Where Possibilities Abound. 

• As the only area in Japan designated as a special economic zone specifically targeting start-ups, Fukuoka is home to some of Japan’s most exciting and innovative projects. Every day, we heard something new!

• Located in Hakata Bay, Nokonoshima Island is a delightful place for visitors to camp, swim or admire the island’s colourful flowers—only a few minutes ferry ride.

• Join the nightly dinner party at the city’s yatai street food stalls. Nowhere can you experience the incredible intersection of Fukuoka’s food culture than sitting down at a yatai. These street food stalls are more than just a place to eat; they are a way of life, a chance to mingle after the sun goes down, and an opportunity for social connections that can often elude big cities. Many yatai have a no mobile phones policy to encourage interaction – put your phone away and savour the food and the company.

• Stroll across the bridges that lead to the small islands in Ohori Park. During daylight hours, nothing beats Ōhori-kōen for a relaxed wander and window into the everyday lives of Fukuokans. Centred around a large tranquil pond, the park is on the grounds of the old Fukuoka Castle, and the remnants are also free to check out on the park’s outskirts.

• The Fukuoka Tower is the perfect place for a fantastic view of the city skyline. Head up the 234m-tall (768ft) Fukuoka Tower, the tallest seaside tower in Japan, for unimpeded panoramic views of the city, sea, and mountains. The building is arguably most dazzling at night when its mirrored façade becomes the backdrop to seasonal illumination displays, and refreshments are available.

• “Shop ‘til you drop” at Canal City. Canal City is Fukuoka’s crown jewel for fashion and lifestyle goods. With a 180m (591ft) canal running through it, this chic five-floor shopping mall is a complete entertainment and dining complex housing some of Japan’s most well-known stores. On one floor are many ramen restaurants, plus other outlets throughout.

• Enjoy historic Hakata Kawabata-dōri shopping street, a lively shopping arcade of over one hundred local stores, from clothing and wares to fresh produce and restaurants. Stretching 400m (1313ft) and with more than 130 years of history, Fukuoka’s oldest shopping street maintains a nostalgia to enjoy.

• Just outside Fukuoka, Nanzōin Temple is home to the Reclining Buddha, said to bring good fortune. Nothing prepares you for that incredible first gaze upon the Reclining Nehanzō Buddha at Nanzōin Temple. At a staggering 41m (134ft) long, 11m high (36ft) and 300 metric tonnes (the equivalent of a jumbo jet), the Reclining Buddha dwarfs the more well-known sitting statues in Kamakura and Nara. The reclining pose is a rarity in Japan – commonly seen in Southeast Asia – and signifies Buddha at the moment of death and entering nirvana.

• A short train trip to Dazaifu Tenmangū Shrine. Enveloped in 1100 years of history, Dazaifu Tenmangū is dedicated to the ninth-century scholar Sugawara Michizane, who is glorified here as Tenjin – the Shinto deity of learning, culture, and the arts. As the head of some 12,000 Tenjin shrines nationwide, Dazaifu is especially popular among students wishing to pray for good results during entrance exam season.

Written by: Rick Coles

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