One year on since the Japanese speed rail arrived in Fukui prefecture, the latter has been building on its growing tourism ecosystem with new subsidies and tours for international visitors.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen was extended 125km along the Sea of Japan coast from Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture to Tsuruga, Fukui prefecture in March 2024, improving travel access and shortening travel time from Tokyo to about three hours.
Since the line opened, visitors to Fukui have increased by about one million year-on-year, with overnight stays by international tourists reaching 90,000, up 37.2 per cent year-on-year, according to the prefectural government.
The Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, one of the prefecture’s top attractions, reported a 26 per cent increase in visitors from March 2024 to February 2025.
Still, with growth in overnight stays by inbound tourists below the national average, the prefectural government aims to do more. This fiscal year (April 2025 to March 2026), a 5,000 yen (USD 34.81) subsidy will be awarded to travellers who fly from Seoul, Taipei or Hong Kong to Komatsu in neighbouring Ishikawa prefecture, and spend the night in Fukui.
The prefecture is also developing night events featuring food and traditional performing arts, and partnering with West Japan Railway Co. to develop tours catering to inbound visitors attending Expo 2025 in Osaka, which will be held from April 13 to October 13, 2025.
Fukui prefecture is expected to get another surge in tourism when the Hokuriku Shinkansen is extended from Tsuruga to Shin-Osaka Station, although the timeline for this project has not yet been set.
