When most people hear the name “Fukushima”, they typically associate it with the tragic tsunami and nuclear disaster that happened 15 years ago. Because of that, I’d also say people fear going there, which is also a bit of a tragedy, because I just spent almost a week there, and the thing I regret the most is not staying longer!
The onsens were my favorite part of visiting Fukushima!
(Alyssa Ramos of Mylifesamovie.com @mylifesatravelmovie)
Oh and yes, there was actually a tsunami warning when I went there, following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake just north of Fukushima that happened just days before my trip. There were also reports of potential bear attacks. I still went anyway, and felt absolutely no danger, plus had an incredible time!
For anyone thinking or wondering if it’s not safe because of the nuclear disaster, let me mention that first. In most of the Fukushima prefecture, radiation levels have returned to normal thanks to rapid and diligent work done to clean and reverse it right after the disaster happened.
But, at the actual nuclear power plant where the radiators were damaged, the radiation levels are still high, and it’s restricted to even go there. So just follow the rules, and you’ll be fine!
Fukushima is only maximum two hours away from Tokyo, don’t miss it!
(Alyssa Ramos via ChatGBT)
(Side note: My specialty is traveling to destinations with negative or dangerous stereotypes to determine if they are true with the hopes of proving them wrong! Some of my favorite destinations have been Papua New Guinea, D.R. Congo, Burundi, and El Salvador!)
So! If you’re thinking of planning a trip to Japan in the future, don’t be the typical tourist that only goes to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka!
Take the fast train just a couple hours north to Fukushima for a truly unique and authentic experience that not many others can say they’ve had!
Here were all of my favorite things to do in Fukushima, and you can see my full travel guide and 3 day itinerary on my travel blog!
Best Things to See and Do in Fukushima, Japan
Now that you know how safe and awesome I think it is, let’s talk about the highlights of Fukushima! I had the privilege of going there as part of a collaboration with the tourism board, so they planned most of the experiences for me, but I loved it so much that I stayed an extra two nights and explored even more on my own!
Here’s everything we did in Fukushima that I’d highly recommend!
Onsen Hotels and Onsen Road
Check out my full blog post for info about these onsen hotels by clicking the photo!
(Alyssa Ramos MyLifesAMovie.com @MyLifesATravelMovie)
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!
(FYI you have to be naked, but they are mostly gender separated, please check out my full blog post for onsen etiquette and the correct link to book this hotel!).
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 Joku Old Town Experience
Ouchi Joku Old town was one of my top favorite places to see in Fukushima!
(Alyssa Ramos mylifesamovie.com)
This was my second favorite area place to visit and definitely a must-do!
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!
Samurai Class
Taking a Samurai class is 10/10 recommended, especially for stress relief!
(Alyssa Ramos MyLifesAMovie.com)
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!
Check out my full Youtube vlog to see all of these places plus the clip of my chopping a cardboard dummie’s head off with the samurai sword!
Sushi Making Class
If you love sushi, take the sushi making class, and then eat it all!
(Alyssa Ramos of MyLifesAMovie.com @mylifesatravelmovie)
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
For whiskey lovers, visit this distillery and make your own bottle of whiskey!
(Alyssa Ramos of MyLifesAMovie.com @mylifesatravelmovie)
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
Become an artist and paint your own Akabeko to take home!
(Alyssa Ramos of MyLifesAMovie.com @mylifesatravelmovie)
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 Art Museum
It was a huge privilege and honor for the Fukushima Museum of Art to host the Van Gogh Exhibit!
(Alyssa Ramos of MyLifesAMovie.com @mylifesatravelmovie)
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
Bandai Asahi National Park was beautiful to hike in, just watch out for bears!
(Alyssa Ramos of MyLifesAMovie.com @mylifesatravelmovie)
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
A small little warning — BEAR ATTACKS are apparently a thing to worry about when hiking in the mountains in Fukushima. People were wearing “Bear Bells” and there were warning signs everywhere! So…be careful!
Isasumi Shrine
These inari shrines are always popular for photos, and in Fukushima you can get them without the crowds!
(Alyssa Ramos of MyLifesAMovie.com @mylifesatravelmovie)
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
Japanese castles are always so cool to see! You can visit one in Fukushima without the tourist crowds
(Alyssa Ramos of MyLifesAMovie.com @mylifesatravelmovie)
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!
Ebisu Drift Racing
While we were having pizza one night at another hotel, we met two other travelers who were separately visiting Fukushima solely to see and partake in Ebisu drift racing! You know like, Tokyo Drift?
As it turns out, drift racing was invented in Fukushima, and they have one of the best roads/tracks to do it on! You can even rent a racecar and drive it…it’s expensive, and requires additional insurance, but for anyone into that, check it out! The full details are on my blog post as well!
AloJapan.com