Fukuoka
Fukuoka is a designated city in the Kyushu region of Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.
The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. The area has long been considered the gateway to the country, as it is the nearest point among Japan's main islands to the Asian mainland. Although humans have occupied the area since the Jomon period, some of the earliest settlers of the Yayoi period arrived in the Fukuoka area. The city rose to prominence during the Yamato period, and because of the cross-cultural exposure, and relatively great distance from the social and political centers of Kyoto, Osaka, and later, Edo (Tokyo), Fukuoka gained a distinctive local culture and dialect that has persisted to the present day.
Getting to Fukuoka
- 01Fukuoka Airport
- 02Hakata Station
Worth seeing
- 01Nakasu
- 02Gion
- 03Kushida Shrine
The 8th-century Kushida Shrine is starting point for the annual Gion-Yamakasa Festival.
- 04Tōchō-ji
It has a 10.8-m wooden Great Buddha.
- 05Shōfuku-ji
Japan's first Zen temple.
- 06ACROS
The ACROS building has a terraced roof that merges with the park and contains some 35,000 plants representing 76 species.
Things to 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.
- 01Kabuki
Check times and prices at the Hakata-za near Nakasu.
- 02Noh
A cultural experience that some may not want to miss.
- 03Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Winning the Japan Series seven times between 2011 and 2020, the Hawks was undoubtedly Japan's strongest team in the 2010s.
- 04Momochihama
A stretch of beach where visitors can enjoy a bit of swimming and sun.
- 05Nokonoshima
A small (about 12 km around) island in the middle of Hakata Bay and offers some splendid hiking, swimming, and camping.
Where to 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.
- 01Nagahama
Famous for Hakata's Nagahama ramen, with stalls (yatai) that get set up daily to handle the locals who are proud of their ramen.
- 02Ichiran
- 03Ramen Stadium
This celebration of ramen offers 8 restaurants with every style of ramen between Kyushu and Hokkaido.
- 04Yama-chan
Tasty ramen and late night hours off the streets of Oyafukodori.
- 05Asahiken Gyoza
Pot stickers, steamed rice, miso soup and beer.
Getting around Fukuoka the local way
- Get inBusan-Fukuoka: Camellia Line, +81 92 262-2323 (Japan) or +82 51 466-7799 (Korea), operates a ferry that takes about 8 hr and starts at ¥12,000; if overnight, it may stop and wait in front of Busan Port in the morning until Korean Immigration opens.
- Get inThe JR Kyushu Ferry (the "Queen Beetle") which had operated between Fukuoka and Busan has been discontinued.
- Get inAn economy-class ticket on the Meimon Taiyo Ferry from Osaka to Kitakyushu costs about ¥6,000 (20% discount if booked online); tickets in other price ranges are available.
- Go nextMunakata 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.
From Wikivoyage: Fukuoka, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.