To be fair Fukushima has never really been much of a tourist hub less so now since the tsunami and nuclear disaster. This means there are barely any hotel options two at most with the eclectic J-Village Hotel being by far the better of the two.
It is the kind of place that makes you wonder how it even exists out here in the middle of nowhere but somehow it works. We bring both group tours and independent travellers here and it is not hard to see why. It is functional slightly eccentric and entirely practical for anyone who wants comfort without fuss. Here is the J-Village Fukushima guide.
Click to read about Fukushima.
What the J-Village
J-Village opened in 1997 as Japans first national football training centre. It was built to be the hub for Japanese football kids could dream of playing for the national team international sides could train and for a while it really worked. The complex is enormous with multiple football pitches a stadium with 5000 seats indoor courts a gym a pool and even a proper bathhouse.
Then 2011 happened. The tsunami and nuclear disaster turned the area upside down. J-Village did not vanish it became the base for decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant. After years of being associated more with hazmat than football the place reopened in 2019. Now it hosts training camps national team sessions and occasional events quietly reclaiming its role as Japans premier football hub. Walk around and you can feel both the history and the strangeness. It is part sports complex part hotel part reminder of what happened here.
The Hotel
The hotel is what makes staying at J-Village bearable and even enjoyable. There are around 200 rooms singles twins and a handful of larger options. They are not luxurious but clean practical and functional. All rooms have heating cooling wifi and TVs. Nightly rates sit between 10000 and 15000 yen roughly 70 to 100 dollars.
It is not about extravagance it is about convenience. You can roll out of bed grab breakfast downstairs wander to the baths have a coffee in the café and still be on a pitch in five minutes if that is your thing. The hotel manages to be slightly quirky without feeling gimmicky. It is comfortable easy to navigate and strangely charming for a sports complex in Fukushima.
The Facilities
This is where J-Village Hotel really shines. Forget the football pitches for a moment the focus here is staying here eating here drinking here and generally not having to leave. There are three restaurants. One is a casual café for breakfast and simple meals sandwiches rice bowls pasta. Then there is a main restaurant that serves more substantial dishes including meat fish and local Fukushima ingredients. The third is a slightly fancier option for groups or dinners if you want to feel like you are doing something a bit upscale.
There is a small bar by reception nothing pretentious just beers a few spirits and a place to sit after a long day. The bathhouse is massive hot and has a view over the grounds outside making it the perfect place to relax after wandering the complex. And there is a small shop on site where you can pick up snacks drinks toiletries or a last-minute souvenir.
Even the lobby and common areas are functional but comfortable giving the hotel a relaxed vibe. You can spend an entire day here without leaving breakfast a coffee a bath some shopping lunch a quiet beer dinner and a final soak before bed. The facilities make the hotel more than just a place to sleep they make it the reason you are here. Sports fans will appreciate the pitches but the rest of us are here for the food the baths the bar and the strangely calming isolation.
Oh and its better than the other option.
Location
J-Village sits on the Fukushima coast in a slightly eerie but strangely charming spot. The hotel is within walking distance of the beach so you can wander down for a bit of sea air after a long day. It feels isolated enough to escape the usual tourist nonsense but still has everything you need
Address
8 Yamadaoka Utsukushimori Naraha Town Futaba District Fukushima 9790513 Japan
Phone
+81 240 26 0111
Website
Check in 15:00
Check out 10:00
Transport
By car about five minutes from Hirono Interchange on the Joban Expressway
By train about five minutes walk from JR Joban Line J-Village Station
It is quiet slightly offbeat and perfectly located for anyone wanting peace weirdness and a little adventure. You are close enough to small towns forests and the coast if you feel like exploring but far enough to feel like you have completely escaped the world
Conclusion
Being the kind of place that is either at full capacity or almost empty makes it a genuinely good option for where to stay in Fukushima so long as there is not a big event. It is not amazing in a wow sense but it is better than the rest.
And you know what it works, not so much if you want to party, but a fabulous launchpad to great Urbex.
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