Fukuoka

Understand

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. The surrounding cities and towns make up the prefecture of Fukuoka. The city has 2.5 million residents including its suburbs. Being a sizable, modern city it's still not hard to get around. A subway connects most of the city's main attractions, providing transportation between Hakata, Tenjin, Fukuoka International Airport, Meinohama, and Nishijin (where you can find Fukuoka Tower and the baseball ground of the Softbank Hawks: Fukuoka Dome). The main station in Hakata marks the terminus of the Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train. The Kyushu Shinkansen line also terminates here, and links the Sanyo Shinkansen directly with Kagoshima, at the southern tip of Kyushu.

1 Fukuoka City Tourist Information (Sightseeing Plaza Tenjin), Lion Plaza, 2-1-1, Tenjin, Chuo-ku. Daily 09:30-19:00. Information centre with English, Chinese and Korean speakers. (updated May 2019) 2 Fukuoka City Tourist Information (Hakata Station). Daily 08:00-21:00. In the middle of Hakata JR train station there is a Tourist Information Center (sometimes with English speakers) with brochures in English, Japanese and other languages. They can help with transport information and bookings. (updated May 2019) 3 Acros Fukuoka Cultural & Tourist Information Center. Daily 10:00-18:00. On the third floor of the ACROS building, near Nakasu, you can find more information in English. (updated May 2019) There are also tourist information counters in the airport and Hakata Port.

Tourist information site The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

Getting there

By plane 1 Fukuoka Airport (FUK IATA) (to the east of the city, surprisingly close to the city centre). Within the country, Japan Airlines and ANA fly to Fukuoka from most larger cities, including Tokyo (both Haneda and Narita), Osaka (Itami and Kansai), and Nagoya (Komaki and Centrair Airport). There are scheduled flights to most major cities in China and South Korea, as well as Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but the only scheduled transpacific flights are to Honolulu and Guam. From 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. Getting there and away:

The International Terminal is on the side facing the city. It is about 5 km walk from the city center. Buses directly to the airport leave from Hakata Station. Alternatively, take the subway to the Domestic Terminal and then the free shuttle to the International Terminal. The Domestic Terminal is on the opposite side of the runway and requires a 10-min bus transfer to/from the International Terminal — free, leaving about every 10 min. The subway serves the Domestic Terminal with just 2 subway stops away from the Hakata JR station.

By train

Fukuoka's main station is named not "Fukuoka Station" but rather 2 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. Sanyo Shinkansen services are offered from Kokura in Kitakyushu (20 min), Hiroshima (1 hr), Okayama (1¾ hr) and Osaka (2½ hr), and through via the Tokaido Shinkansen from Kyoto (2¾ hr by Nozomi), Nagoya (3½ hr by Nozomi) and Tokyo (5 hr by Nozomi). If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can only use the fastest Nozomi (runs between Tokyo and Hakata) and Mizuho (runs between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chuo via Hakata) trains by paying a supplemental fee (up to ¥8,140 all the way from Tokyo), so if you are traveling from points east and don't want to pay extra you will have to take one of the two hourly Hikari

Getting around

By public transport 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. Contactless credit card payment (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Diners, Discover) is available at all ticket gates on all subway lines. You can enter and exit by simply tapping your credit card or smartphone. There is a special pass for overseas tourists which costs ¥2500 (¥1250 child) for one-day unlimited rides on buses, trains and subways, with some discounts at sights. Fukuoka is well served by Nishitetsu buses. Fares vary based on distance traveled, starting at ¥150 (Oct 2025).

On foot Downtown is small and compact enough to potentially wander around on foot. In the Tenjin area, Tenjin Chikagai (天神地下街, Tenjin Underground Shopping Center) runs under Watanabe Street and has many shops. It also connects the Tenjin and Tenjin-Minami subways stations with most major department stores and the Nishitetsu Fukuoka station; when transferring between these stations, you can take up to 120 minutes, leaving plenty of time for shopping. There is a passenger tunnel which connects Hakata and Gion subway stations and is useful during the frequent rains in summer and the bitter cold winds in winter, the latter of which is close to some of Fukuoka's temples and shrines.

By taxi Taxis are available; they start from about ¥550, not the cheapest way to go. Some drivers speak English, but it's best to have your destination written down in Japanese if you do not speak the language. Velotaxis are also available; they are ¥500 for the greater Tenjin area. Also, an environmentally friendly option is the human operated bicycle taxis.

By bicycle If you can get a hold of a bicycle, it is pro

See

1 Nakasu. This area is next to Tenjin and is Fukuoka's red-light district, with over 3500 restaurants, as well as ramen stalls (yatai), shopping, pubs, hostess bars, rooftop beer gardens in summer, one surviving movie theater, and sex trade. The neon lights on the Naka River are famous with over 60,000 visitors a day, and it has the busiest street in Kyushu. (updated Mar 2016) 2 Gion. This area has several historical shrines and Buddhist temples, including: (updated Mar 2016) 3 Kushida Shrine. The 8th-century Kushida Shrine is starting point for the annual Gion-Yamakasa Festival. 4 Tōchō-ji. It has a 10.8-m wooden Great Buddha. Free entry; ¥100 to see the Buddha. (updated May 2026) 5 Shōfuku-ji. Japan's first Zen temple.

Views 6 ACROS rooftop garden (Tenjin Chuo Park). 09:00-18:00 (March-October), 09:00-17:00 (November-February). The ACROS building has a terraced roof that merges with the park and contains some 35,000 plants representing 76 species. It is 809 steps to the top. Just east of ACROS is the former Prefectural Guest House, featuring turn-of-the-century architecture. Free. (updated May 2026) ACROS observation deck (at the top of the rooftop garden). Weekends and public holidays only, 10:00-16:00. A 60-meter-high (200 ft) observation deck with good views over Fukuoka. Free. (updated May 2026) 7 Fukuoka Tower (福岡タワー), Sawara-ku Momochihama 2-3-26. The triangular reflective tower has magnificent views of the city and Hakata Bay from its 123-meter-high observation deck. (The whole tower is 234 m; the remaining 111 m is a television mast.) In Christmas and the Star Festival (Tanabata) on July 7, this tower is decorated. During the rest of the year the view is best at night time. This is an iconic symbol of Fukuoka. There is a restaurant which commands a ¥300 sitting fee in addition to the meal. The menu is limited and the food is mediocre at best. ¥1000. (updated May 2026) 8 Atago Shrine (愛宕神社). A hidden gem near the Muromi Subway Station, with a superb view of the city and Hakata Bay from a hilltop. You can also see many storks that fly by and nest in the area. Walk west from the subway station across the Muromi Bridge until you see the Atago torii gate with the stairs heading up. Alternatively there is a side road you can walk up if you don't like stairs. (updated Mar 2016) 9 Hakata Port Tower. It has an observatory 70 m above the ground, allowing for a great view of the port and the streets of Fukuoka. (updated May 2019)

Parks 10 Ohori Park. Tourists visiting Fukuoka should not miss this beautiful park located 2 stops west of Tenjin on t

Do

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.

1 Kabuki theatre (Hakata-za). An experience worth checking out. Check times and prices at the Hakata-za near Nakasu. If you don't want to stay for the whole show, or don't have so much money to spend, you can watch part of a show for about ¥800; see here for details. Half price student/young (~25) adult tickets may be available day of performance to be released 20 minutes prior to the show; see here for details. (updated May 2019) 2 Noh theatre, 1-5 Ohorikoen, Chuo-ku, ☏ +81 92 715 2155. A cultural experience that some may not want to miss. There is a Noh theatre in Ohori Koen. Many of the performances are free, get more information at the Rainbow Plaza (IMS building 8th floor). Don't worry, if you fall asleep during the play, it's almost expected. It's all part of the Noh experience. (updated May 2019) 3 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks baseball. Winning the Japan Series seven times between 2011 and 2020, the Hawks was undoubtedly Japan's strongest team in the 2010s. Check out a baseball game at the Fukuoka PayPay Dome, which is about 15 min walking distance from Tōjinmachi subway station. Ticket prices vary by day, but you can get an outfield unreserved seat from ¥1,000. If you haven't tried karaoke yet, why not try it now? There are many karaoke places to choose from, some with costumes you can borrow (just don't try to take them home). If you just want to go for a couple of hours, most places will charge by the hour; morning and afternoon hours being the cheapest. If you want to make a night of it, from 23:00, most have free time systems which mean nomihodai (all you can drink) and all you can sing for about ¥2,500, until 05:00.

Events

Fukuoka is famous for two annual festivals which are some of Japan's oldest and draw huge crowds.

Hakata Dontaku (博多どんたく). May 3–4, with a pre-ceremony on May 2. Japan's largest festival, drawing well over 2 million people during the Golden Week holidays. The name "Dontaku" comes from Dutch "zondag" meaning Sunday. The festival features traditional dance. (updated May 2019) Hakata Gion Yamakasa (博多祇園山笠). July 1–15. Fukuoka's second-largest festival, drawing up to a million spectators, is famous for the Oiyama parade float race. The elaborately-decorated yamakasa floats, around 5 m (16 ft) tall and weighing up to 1 tonne (1,000 kg), have no wheels; they're picked up and carried by teams of loincloth-clad men, each team representing one of the seven historic districts of Hakata. Th

Buy

1 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. Near Nakasu, across from Eeny Meeny Miny Mo (a large mall), you can find the Nakasu-Kawabata shopping arcade. Here you can find traditional paper goods, Noren curtains and inexpensive bakeries. Tenjin is very much about shopping, above and below ground.

In the 2 Central Post office on Showa-dori, head downstairs to the underground shopping arcade. All of the major shops and department stores are connected to the underground. 3 Tenjin Core will provide you with a chance to see younger and more colorful fashion, ranging from frilly and cute to flashy and glam. 4 Solaria Stage houses Incube, a shop with a variety of kitsch toys and gifts. 5 Daimaru and 6 Mitsukoshi, towards the end of the underground shopping, are large departments stores with more or less the same products. Both also house grocery stores and deli-style gourmet markets in their basements. 7 Nishidori. It is easy to find thanks to the Apple store on the corner with Kokutai Dohro. The area to your left is Daimyo, full of funky little boutiques and shops. There are also a countless number of restaurants, lunch time being a great time to try out their specials. Over the past few years, the main shopping, eating and drinking area has been moving away from north Tenjin and the Oyafuko-dori street south towards Daimyo, Kego and Imaizumi. With a different feel to the commercial district of Tenjin, just to the west (past Nishi-dori) is Daimyo, an area filled with small, mostly independent shops, bars and restaurants. Plan on staying all day; for daytime shopping and eating dinner. On Sundays, this area is full of young people out shopping. For a similar feeling area, check out Kego and Imaizumi, two upcoming areas to the south.

8 Canal City. This uniquely designed mall houses a wide range of stores, but is

Eat

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. Fukuoka is also known for having good gyoza (pork dumplings) and there are many places to try some. (They are a perfect appetizer/side dish for ramen, incidentally.) Lunch time is probably the best value for the money. Most restaurants will do lunch sets at 1/2 or 1/3 the price of their dinner sets, but serve the same course. If you have a bit more cash to spend and want to have a nice Japanese style lunch, the Grand Hyatt at Canal City and the Excel Hotel near Nakasu are both good. Most of the larger, nicer hotels in the area will serve beautiful lunch sets. Many restaurants and cafes in the area will have lunch sets under ¥1,000.

1 Nagahama (northwest of Oyafuko St). Famous for Hakata's Nagahama ramen, with stalls (yatai) that get set up daily to handle the locals who are proud of their ramen. You will most likely smell it before you see it, and if you want a true Fukuoka experience is definitely worth a look if not a full meal. (updated Mar 2016) Daimyo. A few places offer Happy Hour from 17:00-19:00, if you are looking for some refreshment before dinner. 2 Ichiran (一蘭), 5-3-2 Nak

Drink & nightlife

Yatai, or street stalls, are plentiful throughout Fukuoka and present a great place to grab a bite to eat and drink while mixing with the locals. Yatai are usually a last stop on a pub crawl since they provide cheap eats that taste better after a long night, and it's easier to start a conversation with a stranger after many beers. Don't rely on one for dinner! And bring your meishi (business cards) if you have any, because they often get swapped here. Along the river in Hakata, from about 16:00, you'll see the yatai vendors setting up their booths and preparing ingredients for the evening crowds. A few of the yatai vendors speak a bit of English. Just be careful about the prices, sometimes the yatai don't have menus, so be sure to ask what they have and how much things are.

Tenjin, ¥100 by bus from Hakata Station or to the west of Fukuoka Nishitetsu Station, is one of the best places in the whole country to explore Japanese nightlife. This also includes Daimyo, a farther out area which is becoming the "new Tenjin". The most well-known place to start is 1 Oyafukō-dōri (親不孝通り); the aptly-named "Disobedient Child Street" comes alive with youth activity, especially on weekend nights. It also has several ex-pat bars. It's only 400 m long but swells with young people at night. Unlike comparable areas in Tokyo, there are no scam bars in Tenjin, and the "snack bars" are not ridiculously overpriced. The area is aimed towards the locals but it is still large, new, fashionable, and full of unique experiences. This is one of the safest places imaginable to drop into a new bar, so why not give it a try? Some of the smaller bars down the backstreets will often have a table charge of ¥200-500 per person. This usually means you get a tiny bowl of nuts, chips or pickled octopus. For less adventurous groups, the area abounds with chain izakaya (Japanese pubs) that have picture menus which make it easy for the traveler who speaks no Japanese. Watami (和民) and Warawara (笑笑) are two such chains. Shirokiya (白木屋), another izakaya, is decent and fairly easy to find. It is on Nishi-dori, across from the Nishtetsu Grand Hotel above Kitamura Camera in the same building as Sam and Dave's, a night club popular with the hip-hop crowd. The happy hour concept is just beginning to make its way into the bars in the area, so you can now find places that do cheap drinks. Thursday night is also a good time to avoid weekend crowds, find the local ex-pat population and get some good deals on drinks. In the summer, many of the department stores have beer gardens on their roofs, with buffet sty

Sleep

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.

Budget 1 Fukuoka Youth Hostel, Hakata-ku, 6-7-23 Hakata-eki Minami (subway Hakata), ☏ +81 92 473-4555. This hostel is part of the Japan Youth Hostels group and seems very new. No check-in until 16:00, but they'll let you put your bags in the room while you wait. member's bed ¥3460, non-member single room ¥4410. 2 Fukuoka Backpackers Hostel, Hakata-ku, Hiemachi 11-34 (subway Hakata, about 15 minutes walk from Hakata station, but a bit further away from the central area), ☏ +81 92 404-6035. The hostel in Fukuoka city. Dorm from ¥2,500. Free Wi-Fi. There are free Wi-Fi and luggage storage services. (updated May 2019) Media Cafe Popeye. Internet cafe with multiple locations, e.g. in the Bus Terminal building next to Hakata station as well as in Tenjin. An internet cafe that offers free drinks, razors, toothbrushes, and a shower. Check in between the hours of 22:00-08:00 with options of staying 5-10 hr. 5-hr stay will cost ¥1,200 where as 10-hr stay is ¥2,600. (updated May 2019) 3 Hotel Cabinas Fukuoka (ホテルキャビナス福岡). No women, or tattooed customers, allowed (you might get away with it if you have small/nonobvious tattoos, but it's a rule and they could throw you out for it if spotted). Big, clean and nice facilities. A standard capsule is ¥3,800, and capsules located in their own private rooms cost more; conversely various discounts can be used (buying a membership card, showing the "Offers" page on their website on your phone when you check in) to get the price down to around ¥2,900. There are some English speaking staff, but it seems most of them know a lot of basic hotel-related nouns in English. Free Internet available on the 1st floor (2 PCs) and 2nd floor (5 or so PCs, plus Ethernet sockets where you can plug your own in). Check-in is from 16:00 and check-out is before 11:00. If you book the next day's stay when you check out, they'll let you leave your luggage in your locker all day. Checking out late will cost you ¥500/hr (¥700/hr after 4 hours). All services within the hotel (restaurant food/drinks; massages/body care) are paid for using your capsule number/key wristband, you settle your bill when you check out.

Mid-range 4 Fukuoka Floral Inn Nishinakasu (フローラルイン西中洲), Chuo-ku Nishi-Nakasu 5-10 (subway Nakasu-kawabata), ☏ +81 92 735-1100. Small but clean and quiet rooms, free Internet in lobby. Triples from ¥7800. There is a free curry and

Go next

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.)

Dazaifu — a site of pilgrimage every new year for Japanese students, this small town houses the beautiful Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine (dedicated to a Shinto deity of learning) and the National Museum (Kyushu). Kurume — famous for its ramen noodles, 30 min from Tenjin by train. Munakata Itoshima Karatsu Iizuka Yanagawa Yoshinogari Beppu — and its famous Hells (unique hot springs for viewing) is a potential day trip at 2 hr via Sonic Limited Express trains (departing via Hakata Station), or a bit longer via bus.