Fukuoka

No reviews yetCity Fukuoka, Japan

Fukuoka City Museum 2, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan

Fukuoka Castle 20221231, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan

Level5 Stadium 02, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan

元寇防塁 (Genkou bourui) panoramio, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan

About Fukuoka

Fukuoka manages to feel like a big city and a beach town at once. The largest city on the island of Kyushu sits on Hakata Bay, with an airport just a few subway stops from the centre, sand beaches within the city limits and ferries across the strait to South Korea.

It was long two towns: Hakata, the merchant port that traded with China and Korea for centuries, and Fukuoka, the castle town built by the Kuroda lords in the early 1600s across the river. They merged in 1889, and Hakata still names the main station, the local dialect and the famous tonkotsu ramen. Japan's oldest Zen temple, shrines tied to the Mongol invasions of 1274 and 1281, and the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival in July all come from that long history.

At night, food stalls called yatai line the river at Nakasu, and the shopping streets of Tenjin stay busy late. Ohori Park and the castle ruins offer green space in the centre, while the seaside towers of Momochi and the flower fields of Nokonoshima island are short trips away.

Best seasonMarch to May and October to November; July for the Yamakasa festival

Ideal stay2-3 days

ArrivingFukuoka Airport by subway; shinkansen to Hakata Station; ferries from Busan

What to See in Fukuoka: 12 Favorites

History 1

Fukuoka Castle Ruins

Built in the early 1600s by Kuroda Nagamasa, the castle once spread over a large hill west of the city centre. The main keep is go...

Parks 1

Ohori Park

Created from part of the old castle moat, Ohori Park centres on a large pond crossed by a chain of small islands and bridges. A pa...

Temples and Shrines 4

Kushida Shrine

Traditionally founded in the eighth century, Kushida Shrine is the guardian shrine of Hakata and the home of the Hakata Gion Yamak...

Hakozaki Shrine

One of the three great Hachiman shrines of Japan, Hakozakigu is closely linked to the Mongol invasions of the thirteenth century,...

Tochoji Temple

Said to have been founded by the monk Kukai in the early ninth century after his return from China, Tochoji is a Shingon Buddhist...

Shofukuji Temple

Founded in 1195 by the monk Eisai, who brought Rinzai Zen and the habit of drinking tea back from China, Shofukuji is regarded as...

Food and Drink 1

Nakasu Yatai

After dark, small open-air food stalls called yatai set up along the Naka River on Nakasu island, each with a counter for a handfu...

Shopping 1

Canal City Hakata

Opened in 1996 between Hakata Station and Nakasu, this large complex of shops, restaurants, hotels, a cinema and a theatre is buil...

Viewpoints 1

Fukuoka Tower

Completed in 1989 and covered in thousands of mirrored panels, this 234-metre tower stands in the Momochi seaside district. Its ob...

Museums 2

Fukuoka City Museum

Close to Fukuoka Tower, this museum covers the history of Fukuoka and its role as Japan's gateway to the Asian mainland. Its most...

Fukuoka Asian Art Museum

On the upper floors of the Hakata Riverain complex beside the Naka River, this museum is devoted to modern and contemporary art fr...

Nature 1

Nokonoshima Island

A short ferry ride from Meinohama port takes visitors to this small, hilly island in Hakata Bay. Its main attraction is Nokonoshim...

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