Fukushima City region. Regardless of your budget or preferred mode of transport, a wealth of options exist to get you here.

For all routes listed below, if you travel by Shinkansen, it is recommended that you book a reserved seat in advance.

All prices mentioned below are approximated, per person and subject to seasonal fluctuations and availability. All times and distances should also be treated as approximations.

Travelling in winter? Check out our guide to winter trips and safety advice.

Travelling between key areas

From Tokyo

Reaching Fukushima Prefecture and its surrounding areas from Japan’s capital of is incredibly straightforward, with a variety of options available.

Tokyo ↔ Fukushima

JR Fukushima Station is a great gateway for seeing the sights of Fukushima Prefecture. Visitors coming from Haneda/Narita can take advantage of this easy-to-use route. Travel by Shinkansen or expressway bus.

  • JR Tohoku Shinkansen
    • 90 min from Tokyo or Ueno Station (8,220~8,430 yen+)
    • See here for information on the JR Tohoku Shinkansen Line.
  • Expressway Bus
    • 4 hr 45 min (prices vary)
    • JR Bus Tohoku (Japanese) and Willer Bus are two companies that run expressway buses between the capital and Fukushima. Overnight bus journeys are also available.

Tokyo ↔ Koriyama

Travelling to JR Koriyama Station puts you at the center of Fukushima Prefecture, with easy access to the whole prefecture.

  • JR Tohoku Shinkansen
    • 1 hr 15 min from Tokyo or Ueno Station (7,470~7,680 yen+)
    • See here for information on the JR Tohoku Shinkansen Line.
  • Expressway Bus (JR Bus Tohoku)
    • 4 hr 10 min (prices vary)
    • See here (Japanese) for information on this JR Bus Tohoku route.

Tokyo ↔ Aizu-Wakamatsu

Reach the castle town of Fukushima Prefecture in less than 3 hours from Tokyo.

  • JR Tohoku Shinkansen + JR Ban-etsu West Line (transfer at Koriyama Station)
    • 2 hr 30 min from Tokyo or Ueno Station (8,420 yen~8,610 yen+)
    • Take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Koriyama Station. Then transfer to the Ban-etsu West Line, and alight at Aizu-Wakamatsu Station.
  • Expressway Bus
    • 4 hr 45 min (~4,800 yen+)
    • Travel directly to Aizu-Wakamatsu from Shinjuku (Reserve your ticket up to one month ahead of schedule at JR bus stops at Shinjuku or Tokyo Station.)

Tokyo ↔ Iwaki

See the beautiful Fukushima coastline from Iwaki City; enjoy fresh seafood and marine life at the Aquamarine Fukushima Aquarium.

  • JR Ltd. Express Hitachi
    • 2 hr 15 min from Tokyo or Ueno Station (~6,170 yen+)
    • Passengers must buy a 'limited express boarding ticket' (指摘席) to board the JR Ltd. Express Hitachi (included in price estimate above).
  • Expressway Bus
    • 3 hr (~3,450 yen+)
    • Travel directly to Iwaki Station from Shinjuku via JR Bus Kanto (Japanese) (Bus tickets can be bought up to one month in advance until the day before departure.)

 

From Narita / Haneda Airport

From Narita Airport to Fukushima

There are 3 main routes to get to key areas in Fukushima Prefecture from Narita Airport. (The Narita Express platform at Tokyo Station is far from the JR Tohoku Shinkansen platform, so we haven't featured it below.)

  • Airport Bus + JR Tohoku Shinkansen
    • 2 hr 45 min (~9,950 yen+)
    • Take an airport bus from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station (Two of the cheapest airport bus companies are Keisei Bus and Airport Bus TYO-NRT who provide this journey for close to 1000 yen per way per person. Reservations aren't needed, but can be made online).
    • From Tokyo Station, take the Shinkansen to Fukushima or Koriyama Station.

 

  • Keisei Skyliner + JR Tohoku Shinkansen
    • 2 hr 40 min (~11,210 yen+)
    • First, take the Keisei Skyliner train from Narita Airport to Keisei-Ueno Station (45 min, 2,470 yen). You can buy tickets online in advance.
    • Take the 5-10 minute walk from Keisei-Ueno Station to JR Ueno Station.
    • From Ueno Station, take the Shinkansen to Fukushima or Koriyama Station.
    • If you aren’t in a rush, you can take the Keisei Main Line train instead of the Skyliner (90 min, 1,030 yen if travelling by the Limited Express service).
    • Make sure to board a train that terminates at Keisei-Ueno to avoid having to transfer trains at Nippori Station.
  • Expressway Bus (Fukushima Kotsu)
    • 5 hr (~5,500 yen+)
    • This bus service (Japanese) has just one bus per day in each direction. The bus to Narita departs Fukushima Station at 00:50, and the bus returning from Narita Airport departs at 10:00.
    • The bus stops at Koriyama Station en-route.
    • Seat reservations aren't needed from Narita Airport to Fukushima or Koriyama Station, but passengers must reserve seats for the journey to Narita Airport.

From Haneda Airport to Fukushima

You can get from Haneda Airport to Fukushima Station in around 2.5 hours via Shinkansen and local trains. If you’re not using the JR Rail Pass, consider buying your Shinkansen tickets at the JR East Travel Service Center in Haneda Airport near the Tokyo Monorail gates to avoid queueing in Tokyo Station.

  • Keikyu Airport Line + JR Tohoku Shinkansen
    • 2 hr 30 min (~9,530 yen+)
    • Take the Keikyu Airport Line from Haneda Airport to Shinagawa Station. (20 min, 410 yen if travelling via the Rapid-Limited service {快特}).
    • At Shinagawa Station, transfer onto either the JR Yamanote Line or JR Keihin-Tohoku Line heading for Tokyo Station and get off at Tokyo Station (10 min, 170 yen)
    • From Tokyo Station, take the Shinkansen to Fukushima or Koriyama Station.
  • Tokyo Monorail + JR Tohoku Shinkansen
  • Although the Tokyo Monorail is not a JR Line, you can use the JR Rail Pass on this train.
    • 2 hr 40 min (~9,610 yen+)
    • Take the Tokyo Monorail Line from Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho Station. (18 min, 500 yen if travelling via the Haneda Express service).
    • At Hamamatsucho Station, transfer onto either the JR Yamanote Line or JR Keihin-Tohoku Line heading for Tokyo Station and get off at Tokyo Station (8 min, 160 yen)
    • From Tokyo Station, take the Shinkansen to Fukushima or Koriyama Station.

From Sendai

Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, is a nearby neighbor to Fukushima Prefecture and can be visited as a day trip.

Sendai ↔ Fukushima

With Sendai and Fukushima city being practically neighbors, travelling between them is easy and fast.

  • JR Tohoku Shinkansen
    • The Shinkansen connects Sendai to Fukushima in 25 min (~3,160 yen+)
  • JR Tohoku Main Line
    • 80 min from Sendai (~1,320 yen+)
  • Expressway Bus (Fukushima Kotsu)
    • 80 min (~1,200 yen+)
    • No reservation needed. Expressway buses (Japanese) run every 20-30 min from 6:30 AM to 8:00 PM.

Sendai ↔ Koriyama

  • JR Tohoku Shinkansen
    • The Shinkansen connects Sendai to Koriyama in 40 min (~4,860 yen+)
  • JR Tohoku Main Line
    • 140 min (~2,270 yen+)
    • If travelling from Sendai to Koriyama, take the Tohoku Main Line from Sendai bound for Fukushima. Transfer at Fukushima Station to the JR Tohoku Main Line train bound for Shin-Shirakawa.
  • Expressway Bus (Fukushima Kotsu)

Sendai ↔ Aizu-Wakamatsu

  • JR Tohoku Shinkansen + JR Ban-etsu West Line (Rapid Service)
    • 2 hr 15 min (~5,940 yen+)
    • Take the Shinkansen to Koriyama Station, then transfer to the Ban-estu West Line train heading for Aizu-Wakamatsu Station.
  • Expressway Bus (Aizu Bus)
    • 2 hr 30 min (~3,100 yen+)
    • You don't need to book this expressway bus (Japanese) in advance.

Sendai ↔ Iwaki

  • JR Tohoku Shinkansen + JR Ban-etsu East Line
    • 2 hr 30 min (~6,780 yen+)
    • Take the Shinkansen to Koriyama Station. Then transfer to the JR Ban-etsu East Line bound for Iwaki.
  • Expressway Bus (JR Tohoku Bus + Shin-Joban Kotsu)
    • 3 hr 10 min (~2,700 yen+)
    • Book a ticket for the expressway bus (Japanese) in advance at Sendai Station East Exit Bus Station or Iwaki Station Information Desk.

From Sendai Airport to Fukushima

There are 3 main ways to travel between Sendai Airport and stations in Fukushima Prefecture: by bus, by local train, or by a mix of local trains and Shinkansen.

  • Local JR Line + JR Tohoku Shinkansen
    • 1 hr 10 min (~3,740 yen+)
    • Take the Sendai airport access line from Sendai Airport. Get off at Sendai Station. This train ride takes around 20 min.
    • At Sendai Station, transfer to the Shinkansen Line and take the Shinkansen to Fukushima or Koriyama Station.
  • Local JR Lines
    • 1 hr 45 min (~1,550 yen+)
    • Take the Sendai Airport Access Line from Sendai Airport. Get off at Natori Station (名取駅). It takes 10 min between Sendai Airport and Natori Station.
    • At Natori Station, change to the JR Tohoku Line heading for Fukushima. This train will take you to Fukushima Station in approximately 70 min. Change at Fukushima Station for trains to Koriyama Station.

    Since the Sendai Airport Access Line is not a JR Line, you must buy a new ticket when you change to the JR Tohoku Line.

  • Expressway Bus (Fukushima Kotsu / Aizu Bus)
    • 2 hr 5 min (~1,600 yen+)
    • Expressway buses (Japanese) leaving from Sendai Airport stop at a number of destinations including Fukushima Station, Nihonmatsu Bus Stop, Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, and Tsurugajo Castle.
    • You don’t need to reserve a seat in advance, and you pay at the end of your journey.
    • These buses depart from the Expressway Bus Stop (高速バス停留所) outside of Sendai Airport. See here for a map of the bus stop.

From Osaka

For JR Rail Pass holders, using local JR lines in combination with Shinkansen lines is the best option for cost and time efficiency. If you don’t mind sitting longer, the night bus will save you money. Whichever option you choose, it’s recommended to reserve tickets in advance.

Osaka ↔ Fukushima

  • JR Kyoto Line + JR Tokaido Shinkansen + JR Tohoku Shinkansen
    • ~5 hr (~21,000 yen+)
  • Night Bus + JR Tohoku Shinkansen
    • ~10 hr 30 min (~14,000 yen+)
  • Flight (Itami Airport -> Fukushima Airport)
    • ~1 hr 10 min (~25,000 yen+) (one way)
    • There's also the option to fly from Itami Airport to Sendai Airport, and travel south from there.

 

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