Welcome to a pictoral look at Fukuoka City. I hope these digital pics will show you some of the delights of Hakata (the traditional name of Fukuoka).

Canal City

Canal City is one of the most recent developments in Fukuoka -- it is based on an American shopping mall and while limited due to tight land restrictions it has a large array of shops, cinemas, restaurants, and things outlandish. It is also next to the Hyatt Hotel. Canal City has a great selection of restaurants including a wide area of eateries specializing in ramens popular across Japan. AMC also has a large multiplex cinema there, and some discount computer shops are also there too.

Tenjin

Tenjin is the heart of Fukuoka City, and virtually every bus you get on is either going or coming from there. You'll find numerous department stores (all quite expensive), a large underground shopping area called the Chikagai which runs through most of the important street, the subway station, and the hangout of the young and the ex-pats on weekends and holidays....

Oyafuko Dori

While puny and short compared larger cities, you'll find quite a selection of bars, karaoke, ex-pat hangouts, game centers, and yatai (outdoor ramen stalls, which you will immediately notice by the stench of burning pork fat) here.

Nishi-Dori

This is actually the same street as Oyafukodori, except it's separated by Showa-dori and Meiji-Dori. More of the same except for having a bit more room to breathe.

Nakasu

Nakasu is the red-light district of the city. Here you'll find several movie theaters from the 1970s (the better theaters are in nearby Canal City), exhorbitant hostess bars, the sex industry, many yatai by the river at night, and basically where middle-aged Japanese business men go at night to entertain customers and drink their problems away. This area is one that has been hit hard by the recession. Nearby you can go to Riverrain or "Super Brand City" for wildly high designer brand goods shops, and in the summer a few "beer gardens" where you can drink your fill on the roofs of several large buildings. They close early though-- 10PM or so. It's small by Tokyo or Osaka standards, but gives a colorful view of neon on the water...

Fukuoka Tower and Fukuoka Dome

This is Fukuoka Tower, which is one of the biggest landmarks of the city. Built around 1989, the 32 story tower offers a great view (for 800 yen to go up) and serves as the TV/radio tower for almost all the broadcasts in the city (one always wonders why they didn't put the tower on a mountain if they were going to do that). Next to it is another landmark, the Fukuoka Dome, which is used for the Daiei Hawks baseball team as well as some big concerts and special events. New to the area is The Hard Rock Cafe, as well as a theater and other buildings. The tower gives a very nice view of the area but you needn't pay the money to get much of the same; you can always go to the top of the nearby 35 story Seahawk hotel next to the Dome, or the Hakata Port Tower (see below). At any rate, these are the de facto landmarks of the city--and you can't help but notice them when you fly into Fukuoka on a plane....

Bayside Place

Bayside Place is a recently renovated dock for Fukuoka, and the international ship port where the ferry and hydrofoil (the Beetle) dock for landing. Here you can take a boat tour around Hakata Bay, go up the 70 meter Hakata Port Tower (and it's actually FREE), or see a massive 3 story indoor aquarium with 1 meter-long fish, giant sea turtles, eels, and baby sharks swimming around inside (and NO, the shark doesn't eat the other fish in the tank). Also every May for the last couple of years they've had a great microbrew festival of 19 different Kyushu breweries featuring over 40 types of beer--a definite must-see.

Ohori Koen

Ohori Park is arguably the most beautiful park in the whole city. It was actually a reclaimed inlet from the sea about 100 years ago, and now offers a large pond, a 2km jogging track around it, a beautifully sculpted island in the middle, and lots of space to breathe. Both daytime and nighttime offer a wonderful, open atmosphere. There is also an annual fireworks festival there every August--expect a tsunami of people to come in for it.

Maizuru-Jo

If there is one thing that Fukuoka City doesn't have, it's a beautiful historic castle. It did long ago, but all you can see are its remains. Even so, you can walk into what used to be inside the castle (Jo-nai) and get a pretty good idea of what existed, and its strategy of keeping invading armies out (it was never needed for that though, as history turned out). You'll also find VERY few people who go inside, surprisingly, and is a nice place for a picnic or afternoon snooze. It's next to Ohori Park, and closest to either the Ohori-Koen or Akasaka subway station.

Abura Yama

Abura Yama has the best night view of the whole city--and if you have the chance to see it, then it's well worth the trip. There is no way to get there except by car or motorbike though, and on weekends especially you'll find so many other cars there that parking will be tough if not impossible (no charge though). Along the way up the mountain you'll find a whole row of cars parked along the road with couples inside [actually they all say they're there for the view but I never see any of them actually looking out at the city ;-) ] as well as the most expensive "love hotel", Oshiro, there too.

Shika-No-Shima

Where else in the world can you go and have a beach BOTH on your right and your left? Shika noshima, or "Island of Shika" isn't even a real island at all but a long peninsula that forms Hakata Bay. As you go down Umi-no-Naka Michi you'll find it has a lot to offer, including a few small amusement parks, scenic parks, swimming, and Chili Joe, the best Tex-Mex restaurant that Fukuoka has to offer (go 1 km west past the railroad crossing, til you find a Lawson's).Yet if you only go down Uminonaka Michi you'll miss one of the best sites--an observation deck in the middle of the hills with a grand view of the whole bay and ocean.

You might see another interesting place that's well worth checking out--right in the middle of the bay is a large island, Noko-No-Shima, or Noko Island. You can get a ferry or speedboat there from Meinohama, and the island offers some nice hiking for an afternoon. The return boats shut down service early though, so be sure to find out when the last boat leaves and don't be late!

Yamakasa

Every July in Hakata is the Yamakasa festival, held just after the crack of dawn. But if you think no one would go to see it at such an ungodly hour you'd be in for a big surprise. There is always a huge crowd of people, as several of the structures you see here are carried by a large group of men calling eachother and racing to see who can carry their float fastest. Whether you choose to stay up all night or get up way early in the morning, it's well worth a look and is a uniquely Fukuoka event.

Some Cheaper Places To Stay

Hotels in Japan can be very expensive but there are cheaper alternatives as well, and I have already done a lot of the legwork for you. Here is a list of a few places. There are generally 3 ways for most travellers into Fukuoka City - 1) the airport, 2) by train to Hakata Station, and 3) by the Beetle hydrofoil or ferry to Hakata wharf. Most of the cheaper hotels are concentrated near Hakata Station, Gion, Nakasu, and Tenjin. If you are arriving with some baggage, it would truly behoove you to just show the driver the address and take a taxi, and avoid searching for hours on foot - it just isn't worth the backache of lugging stuff around to be a cheapskate.

Please be aware that the prices found are current as of March 2004, and usually do not include the 5% consumption tax. A few may need to be reserved online for a special deal. For phoning from outside Japan, be sure to omit the first zero in the telephone number. Many, but not all, will take credit cards. Where available, a net link to the hotel is there, but not many can speak English. Most can make a reservation easily through a FAX, but if you can't figure it out, there are many middlemen companies who can reserve a room for you, or if not a busy season, ask the information desk at the airport or train station.