Tomioka (Fukushima)

Tomioka (富岡) is a town of about 1300 inhabitants in Fukushima prefecture, just off the Japanese east coast. These days its claim to fame, or maybe infamy is the nearby Fukushima nuclear power plant damaged by the massive 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Understand

Tourist information site

The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site.

Get in

By train

There are local trains from Ueno, Sendai and Iwaki.

See

• Hayama Shrine. The town's main Shinto shrine, also known as Number 33, the thirty-third shrine in a pilgrimage route that goes across Japan. 

• 1 TEPCO Decomissioning Archive Center, 3-chome−５８−378. The 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster happened just north of Tomioka. The plant and surroundings are unsurprisingly off-limits to visitors, but the plant operator maintains a documentation center in town where you can learn about the plant, disaster and the aftermath. (updated Nov 2024)

Sleep

• 1 Tomioka Hotel (1 min from JR Tomioka station), ☏ +81 240-22-1180, fax: +81 240-22-1182, info@tomiokahotel.jp. Modern hotel with luxury amenities, view over the ocean from the rooms, and parking lot in front of the hotel. The train station is right next door. (updated May 2019)
• 2 Hojinkan Hotel (ホテル蓬人館), 〒979-1111, Tomioka, ☏ +81 240-23-7728. Western style hotel with large parking lot, spa, karaoke room, and fitness facilities. Not easily reachable with public transport, so a taxi might be necessary. Wifi SSID: Hojinkanhotel, password: hojinkan. ¥10000 per night. (updated May 2019)