Japanese prefectures: Fukuoka

Today, in the “Japanese prefectures” series, I’m going to talk about Fukuoka.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Fukuoka prefecture is most famous for the city of Fukuoka. This is the biggest city in Kyushu, one of the biggest cities in Japan and the second biggest port city, after Yokohama.

Fukuoka City has a lot to offer, not least of all its food. The city is famous as the birthplace of tonkotsu ramen, or pork-bone ramen, my personal favorite. The city also attracts millions of people in Golden Week for its Hakata Dontaku festival, a 800-year-old festival where people parade in costumes and play various instruments.

If you like nature, Fukuoka City has you covered as well. Ohori Park is a gorgeous water park in the center, with big lakes and small islands connected with pedestrian bridges, and Uminokamichi Seaside Park is a flower park several square kilometers in size, located on a small peninsula within the city and extending into the bay. Another place worth visiting is Fukuoka castle, particularly beautiful during the cherry blossoms, Fukuoka Tower offers a view of the city and Hakata Bay, particularly worth seeing at night.

Speaking o night views, the other big city in the prefecture, Kita-Kyushu, offers one of the most famous ones in the country. Take a cable car to the top of Mt. Sarakura and enjoy the view of the city and the ocean. From Kita-Kyushu you can also walk across the Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel, which goes under the sea and connects the islands of Kyushu and Honshu. You can’t see the ocean from it, but at least you can say you walked under the sea.

If you prefer smaller towns to big cities, there are some that are worth a visit as well. Yanagawa is a quiet canal town that is sometimes referred to as “the Venice of Japan,” where you can ride traditional Japanese boats along its hundreds of kilometers of canals.

Daizaifu, a small city within the prefecture, hosts multiple historical temples and shrines and is itself historically important, being the old capital of Kyushu. The Kyushu National Museum also attracts people to this city.

With its good food, nature, history, and cityscapes, Fukuoka is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan, and you shouldn’t miss it if you have the chance to go to Kyushu.

Hi, I’m Sergio.
I’m from Spain, lived in the UK for seven years and came to Japan in 2012.
I majored in journalism in London and have been teaching English in Tokyo.
I like traveling, cycling, photography, movies, and spending time with friends.
I wrote articles about life in Japan as a foreigner and anything that I might find interesting.
My email is ” sergio.dom.jpn@gmail.com “, by all means contact me about anything!