Fukuoka
Discover Fukuoka
Fukuoka (福岡) is the capital of Fukuoka prefecture and the largest city on the island of Kyushu. Fukuoka is a good starting point for first-time visitors to Japan. As a historic port city, Fukuoka is more welcoming of foreigners than other parts of Japan, and has significant numbers of residents and tourists from abroad, particularly from China and Korea. Historically, Fukuoka was two cities divided by the central river: the merchant town of Hakata (博多) and the samurai feudal domain of Fukuoka (福岡). According to legend, when the cities merged in 1889, a group of samurai heard that "Hakata" was probably going to win the vote for the name of the merged city, so they crashed the meeting and forced them to name it Fukuoka instead. While probably apocryphal, the important point to remember is that the city is named Fukuoka, but the main railway station and port are known as Hakata Station and Hakata Port. There are city centers in both Chūō-ku (in old Fukuoka's downtown of Tenjin) and Hakata-ku.
What to Experience in Fukuoka
Taste of Fukuoka...
Hakata is famous for its style of ramen, known as tonkotsu (豚骨, lit. "pork bone") ramen, which has a very pungent smell thanks to the thick broth that is made from simmering pork ribs for at least 12 hours (up to 3 days at some of the best restaurants), and is one of Japan's top three ramen. Enjoy it with pickled ginger and lots of sesame seeds. Save the broth, because you can order a refill of noodles (kaedama) for around ¥300 at many places. Although there are restaurants all over town serving ramen at various price levels, some of the best joints are yatai, mobile food stalls (see also the Drink section). The stalls are set up early evening and can be found on major streets; particularly in Tenjin (near the post office), Nakasu and Nagahama-Dori. Also, along the river from Canal City, an entire strip of yatai can be found. Although ramen is the norm, you can find anything from yakitori to Italian cuisine. Brush up on your Japanese or pointing skills as these guys don't speak English at all. A few tips: respect other customers' space, don't go in large groups (split up and use multiple stalls), and don't stay too long. Another regional product Hakata is famous for is the spicy mentaiko (明太子), or pollock roe condiment, though in actuality these days it is all imported. Enjoy it plain with breakfast, inside an onigiri, or tossed with spaghetti. It's widely available for tourists in JR Hakata Station as well as major department stores, although it needs to be refrigerated.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Fukuoka.
Fukuoka is famous for two annual festivals which are some of Japan's oldest and draw huge crowds. There are several schools for studying Japanese in Fukuoka. 33.5906130.39941 Tenjin (天神) is Fukuoka's largest shopping district. You can find here, designer stores housed in towering retail blocks such as Tenjin Core, IMS, Vivre to the east, and Solaria Plaza Vioro to the west. There are also several large department stores, Iwataya, Daimaru and Mitsukoshi (all with food available.) Also, there are boutique areas, including Tenjin Chikagai, housed in a pleasant underground area adjacent to the Tenjin subway station and under Watanabe street. Nishi-Dori and Oyafuko-Dori (actually the same street, separated by Showa-Dori) contains a multitude of stores and restaurants, both mainstream and independent. The Shotengai or shopping arcades are also good places to shop. In Tenjin, to the west of Solaria Stage you can find a shotengai with great deals and a used kimono store.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsFrom Tokyo, flying to Fukuoka is much faster than the Shinkansen, and not significantly more expensive. The usual one-way fare on Skymark Airlines from Tokyo Haneda is ¥19,800, compared to ¥22,320 from Tokyo Station on the Nozomi Shinkansen, and steep discounts are available if you book in advance (as low as ¥5,300 with Skymark's "SKY Bargain" discount). The flight takes 2 hr while the train takes 5 hr. If you have a JR Pass, of course, you will still want to take the train. Fukuoka's main station is named not "Fukuoka Station" but rather 33.589803130.4206812 Hakata Station (博多駅); remember to use this name when searching for train routes. (If you search for schedules to "Fukuoka", you will likely be given an itinerary for a station in Toyama, about 700 km away.) Hakata Station is the dividing point between the Sanyo Shinkansen (from the north) and Kyushu Shinkansen (from the south) lines....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The Fukuoka City Subway consists of 3 lines. The Hakata subway station, located under the JR Hakata Station, can take passengers straight to Fukuoka International Airport (6 min, ¥260), to Tenjin, the city's de facto downtown district, and to other major stops. An all-day subway pass (ichinichi joshaken) costs ¥640. If you tap a contactless credit card as you enter and leave subway stations, you will be charged no more than the cost of an all-day pass per day. Regular tickets cost between ¥210 and ¥380 depending on distance. The local rechargeable contactless smart card is called Hayakaken and is compatible with other smart cards like PASMO (Tokyo) and ICOCA (Kyoto and Osaka). IC cards are also generally accepted on buses by multiple companies; some also accept contactless credit cards and QR code payments. When using a bus with an IC card reader or contactless credit card, be sure to tap when you enter and as you leave, so that you are charged the correct fare.
Where to Stay
There are several hotels around Hakata Station, and in the Gion area, Nakasu, and Tenjin. Hotel options range from capsule hotels and reasonably priced western hotel rooms to more expensive tourist hotels. JR train tickets (set of 2 or 4) for one day travel on Limited Express trains are cheaper than individual tickets. The Bullet Train has cheap rates to Kitakyushu on the weekend (¥3,000 return.)
Money & Budget
33.5906130.39941 Tenjin (天神) is Fukuoka's largest shopping district. You can find here, designer stores housed in towering retail blocks such as Tenjin Core, IMS, Vivre to the east, and Solaria Plaza Vioro to the west. There are also several large department stores, Iwataya, Daimaru and Mitsukoshi (all with food available.) Also, there are boutique areas, including Tenjin Chikagai, housed in a pleasant underground area adjacent to the Tenjin subway station and under Watanabe street. Nishi-Dori and Oyafuko-Dori (actually the same street, separated by Showa-Dori) contains a multitude of stores and restaurants, both mainstream and independent. The Shotengai or shopping arcades are also good places to shop.
Language & Talk
Standard Japanese is understood pretty much everywhere. However, the area is known for the local Hakata dialect (博多弁 Hakata-ben) which, like other nearby dialects in Kyushu, is well known for being somewhat incomprehensible to speakers of Standard Japanese. Just to scratch the surface, here are a few of the more widely-known differences: There are plenty more idiosyncrasies, like yokarōmon instead of ii ja nai ka. Learning a bit of Hakata-ben from locals is a fun way to make friends. Fukuoka's railway smart card, Hayakaken, has two explanations for its name, one of which is that hayaka ken is Hakata-ben for hayai kara ("Because it's quick"). For a good listing of what's happening and places to eat and drink, the local monthly English-language magazine Fukuoka Now is a great start.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Fukuoka
white boat on river near city buildings during daytime
Naka River, Fukuoka, Japan
city skyline near body of water during daytime
a group of people standing around a food stand
a woman in a red dress standing in front of a building
Kushida Shrine in Fukuoka, Japan.
a group of people standing outside a building
orange and black wooden temple during day
a river with buildings along it
city skyline under white clouds during daytime
white boat on river near city buildings during daytime
Naka River, Fukuoka, Japan
city skyline near body of water during daytime