[2025 Edition]Access guide on how to get Fukui, from Tokyo to Fukui in about 3 hours!

• Table of Contents
• Okay, let's go to Fukui.
• How to get to Fukui from Tokyo?
• If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can travel at a discount
• By plane
• If you like driving and are going by rental car
• Enjoy your trip to Fukui using an access method that suits your travel style!

Okay, let's go to Fukui.

Fukui Prefecture faces the Sea of ​​Japan and is located in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It is currently attracting attention due to the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga City in Fukui Prefecture in March 2024.

In addition to tourist spots such as Tojinbo, which is familiar from suspense dramas, the famous Eiheiji Temple, and the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, one of the three largest dinosaur museums in the world, the area is also home to many delicious gourmet foods such as Echizen crab, sauce katsudon, and Echizen oroshi soba.

Tojinbo

913-0064 64-1 Yasujima, Mikuni-cho, Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture

Tojinbo is a nationally designated scenic spot known for its view of the rough waves of the Sea of ​​Japan crashing against the cliffs. The magnificent cliffs spread out for about 1km. It is said that there are only three places in the world where the extensive columnar joints of dacite (volcanic stone) that form this kind of scenery are extremely valuable geologically. The dazzling blue sky and the Sea of ​​Japan in early summer, the evening view of the sun setting over the Sea of ​​Japan in autumn, and the rough waves and cold wind blowing against the rock surface when snow falls. All of them are wonderful seasonal scenery that shows Tojinbo and the great nature of the Sea of ​​Japan. Along with Ojima, which floats at the tip of Tojinbo, it has been designated as a natural monument of Japan. There are also many traditional souvenir shops and restaurants in the surrounding area.

Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum

911-8601 51-11 Terao, Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture

Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture is known nationwide as a treasure trove of dinosaur fossils. Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum is one of the world's leading dinosaur museums. The vast, immersive space is filled with exhibits of dinosaur skeletons, fossils, specimens, dioramas, reconstructed models, and more, allowing you to see impressive dinosaurs up close. The area surrounding the museum is also full of experiences such as fossil excavations and play equipment, making it an area that the whole family can enjoy. The Dinosaur Tower, which reopened in July 2023 and appeared in the new small egg hall, is a must-see. In the atrium of the new building, there is a 13m-tall monument called the Dinosaur Tower, which features five species of dinosaurs and one species of bird discovered in Fukui. In addition, the facility has been upgraded to be a facility that can be enjoyed in all seasons, including the impressive ``3-sided Dino Theater'' and the ``Fossil Research Experience'' .

Heisenji Hakusan Shrine

56 Heisenji, Heisenjicho, Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture 911-0822

"Heisenji" is a base temple for worshiping Hakusan, located at the entrance to the Echizen side of the sacred Mt. Hakusan (altitude 2,702m). In the Middle Ages, it became one of the most influential in the Hokuriku region, and it is said that there were dozens of temples and shrines and thousands of temples in the precincts, which were much larger than the current Hakusan Shrine. However, in the 2nd year of Tensho (1574), the whole mountain was destroyed by fire during the battle against the Ikko Ikki, and most of the things that tell of the past have been lost. However, a full-scale excavation survey that began in 1989 revealed that the remains of the former precincts remain splendidly. The full picture of Heisenji in its glory in the Middle Ages is now being revealed little by little.

Daishizan Seidaiji temple Echizen Great Buddha

911-0811 50-1-1 Katase , Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture

The model for the Great Buddha is a seated statue in the Longmen Grottoes on the outskirts of Luoyang, Henan, China, the origin of Buddhism. It is 17 meters tall. It is larger than the Nara Great Buddha (16.2 meters in documents, 14.98 meters in actual measurement). In addition, the halo is 23 meters, and the 3-meter lotus pedestal is placed on a 2-meter stone base, making the total height 28 meters. While the Nara Great Buddha is stocky, the Echizen Great Buddha is characterized by its slender and gentle face and neck. It is made of copper, with a total weight of 200 tons. In addition, 1,281 stone and gold Buddhas are enshrined on the three walls on the left, right, and back of the Great Buddha, and two arhat statues (10.3 meters) and two bodhisattva statues (11.2 meters) are enshrined on each side of the Great Buddha as attendant Buddhas.

How to get to Fukui from Tokyo?

There are several ways to travel from Tokyo to Fukui.

Tokyo to Fukui (one way)

●Hokuriku Shinkansen [Time required] Approximately 2 hours 57 minutes [Fee] Approximately 15,610 yen

●Tokaido Shinkansen [Travel time] Approximately 3 hours 26 minutes ~ [Fee] Approximately 16,550 yen

●By plane [Time required] Approximately 3 hours 40 minutes [Fee] Approximately 16,830 yen

●Car [Time required] Approximately 5 hours 50 minutes [Fee] ETC 12,850 yen + gasoline fee

If you are traveling by Hokuriku Shinkansen

If you are traveling from Tokyo to Fukui using the Hokuriku Shinkansen, the current travel schedule is as follows:

Tokyo to Fukui (one-way)

●Route: Tokyo Station ⇒ Board the Hokuriku Shinkansen "Kagayaki" ⇒ To Fukui Station ●Time required: Approximately 2 hours 57 minutes ●Fee: 8,580 yen (boarding ticket) + 7,030 yen (reserved seat) = 15,610 yen

*Prices will change if you use Green Car or Gran Class.
Previously, you had to transfer, but after the Fukui-Tsuruga section opens in March 2024, you will no longer need to transfer between Tokyo and Fukui. We recommend this route, as it takes less than three hours at the earliest.

If you go by Tokaido Shinkansen

If you are traveling from Tokyo to Fukui on the Tokaido Shinkansen, you will need to take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Maibara Station and then transfer to the express train.

Tokyo to Fukui (one-way)

●Route: Tokyo Station ⇒ Tokaido Shinkansen "Hikari" to Maibara Station ⇒ Limited Express "Thunderbird" to Tsuruga Station ⇒ Hokuriku Shinkansen to Fukui Station ●Journey time: Approximately 3 hours 36 minutes ●Fee: 8,910 yen (board ticket) + 4,950 yen (Tokaido reserved seat) + 2,690 yen (Shirasagi reserved seat) + (Hokuriku Shinkansen unreserved seat) = 16,550 yen

*Prices vary depending on whether you use unreserved or green seats.
Tickets can be purchased at JR station "JR Ticket Office) or "Ticket Machine" in person, or if you would like to make a reservation from home, you can purchase tickets through JR East's online reservation service "Eki-net".

If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can travel at a discount

If you are a tourist visiting Japan and have a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass), you can use JR lines and the Shinkansen as much as you like, so we recommend it as it will help you save on transportation costs. However, please note that even with a JR Pass, you cannot ride the Tokaido Shinkansen "Nozomi," so please be aware of this when visiting Fukui.

By plane

If you are traveling from Tokyo to Fukui by plane, you can take a flight from Haneda Airport to Komatsu Airport in Ishikawa Prefecture. From Komatsu Airport, you can take a bus or train to Fukui.

Tokyo to Fukui (one-way)

●Route Tokyo Station ⇒ Haneda Airport ⇒ Komatsu Airport ⇒ Fukui Station ●Time required Flight: Approximately 1 hour 5 minutes (Total approximately 3 hours 40 minutes)
●Fee: Flight approx. 14,230 yen (total 16,830 yen)
●Operator: JAL, ANA
●Number of flights: 20 per day

You can get cheaper airfares by booking early, such as one month in advance, so if you have a specific date in mind for your visit, we recommend booking early.
To get from Komatsu Airport to Fukui, you can either take a bus or a train. The methods for taking the bus and the train are as follows:

When taking the bus from Komatsu Airport

●Route: Komatsu Airport ⇒ Maruoka IC or Fukui Kita IC or Fukui Station East Exit ●Time required: Approximately 1 hour ●Fee: 1,400 yen (one way)

Operating company: Keifuku Bus

From Komatsu Airport by train

●Route: Komatsu Airport ⇒ Bus to Komatsu Station ⇒ Fukui Station ●Time required: 12 minutes by bus + approx. 60 minutes by local train = approx. 1 hour 12 minutes ●Fee: approx. 1,330 yen

If you like driving and are going by rental car

To get to Fukui by private car or rental car, follow the steps below.

●Time required: 5 hours 50 minutes or more
●Fee: Expressway tolls from approx. 12,850 yen + gasoline cost ●Example route: Tomei Expressway ⇒ Meishin Expressway ⇒ Hokuriku Expressway

When using public transportation, you have to keep specific times in mind, but if you use your own car or a rental car, you can go at your own pace and it's easy to carry a lot of luggage. If you want to take your time sightseeing without being rushed or if you have a lot of luggage, we recommend traveling by car or rental car.

Enjoy your trip to Fukui using an access method that suits your travel style!

This time, we introduced how to get to Fukui from Tokyo. Find a mode of transportation that suits your itinerary, budget, and travel style, and visit Fukui Prefecture.