Japan Travel Guide - Let's go to Japan!
HOME > Fukushima Prefecture

Fukushima Prefecture

Fukushima Prefecture in Tohoku DistrictFukushima PrefectureFukushima Prefecture is at the south part of Tohoku District, and is located at nearly center of the east coast of Honshu island.
The area is the third widest in Japan after Hokkaido and Iwate Prefecture, and extends east and west.

It is broadly divided into three areas. These are the coast area (Hama-doori), the central area (Naka-doori) and Aizu region.
Between Hama-doori and Naka-doori, Abukuma Mountains lie.
In Naka-doori area, there are some main cities such as Fukushima and Kooriyama, and Tohoku-shinkansen runs through this area.
Aizu area covers the western half of the prefecture, and is mostly mountainous.
Each area has independent regionality.

Main industry is agriculture, additionally many manufacturing factories are built in this prefecture because of good geographic location from Tokyo metropolitan district.

The coast areas were visited by great earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.
And the tsunami destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant located at the north part of the coastline of this prefecture. So, the 20-30 km area around the plant has been radioactively-contaminated.
But the other areas in Fukushima prefecture has been nearly normal now.

To come into Fukushima Prefecture, It is convenient to use railroad from Tokyo.
By Shinkansen, from Tokyo, it takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to Kooriyama and about 1 hour and 35 minutes to Fukushima.
To Iwaki city in Hama-doori, it takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes from Ueno station in Tokyo, by limited express on JR Joban Line.

Fukushima airport is located about 20 km south of Kooroyama city. It takes 40 minutes by route bus from JR Kooriyama station.
It has the domestic flights from Itami and Kansai (Osaka), Shin-Chitose (Sapporo) and Naha.
Additionally it has the international flights from Seoul and Shanghai

Sights in Fukushima : Fukushima Prefecture official website

The climate in Fukushima city
Highest Temperature (deg C) 5.5 6.5 10.4 17.4 22.5 25.2 28.3 30.4 25.6 20.0 14.1 8.7
Lowest Temperature (deg C) -1.8 -1.5 0.9 6.2 11.5 16.1 20.1 21.8 17.6 11.0 4.8 0.7
Mean monthly rainfall (mm) 49 44 76 81 93 122 160 154 160 119 66 42

The climate in Aizu-Wakamatsu
Highest Temperature (deg C) 2.6 3.6 8.2 16.4 22.1 25.4 28.6 30.6 25.6 19.0 11.8 5.7
Lowest Temperature (deg C) -3.7 -3.6 -1.0 4.2 10.0 15.5 19.5 20.6 16.3 9.2 3.1 -0.9
Mean monthly rainfall (mm) 95 71 72 64 80 111 176 134 137 100 79 94

Tourist spots in Fukushima Prefecture

Fukushima map

Fukushima city /1/
Abukuma Cave /2/
Ancient Shirakawa barrier /3/
Lake Inawashiro /4/
Mount Bandai /5/
Ura-Bandai area /6/
Aizu-Wakamatsu city /7/
Kitakata city /8/
Oouchi-juku post station /9/
Oze marshland /10/


Main events in Fukushima Prefecture

Souma NomaoiSouma Nomaoi (July 23-25th)

It is the festival reenacted an ancient cavalry action, and is held for three days in Souma city, and many men in ancient armor and more than 500 horses join this festival.
It is said to have begun around 940 when a warlord Masakado Taira performed military training with wild horses.
A few cavalry groups leave from each Shinto shrine, march through the city and gather at Hibarigaoka field, which is the main venue for this festival.
Some reenactments of battles and races by cavalries are performed there.

Nihonmatsu Chochin FestivalNihonmatsu Chochin Festival (October 4-6th)

It is the annual festival of Nihonmatsu Shrine in Nihonmatsu city.
It is said to have begun in 1643 when a lord Mitsushige Niwa who entered the Nihonmatsu Castle built the shrine for citizens.
"Chochin" means "Japanese paper lantern".
Seven floats with over 300 chochins are paraded to the accompaniment of flute and drum music.

Local foods and products in Fukushima Prefecture

Kitakata ramenKitakata ramen

It is one of the three major ramens together with Sapporo ramen and Hakata ramen. There are many ramen restaurants in Kitakata city.
Around the 1920s, a Chinese cook served the ramen at his stall. It became popular for Kitakata people, so many cooks learned the know-how for cooking. Recently many tourists to Kitakata introduced it throughout Japan, then It became very famous.
The noodle is curly. The clear soup is generally made of pork bone broth and shoyu (soy sauce).
And a few slices of barbecued pork are surely topped.


It is the woodcarving horse made in Miharu town in the suburb of Kooriyama city.
This town has a legend. When a warlord in the 8th century had hard battle against the northern country, a wooden horse appeared from somewhere, then he won the battle.
Since that, people had made woodcarving horses, wishing for the healthy growth of the foal.
Later, a burinist gave his works to the children in the village, then all of them had grown up healthy.
So now it is a charm for growth of a child and long life.


It is a folk toy in Aizu region. "Akabeko" means "red ox" in the Tohoku dialect.
In 807, the people in a village had carried many timbers for building new temple from the mountains.
At that time, many oxen appeared, and they helped the people to work. The work was very hard, then most oxen had broken down. But only a red ox had followed out.
Akabeko is the papier-mache toy, and the head swings to the touch.

Aizu lacquerwareAizu lacquerware

It is the popular lacquerware creating in Aizu region.
It has created since the late 16th century, and has a longer history than famous Wajima lacquerware.
This has established the use of various techniques, then it has a variety of different products.

Copyright © travel-around-japan.com. All Rights Reserved.
Sponsored Links

Sponsored Links

Hokkaido district
Tohoku district
Kanto district
Koshin'etsu district
Hokuriku district
Tokai district
Kansai district
Chugoku district
Shikoku district
Kyushu district
Rental car in Japan