Fukuoka is a modern, dynamic city famed for its riverside street food and arguably Japan’s best ramen. The largest city on the island of Kyushu, it is the perfect mix of big-city sophistication and vibrancy while still being easy to get around.
A trip to Fukuoka shouldn’t be without a stroll along the riverside while eating and drinking the local specialties at the “Yatai” street stalls lined up along the riverbanks.
The city is well known for the ancient Dazaifu Tenmangu temple
The airport is just 10 minutes from downtown and the Japan Rail Shinkansen runs through the central and impressive Hakata Station. There’s also an international ferry terminal offering easy access to Korea.
Yatai
One of the best things to do in fukuoka is to experience the Yatai or street stall culture of the city.
The famous yatai stands pop up on the side walks and riverside each afternoon and offer a unique way to enjoy fukuoka impresive cuisine.
Beer and sake tends to flow freely and it’s a great place to people-watch or even make friends with a local in this relaxed carefree atmosphere where the usual reserved formalities of Japanese culture are tossed aside.
Pro tip: We recommend strolling past a few before making your choice. As always, if you see a lot of locals it’s always a good sign. And nothing’s to stop you from trying out several of the yatai although be aware that there’s usually a small table charge.
There is a wide variety of cuisine ranging from the local staple of pork ramen to fresh seafood from the nearby Sea. We loved the Mentaiko Omlet which is unique to fukuoka.
The atmosphere is what it’s all about though. And a summer evening sat next to the river enjoying the sounds sights and tats of the city are hard to beat
Maizuru Park (Fukuoka Castle Ruins)
Fukuoka has a proud samurai history which can be seen by a visit to the grounds of the once-mighty Fukuoka castle, once the largest in Kyushu.
Although the castle is no longer standing having been dismantled during the anti-feudal relish of the Meiji period, a few gates and guard towers are all that remain behind the stone impressive walls.
But the real reason to make the trek here is for the amazing panoramic views over the surrounding city, parkland, and distant ocean.
What was a strategic necessity for its former samurai occupants can now be enjoyed by us peasants and wondering souls as we gaze over the buzz of town from our perch in the sky?
We recommend combining a trip to the Fukuoka castle ruins with Ohori park which is just next door.
Cherry Blossoms
Cherry blossoms bloom with gusto in late March/early April on the groves of more than 100 trees planted on the grounds. They can be enjoyed strolling by or like a local by starting a Hinami party.
All that’s needed is a picnic blanket (or blue plastic tarp from the 100 yen shop if you want to be super authentic), some snacks, and the all-important supply of alcohol that flows freely while gazing up at the sakura while contemplating the fleeting beauty of life.
The park can be reached by walking west from the downtown Tenjin district for about 20 minutes through the stylish Asakusa district.
Ohori Park
Feel like a jog or leisurely stroll away from the bustle of the city, then Ohori park has you covered with its beautiful central pond and gardens it’s a haven for locals and tourists alike.
The large lake at the center of the park contains carp and turtles which you can spot as you cross the striking red bridges.
There are a few cafes and a waterside restaurant with impressive views of the lake.
For the water goers in your group, you can hire a swan-shaped boat and paddle around the lake.
A Small But Beautiful Japanese Garden
Often unnoticed and bypassed by many tourists is the small yet beautiful Japanese garden tucked away in the corner.
Entry to the Ohori park Japanese Garden is a reasonable 240 yen and is a great place to relax and breathe in the aura of this landscaped wonderland.
Fukuoka City Art Museum
Just next to the lake in Ohori park sits the Fukuoka Art Museum which displays an impressive collection of Japanese artworks along with a section including pre-modern Korean paintings and crafts.
The Fukuoka Art Museum is where modern and contemporary art, which are works from the 20th century onward, and antique art coexist.
The museum building itself is impressive and was designed by the famous Japanese architect Kunio Maekawa, and features elegant reddish-brown exterior walls and a large external entrance area where one of Yayoi Kusama’s famous pumpkin sculptures is on display.
The museum features work by world-famous masters such as Chagall, Dali, and Miro, as well as painters from Kyushu, Buddhist art, and Oriental antiquities, making it one of the must-see places in Fukuoka!
Located next to Ohori Park, it is a great place to visit after a walk in the park.
Website: https://www.fukuoka-art-museum.jp/en/
Dazaifu
Dazafu makes a great day trip from Fukuoka. It is a small city that now lies on the outskirts of Fukuoka. It was formally the administrative center for the entire Kyushu region and is home to many shrines and temples.
The most significant of these is Tenmangu, a shrine dedicated to Tenjin the Shinto god of education.
If you are a student with an exam coming up you can pray for good grades which is why you’ll see many Japanese students here especially prior to the examination periods.
Tenjin is said to be the reincarnated form of Sugawara no Michizane, a renowned poet, scholar, and lover of plumb trees.
Give yourself plenty of time to explore the surrounding area with a surrounding park a fountain and plenty of stalls and places to eat.
- Pat the forehead of the bronze cow for good luck
- There’s a magical flying plum tree from Kyoto
- Michizane passed away in Dazaifu in 903
- 250 meters from Dazaifu Station along a street lined with stalls. You can’t miss it.
Kyushu National Museum
The old and new alongside each other is an often present theme in Japan. It is on display once again as you make your way from the temples of Dazaifu, up through an elaborate system of escalators to the entrance of Japan’s newest national museum.
The strikingly modern building that houses the Kyushu National Museum is an attraction in its own right with dramatic walls of glass that reflect the nearby mountains and a huge interior.
Rotating world-class exhibits are displayed alongside a permanent display.
Visit The Step Garden
A literal urban jungle the ACROS Fukuoka is a dramatic tree-covered 14-floor building that seamlessly adjoins downtown Tenjin Park.
Known colloquially as the step garden, you can follow the steps from the edge of the building through the greenery and all the way to the top.
A cool oasis on the hot summer days and a vibrant red during the autumn season you be wondering why more buildings throughout the world aren’t built this way.
Entry is free. In fact, you can walk straight up the side of the building as if it were an extension of the surrounding parkland. That was the intention of its architect Emilio Ambasz.
It’s a great way to build without removing the green footprint of the existing parkland and you will wonder why our cities can’t have more buildings like this.
The building is connected to the Tenjin metro station but its central location means it’s likely to be within walking distance of any reasonably central hotel.
Canal City Hakata
Shopping centers are rarely recommended by us here at Japanner, after all, with all the wonderful things to see and do in this amazing country the last place you want to be is cooped up waiting in some generic shopping Centre.
But we’ll make an exception for Canal City Hakata because this “city within a city”, as it’s known is like no other shopping Centre we’ve seen.
Water is the theme and it flows freely through the canals and pools running through the ground floor oasis. There’s even a water sculpture show where water shoots out in various patterns and forms and is enjoyed by kids and grownups alike.
There are 5 floors crammed full of shops, restaurants, a game Centre, a theater, and even a couple of hotels, but the real action is simmering away on the 5th floor where the ramen stadium sits, with a smorgasbord of delicious pork bone broth ramen waiting for you.
While nothing beats the authenticity of slurping away at the original flagship stores often situated in bustling and aging streetside stalls and shops it is an advantage to stroll around and see many of Hakata’s famous ramen all in the same place.
We won’t recommend a store as being the city of ramen they will all be world-class. Just stroll around, pick a stall and enjoy the famous Hakata ramen
ALSOK is a cute little information robot that wheels itself around the various floors looking for customers to assist. A reminder of Fukuoka’s claim to being the robot capital of Japan.
Fukuoka Tower
At 234 meters high, it is the tallest seaside tower in Japan. You can enjoy beautiful views both day and night.
The Fukuoka tower has become the landmark of Fukuoka City with it’s unique and distinctive form.
The outside of the tower is covered with no less than 8,000 mirrors and the way it reflects the light at various times of the day and night is impressive.
The observation deck on the top floor, 123 meters above the ground, offers a 360-degree panoramic view.
You can see the cityscape of Fukuoka City, the nearby waterfront, and distant Mountains on a clear day.
The evening view of Hakata Bay and the night view of the city and harbor lights swaying are also recommended so it can be a good place to visit just before sunset after a day at the nearby beach.
The art illumination changes throughout the year, and there is a time signal is given once an hour.
Fukuoka City Museum
The Fukuoka City Museum is the place where you can see the “Golden Seal”, a priceless national treasure of Japan, and learn about the history and daily life of the people of Fukuoka, the gateway to the continent, in the permanent exhibition divided into 11 sections.
Admission to the permanent exhibition is very inexpensive, and admission is also free for junior high school students and younger.
Nakanoshima Island Park
Nokonoshima Island is a resort island in Hakata Bay, only a 10-minute boat ride from the Meinohama Ferry Terminal on the west side of the Seaside Momochi Marina Town Seaside Park. The fare is as easy as taking a bus, making it a major tourist spot for Hakata residents to enjoy nature.
The park is also popular among tourists seeking a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, where they can enjoy cherry blossoms, sunflowers, and other flowers of the four seasons.
Yanagibashi Market
While many tourists make their way to the Nagahama seafood market we suggest joining the locals and visiting the more down-to-earth Yanagibashi market lovingly referred to as the pantry of Fukuoka.
Although small this market packs a punch. You’ll like;y to see more restaurant owners and housewives than fellow tourists but there is still plenty on offer. There’s plenty of fresh seafood, vegetables, and traditional Japanese snacks, sauces, and condiments.
There’s even a vending machine selling bottles of dashi (Japanese cooking stock) made from flying fish. There’s a sake shop and a solid coffee place.
Upstairs there’s a small restaurant serving fresh sushi and sashimi.
Fukuoka City Science Museum
If you’re traveling with kids the Fukuoka science museum is worth adding to your itinerary. It’s known for its huge planetarium which is situated on its sixth floor and also has many other fun-filled science displays.
The Fukuoka City Science Museum is a place where people of all ages can enjoy learning about science. The museum is divided into five zones, ranging from familiar science to the grandeur of the universe, and offers a variety of exhibits and experiences that make full use of the latest technology.
The dome theater, one of the largest in Kyushu, is a state-of-the-art integrated planetarium that gives visitors a realistic feeling of space travel.
Access: A short walk from Ropponmatsu Station on the Fukuoka Municipal Subway Nanakuma Line.
Rakusuien
At the elegant Rakusuien, a restored teahouse, you can enjoy green tea while gazing at the tranquil tea garden.
This beautiful Japanese garden is nestled away in the business district of Hakata and is notable for the walls surrounding the garden which are traditional Hakata fences, which reproduce the earthen walls built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Rakusuien was originally a villa built in the late Meiji period by a Hakata merchant, and after the war, it was transformed into a Japanese inn.
In 1995, the garden was developed, and the Japanese garden, with its pond and garden paths, offers a new look for each of the seasons and a respite from the office building all around it.
JR Hakata City
JR Hakata City, the new station building of JR Hakata Station consists of the Hakata Station Building, Amu Plaza Hakata, and Hankyu Department Store, with 10 floors above ground and 3 floors below.
The rooftop has a cool observation spot and is open free of charge from 10:00 to 23:00. This observation terrace offers a panoramic view from the Fukuoka city center to Hakata Bay and is recommended as a romantic night-view spot.
For all those train lovers out there, the 9th floor has a Train Viewing Spot. This is a hole-in-the-wall rest spot where you can watch trains arriving and departing Hakata Station from above.
It’s right behind the movie theater and can be used free of charge without a ticket.
Uminonakamichi seaside park
Uminonakamichi seaside park is a wonderful expansive park and beach just across Hakata bay. There’s plenty to do here such as enjoy the flower gardens, and playgrounds, hire a bike and go cycling or just enjoy the large open spaces and seaside.
Enjoy The World’s Best Tonkotsu Ramen
like cha shu pork, chopped green onion, and wood ear mushrooms
Eat Motsunabe
Motsunabe
cabbage, garlic chives, and champion noodles
Hakata Gion yamakasa festival
If you’re visiting Fukuoka in early July you will be able to see the famous Hakata Gion Yamakasa matsuri.
This is Fukuoka’s largest festival event, held around the Kushida Shrine introduced above, located about a 5-minute walk from Gion Station.
The festival period is from July 1st to the 15th each year and the event has been going on for about 770 years.
The grand finale of the festival is the Oishi Yamakasa, in which seven giant floats are carried and paraded 5 km by scarcely clad local men through the city in the early morning of the 15th.
It’s one of Japan’s most famous festivals so if you do plan to be in Fukuoka at this time make sure to book your hotel well in Advance.
Sofukuji Temple
Sofukuji Temple is a temple of the Daitokuji school of the Rinzai sect, located about a 10-minute walk from JR Hakata Station.
It was later destroyed by fire during a war in 1586 but was rebuilt in its current location in 1600 by Nagamasa Kuroda, the first lord of the Fukuoka domain.
The temple has been heavily protected as the family temple of the Kuroda family throughout the Edo period, and the grave of Nagamasa’s father, Kanpei Kuroda, is located within its precincts.
The temple is also home to historical architectural structures such as the gate and a reconstruction of the main gate of Fukuoka Castle, and the Karamon, the oldest gate in Hakata Ward, which is said to be the remains of Najima Castle.
Water sightseeing bus Hakata Hana Tenjin
Another fun thing to do in Fukuoka is to take a scenic cruise that you can board from the heart of Fukuoka.
For a very reasonable 1,000 yen you can see all plenty of Fukuoka. The 30-minute cruise first takes you around Hakata, Nakasu, and Naka River and even out to Hakata Bay.
The river cruise departs from Fukuhaku Deai Bridge and the Tenjin Central Park boarding area.
Yanagawa
Accessible by train from the center of Fukuoka City in about 1 hour, Yanagawa is also known as “Suigo Yanagawa” where time passes slowly and the four seasons are loved.
It was also a beautiful castle town during the Edo period and offers visitors a taste of its long history and culture.
A river cruise in a small boat around the dugout of Yanagawa Castle is popular, and you can feel an extraordinary experience while listening to the boatman’s songs.
