Fukuoka: ramen, yatai and the liveliest city in southern Japan
Capital of Kyushu, gateway to the south of the country and the Japanese city with the most renowned cuisine outside Tokyo.
Fukuoka at a glance
Fukuoka is the largest city in Kyushu and one of the fastest-growing in all of Japan. Its cuisine — Hakata ramen, karaage chicken, mentaiko — has made it a destination in its own right, not just a stopover. At night, the yatai (covered street stalls) spread out along the Naka river and create an atmosphere impossible to find in any other city in the country.
Fukuoka works as a standalone destination of 2-3 nights or as a base for exploring Kyushu. It has an international airport just two metro stops from the centre and a direct shinkansen connection with Osaka (2h 15 min on the Nozomi) and Tokyo (about 5h). It is the southern end of the classic axis and a good point to extend the trip towards Nagasaki or Beppu.
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Key Fukuoka areas
Fukuoka is split between Hakata (station, temples and tradition), Tenjin (the shopping and entertainment centre) and Nakasu (the entertainment island between two rivers, famous for its yatai). The metro connects the three in under ten minutes.
Nakasu and the yataiThe island of Nakasu holds more than a hundred yatai — small covered stalls with a counter — that open as night falls. The essential dish is Hakata ramen: cloudy pork broth (tonkotsu), thin noodles and spring onion. The experience of eating elbow to elbow with locals and tourists under a plastic awning is unique in Japan.
Hakata ramen and IchiranFukuoka is the birthplace of tonkotsu ramen (cloudy pork broth) and of now-global chains such as Ichiran, founded here. In Hakata you can try it in its original branches, in the yatai or at the distinctive individual booth with a curtain that Ichiran made popular.
Kushida ShrineKushida shrine is the spiritual heart of Hakata and the home of the Hakata Gion Yamakasa, the spectacular float festival of July. A large yamakasa float and a monumental shimenawa are on display in its grounds, a few minutes on foot from the centre and Canal City.
