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Fukushima Hope Tour in 1 Day by Car with Licensed Guide

6 Reviews 4.83 out of 5 stars Based on 6 reviews collected by City Balloon Tours and TripAdvisor | Recommended by 100% of reviewers | Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 23 (0) days in advance.

8 hours (approx.)
Hotel pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
and 1 more
Japanese
Instant confirmation

Overview

On this tour, you can visit the ruins of the Great East Japan Earthquake with a local licensed guide.

On March 11 th 2011, the magnitude-9.0 earthquake occurred in Japan’s Tohoku region. Many people in Fukushima lost their lives to this earthquake and the subsequent large tsunami, and scores of homes were destroyed. In addition, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Disaster resulted in leaving many people with no choice but to evacuate their homes. The effects of these multiple disasters remain to this day.

This tour offers you the opportunity to see the places where the effects of the earthquake and nuclear disaster remain, as well as the places where revitalization efforts are taking place. All tour sales go to donations for the affected areas.

The radiation level of places you will visit on this tour does not exceed 0.05 mSv per hour. Please note that You are not allowed to enter the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

What's Included

  • Private vehicle
  • Donation fee: tour sales go to donation for the the disaster-affected areas
  • Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
  • Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
  • You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
  • Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under 'What to Expect.'
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Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point
Pickup details

This tour departs from Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture. A driver and a guide pick you up at your hotel or your preferred place near Iwaki station.

What To Expect

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Iwaki

You will meet your guide and driver at Iwaki Station or your preffered place near Iwaki Station. It takes about one hour from Iwaki Station to tour places.* From Tokyo, you can take Hitachi limited Express Train to Iwaki, on the JR Joban line.
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1 hour Admission Ticket Free

Hirono-machi (pass by)

National Route 6: In addition to seeing landscapes of untouched buildings in areas where evacuation orders designated as the Difficult-to-return Zone have been lifted, there are areas where decontamination and demolition work is progressing and one can feel the spirit of rebuilding in the local communities. ※Partially through the Difficult-to-return Zone
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TEPCO Decommissioning Archive Center

Managed by TEPCO, this information dissemination facility uses video and diorama displays to provide a record of the project and allow visitors to learn about the ongoing progress of the decommissioning effort.
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1 hour Admission Ticket Free

Michinoeki Namie

This roadside station was built as a symbol of the town’s revitalization. It is a facility that supports people’s daily lives, where they can shop, eat and rest. In addition to a range of vegetables and seafood, visitors can also have a taste of the local cuisine.
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1 hour Admission Ticket Free

Namie-machi

Namie Town-run Ohirayama Cemetery This communal cemetery is located on high ground about 2 kilometres from the coast. The view of Ukedo district and the Pacific Ocean conveys the huge extent of the tsunami’s devastation. This place, where the children of Ukedo Elementary School were evacuated to immediately following the earthquake, was an expanse of fields at that time. Afterwards, in response to the wishes of the local residents, the Ohirayama Cemetery was built on the site to house the graves of those who were lost in the disaster. Together with a memorial monument built as a requiem for the victims and as a warning to future generations, the cemetery continues to convey the memory of the disaster.
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1 hour Admission Ticket Free

Ruins of Namie Machiritsu Ukedo Elementary School

Ukedo Elementary School is located about 200 metres from the coast. The school building was engulfed and partially destroyed by the tsunami, but miraculously no lives were lost thanks to fast thinking and evacuation. The school is preserved in the same condition as it was in at the time of the disaster in order to demonstrate the threat and lessons of the disaster, to pass on the memories and records of the area to future generations, and to raise awareness of disaster prevention. The classrooms and gymnasium on the first floor, which were most severely damaged by the tsunami, are almost entirely as they were at the time of the disaster, and the site has been prepared so that visitors can observe the conditions. On the second floor, there are panels showing the extent of the damage and details of the evacuation following the nuclear accident, as well as messages of support and so on written by visitors on blackboards that have been preserved.
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1 hour Admission Ticket Free

The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum

This facility is truly the entry point for Hope Tourism. A wealth of resources, including images and exhibits, give visitors a complete picture of the events and revitalization efforts from the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and nuclear accident to the present day.
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1 hour Admission Ticket Free

Futaba-machi

JR Futaba Station area: The town’s former Special Zones for Reconstruction and Revitalization (part of the Difficult-to-Return Zone of restricted residence, where it is hoped that evacuation orders will be lifted in future) centred around JR Futaba Station. Even after the evacuation order has been lifted, buildings from the immediate aftermath of the earthquake remain untouched, while hopeful murals adorn the area, giving a sense that the
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1 hour Admission Ticket Free

Iwaki

After the tour, your guide and driver will take you back to Iwaki Station.
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1 hour Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • The travel time is already included in the tour duration.

Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Fukushima Hope Tour in 1 Day by Car with Licensed Guide?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (JST). Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

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Activity code: C-92136P336

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Reviews

4.83
6 reviews

Average 4.83 out of 5 stars based on 6 traveler reviews collected by City Balloon Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

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Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 23 (0) days in advance.

What's Included

Activity name

  • Private vehicle
  • Donation fee: tour sales go to donation for the the disaster-affected areas
  • Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
  • Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
  • You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
  • Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under 'What to Expect.'

Additional Info

Activity name

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • The travel time is already included in the tour duration.
  • You are not allowed to enter the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
  • The radiation level of places you will visit on this tour does not exceed 0.05 mSv per hour.
  • If the tour is extended on the day, please pay the extension fee directly to your driver (Van 9980 JPY, minivan 9740 JPY, regular car 6620 JPY per hour).
  • There are only a limited number of car seats and booster seats. Rear-facing car seats are not available. You must contact us directly if you need them.

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