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.

See: 24
Do: 8
Eat: 16
Drink: 6
Buy: 11

24 places match

See

ACROS rooftop garden

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.

09:00-18:00 (March-October), 09:00-17:00 (November-February)Free

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Asian Art Museum

This gallery hosts temporary exhibitions from Kyushu and all around Asia. It has a good shop.

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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.

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Bayside Place Hakata Pier

For a view of the bay, check out the Bayside Place Hakata Pier:a marine terminal for the regular service ferries for Tsushima Island and Hakata Bay cruise boats. The terminal building has an 8-m-tall aquarium, with 6,000 fish.

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Fukuoka Art Museum

This art gallery has an excellent permanent collection, and hosts temporary exhibitions.

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Fukuoka Castle ruins

The foundations of Fukuoka Castle and part of its moat are all that remains of the original complex. Work is underway to rebuild part of the castle to show what it looked like. The ruins give a good feel for the scale of the original castle though, and form an attractive park. Additionally, you may drop by the Fukuoka Castle Ruins Visitor Center to rent a tablet PC providing an augmented reality visualization of what the castle used to look like as you walk around the park. Visitors who ascend the steps towards the top are rewarded with excellent views of the city, including of the lake in Ohori Park (which in the past used to extend to and surround the castle).

See

Fukuoka City Museum

福岡市博物館

Permanent exhibition of city history and changing temporary exhibitions.

Tue-Sun 09:30-17:30¥200 adults / 150 high schoolers / free for children

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Fukuoka City Science Museum

福岡市科学館

Cotains Robosquare on its 5th floor. You can see and play with different kinds of robots and watch some of the engineers at work. Despite the imposing sounding name, Robosquare is one medium sized-room with a few robotics exhibits and some toy robots and is primarily aimed at children. Some English explanations are now available.

Free but ¥510 adults/ 310 high schoolers / 200 children each for 5F exhibition room and 6F planetarium

See

Fukuoka Tower

福岡タワー

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

See

Gion

This area has several historical shrines and Buddhist temples, including:

See

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.

See

Ichiran Ramen Museum

Ichiran no Mori

Ichiran is one of the largest chains of Hakata ramen restaurants, with locations all across Japan and in several other countries. At this factory, you can learn about the ramen-making process and view their factory where they make noodles. At the end is a small restaurant with a weekly special dish. The museum is entirely in Japanese.

Daily 10:00-21:00

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Kego Koen

The park behind Solaria Plaza, Kego Koen, is a great place to go to experience Tenjin's youth culture and do some people watching. Don't be surprised if some of these kids try to approach you for a bit of random conversation.

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Kushida Shrine

The 8th-century Kushida Shrine is starting point for the annual Gion-Yamakasa Festival.

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Maizuru Park

舞鶴公園

Maizuru park includes the ruins of Fukuoka Castle (福岡城, Fukuoka-jō). Also inside the park, you will find the ruins of the Korokan (鴻臚館), a reception hall built around 1,200 years ago.

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Marine World Uminonakamichi

マリンワールド海の中道

It is an aquarium and you can watch shows of various marine life, and there are also various hands-on activities, such as feeding dolphins. There is also a park outside the aquarium.

Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 09:30-17:302500¥

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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.

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Nishi Park

西公園

A hilltop park with quiet walking trails, a shrine, an ocean and city view, and in springtime with over 3000 cherry trees is one of the finest places to see cherry blossoms in Kyushu.

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Ohori Park

Tourists visiting Fukuoka should not miss this beautiful park located 2 stops west of Tenjin on the subway. The park has a 2 km jogging track that is popular with locals throughout the year. Also, next to Ohori Park is Maizuru park, featuring the ruins of Fukuoka Castle and a good view of the city.

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