This article explains how to get to the National Treasure Shiramizu Amidado in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, using public transportation. By reading this article, you will be able to master how to access the temple by public transportation.
It’s the only national treasure building in Fukushima Prefecture, but it’s very difficult to understand how to access it.It’s beyond unfriendly, it’s like asking people to come by car, so I’ll explain it in an easy-to-understand way, as I’m also familiar with public transportation.
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How to access
There are two ways to get there, but it is basically by bus. It is also possible to walk from Naigo Station, but it takes about 30 minutes (2.3 km) on foot, so it is not very practical.
If you are walking, there is a convenience store on the way, so it is a good distance for those who want to take a break and take a leisurely stroll.There are two ways to get there: from Iwaki Station and from Uchigo Station.
There are also other ways to get there from Yumoto Station, but there are not enough bicycles to share at Yumoto Station, and there are many mountain roads from Yumoto to Uchigo, so it is not recommended for those who are not confident in their leg strength.
If you are staying in Iwaki City, I think most of the guests will stay around Yumoto Station or Iwaki Station.
If you are staying near Yumoto Station, go to Uchigo Station and take the local bus.
If you are staying near Iwaki Station, take the local bus from Iwaki Station.
Let’s take a look at how to get there from Iwaki Station.
How to get there from Iwaki Station
From Iwaki Station, take the bus from platform 3.
“This is a route bus marked ‘Kawadaira（川平）’.
- Stop name: Amidado
- Ride time: 19 minutes or 20 minutes
- Fare: 400 yen (cash or bus card only)
Please note that Suica and PASMO are not supported.
Please note that Suica and PASMO are not supported.
The following is the timetable for bus stop #3 in front of Iwaki Station.
| weekday | Saturday | Sundays and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| 07:15 | – | – |
| 09:30 | 09:30 | 09:30 |
| 11:30 | 11:30 | 11:30 |
| 13:30 | 13:30 | 13:30 |
| 14:30 | 14:30 | 14:30 |
| 15:30 | 15:30 | 15:30 |
| 16:25 | 16:25 | 16:25 |
| 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 |
| 18:40 | 18:40 | – |
| 19:35 | 19:35 | – |
The timetable from Amidado, which is the return trip, is shown in the table below.
| weekday | Saturday | Sundays and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| 06:47 | 06:47 | – |
| 07:52 | – | – |
| 08:52 | 08:52 | 08:52 |
| 10:07 | 10:07 | 10:07 |
| 12:07 | 12:07 | 12:07 |
| 14:07 | 14:07 | 14:07 |
| 15:07 | 15:07 | 15:07 |
| 16:07 | 16:07 | 16:07 |
| 17:07 | 17:07 | 17:07 |
| 18:12 | 18:12 | 18:12 |
| 19:17 | 19:17 | – |
A visit to the Amitabha Hall takes about half an hour at the earliest and an hour at the most. Therefore, even though the morning flights are good, the return access is poor.
Therefore, the afternoon is just right.Board the 13:30 train and arrive at Amitabha Hall around 14:00.
If you plan to spend about an hour on the tour, you can board the 15:07 train.
The next step is to get there from Uchiigo Station.
How to get there from Uchigo Station
From Iwaki Station, take the same route bus (bound for Kawadaira), but the bus stop is “Uchigo Station Entrance” and you need to walk to the bus stop in front of Toho Bank Uchigo Branch. The bus stop is located in front of the Toho Bank Naigo Branch.
The timetable for the Uchigo Station Entrance bus stop is as follows.
| weekday | Saturday | Sundays and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| 07:30 | – | – |
| 09:44 | 09:43 | 09:43 |
| 11:44 | 11:43 | 11:43 |
| 13:44 | 13:43 | 13:43 |
| 14:44 | 14:43 | 14:43 |
| 15:44 | 15:43 | 15:43 |
| 16:40 | 16:39 | 16:39 |
| 17:45 | 17:44 | 17:44 |
| 18:55 | 18:54 | – |
| 19:47 | 19:47 | – |
For the return bus, please see Access from Iwaki Station (Return).
Other points to note
By train and bus, it is recommended to take a local bus from Iwaki Station or Uchigo Station.You can also walk from Uchigo Station, but it’s about 4.5 km round trip, so it might be a bit strenuous, so I don’t recommend it unless you like walking.When riding the local bus, it is convenient to have some coins ready in advance.
This is because it takes a long time to exchange money for cash after you have stopped at a bus stop, and there are sometimes drivers with poor service. There are some scary drivers (not a shred of service, but sometimes there are, and of course there are some nice ones), so be careful.
Also, when you board the bus, be sure to get a numbered ticket when the door opens. If you don’t have a numbered ticket, the driver will definitely be angry with you when you get off the train… When you get off the train, press the purple get off button when you hear “Amidado” on the announcement!
When you get off the bus, you just need to insert the numbered ticket and cash to complete the drop-off.I know you’ll be nervous when you get on a bus that doesn’t have cashless payment facilities, but give it a try!
