Overview
Shirakawa is the southernmost city in Fukushima's Nakadori region, serving as a historical gateway between the developed Kanto plain and the wilder Tohoku north. The city developed as a castle town at the site of the ancient Shirakawa-no-seki barrier gate, where travelers once passed between regions.
Architecture · Day Trips · Festivals · Food · History
Before you go
Connectivity
Tourism section can be reached at 0248-22-1111 (Japanese only). Japan Travel Phone (0088-22-4800) offers English assistance 09:00-17:00 daily.
Food
Shirakawa is famous for ramen with over 100 shops in the city. Meals start around ¥600-1100. Daruma dolls and local sake make good souvenirs, from ¥200 and ¥1000 respectively.
Transport
Tohoku Shinkansen stops at Shinshirakawa station; journey from Tokyo is about 90 minutes and ¥6000. JR Bus from Shinjuku costs ¥3600-4050 and takes 3 hours.
