You're Going to Love Fukuoka
The largest city on Japan's island of Kyushu, Fukuoka is a site of pilgrimage for noodle lovers, an enthralling historic city, and one of Japan's baseball centers. Fun, friendly, and compact, it's a great Japanese destination.
Top 5 Reasons to Visit Fukuoka
1. Fantastic Noodle Dishes
Food in Fukuoka is all about ramen. The city is one of the best places in the world to find gourmet noodles from restaurants like Ichiran.
2. A Rich, Well-Preserved History
Fukuoka has been around for 1,500 years or more, and there are plenty of historical attractions, including the Fukuoka Castle, the Sumiyoshi-jinja Shrine, and the wonderful Hakata Machiya Folk Museum.
3. Superb Modern Museums
The city has some exceptional museums to explore, with the huge Kyūshū National Museum chief among them. Don't miss the 15th-century artworks by Masanobu Kano.
4. Sporting Excitement
For a unique sporting thrill, catch some traditional Sumo wrestling at November's Kyushu Basho, or enjoy something more familiar when the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks take to the baseball diamond.
5. The Delights of Shikanoshima Island
Just offshore, you can hop across to Shikanoshima, where the great seafood restaurants and peaceful scenery is a real delight.
When to Visit Fukuoka
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Fukuoka in {1}
Spring is the ideal time to go. Between March and early June, the city is adorned with gorgeous cherry blossoms and the temperature rises into the 70s.
How to Get to Fukuoka
Plane
Fukuoka Airport (FUK) has good connections to the rest of Japan (and Hawaii as well). Take the subway into town. It's only two stops away, and costs ¥340.
Train
Fukuoka's Hakata Station is the southern terminus of the "bullet train" (Shinkansen) and is around 5 hours from Tokyo.
Car
Those driving from Tokyo can take highway 1 to Kyoto, the Sanyo Expressway, then the Chugoku Expressway across the water to Kyushu. The Kyushu Expressway will then take you to Fukuoka.
Bus
Moonlight runs buses from Osaka, while Willer runs services from Kobe and Kyoto and Nishitetsu buses run from Tokyo to Fukuoka.
Airlines serving Fukuoka
Where to stay in popular areas of Fukuoka
How to Get Around Fukuoka
Public Transportation
Fukuoka's subway is excellent. Prices vary by distance traveled, but you can purchase day passes for ¥620. Single bus tickets cost ¥100.
Taxi
All taxis in the city have meters and charge an initial fee of ¥580 followed by around ¥730 per mile.
Car
Car rental companies in Fukuoka include Nissan Rent-A-Car and Toyota, and rates can be as low as ¥5000 per day.
Car rental agencies in Fukuoka
The Cost of Living in Fukuoka
Shopping Streets
Tenjin is definitely the place to shop. With huge department stores like Fukuoka Mitsukoshi and Tenjin Core, shopping fans will be in paradise.
Groceries and Other
Fukuoka's supermarkets include Seiyu and Aeon. Expect to pay about ¥700 for a gallon of milk.
Where to Eat in Fukuoka
Ramen is king in Fukuoka. Great places to grab gourmet noodles include Hakata Issou and Mengekijo Genei, which is set up like a culinary theater. Expect to pay about ¥1,000 for a fantastic bowl of food.