Sights in Fukuoka Ken
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Nokonoshima
Nokonoshima, famous for its flower fields, is only about 10km in circumference. There's a swimming beach and camping ground at the northern end of the island. Buses 300 and 301 depart frequently from Nishitetsu Tenjin bus centre (¥360, 20 minutes). Ferries depart from Meinohama Municipal Ferry Terminal, west of the city centre near Meinohama station (¥220, 10 minutes).
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Hakata Machiya Furusato-kan
Spread over three machiya (traditional town houses), this newly renovated folk museum re-creates a Hakata nagare (neighbourhood unit) from the late Meiji era. The replica buildings house historical photos and displays of traditional Hakata culture, festivals, crafts and performing arts, as well as recordings of impenetrable Hakata-ben (dialect). Artisans are frequently on hand offering demonstrations.
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Hakata Dontaku Matsuri
Hakata Dontaku Matsuri (博多どんたく祭り) On 3 and 4 May, Fukuoka's Meiji-dori vibrates to the unique percussive shock of shamoji (wooden serving spoons for rice) being banged together like castanets, accompanied by shamisen (three-stringed instrument). The name Dontaku was added during the Meiji period (late 19th century) from the Dutch word zontag, meaning 'holiday'.
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Hawks Town
Something of a seafront Canal City, Hawks Town is set on reclaimed land near Momochi-kōen. This entertainment and shopping complex is also the location of the luxury JAL Resort Sea Hawk Hotel & Resort and the giant Yahoo Dome, home to the local Daiei Hawks baseball team. The highlight is Sea Hawk's indoor jungle atrium, complete with waterfalls and screeching tropical birdcalls, as well as bird's-eye views of the city.
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Kyūshū Bashō sumō tournament
Kyūshū Bashō sumō tournament (大相撲九州場所) Held at the Fukuoka Kokusai Centre during mid-November, spanning a two-week period. Limited same-day tickets (tojitsu-ken; ¥3100 to ¥14,000)are available starting at 08:00, and people start lining up at dawn for one of Japan's major sumō events. Good luck.
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Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
On the upper floors of the large Hakata Riverain Centre (博多リバレイン), the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum houses the world-renowned Asia Gallery and additional galleries for special exhibits (note that the admission fee varies) and artists in residence. Changing exhibits cover contemporary works from 23 countries, from East Asia to Pakistan.
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Canal City
Once-futuristic Canal City may be showing its age (it opened in 1996), but it still attracts crowds with its artificial canal with illuminated fountain symphony, hotels, multiplex cinema, playhouse, and about 250 boutiques, bars and bistros.
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Fukuoka City Art Museum
Fukuoka City Art Museum has ancient pottery and Buddhist guardians on one floor, and works by Andy Warhol and Salvador Dalí on another. The collection includes wooden figures from the Fujiwara Period, spanning the 10th-12th centuries, and 20th-century works from Japan and around the world.
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Fukuoka City Museum
The Fukuoka City Museum displays artefacts from local history and culture, the pride of the museum being an ancient 2.3 sq cm, 109g golden seal with an inscription proving Japan's historic ties to China.
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Shōfuku-ji
Shōfuku-ji is an historic Zen temple founded in 1195 AD by Eisai Zenji, who introduced Zen and tea to Japan. The site on which it stands has proved to be archaeologically rich, with recent excavations revealing remnants of a culture dating back 4000 years.
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Fukuoka Tower
Standing above the Momochi district, a modern mix of corporate headquarters, hotels, large shopping and entertainment venues and apartment blocks, is the 234m-tall Fukuoka Tower, a symbol of the city and mostly hollow (its main purpose is as a broadcast tower). At 120m, the classy Sky Lounge Refuge cafe is a great place to soak up the views, especially at dusk. While you're here, drop into the Robosquare nearby.
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Nihon-teien
Ōhori-kōen, which is adjacent to the castle grounds, has a traditional (though recently constructed) Japanese garden, Nihon-teien .
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Sumiyoshi-jinja
Sumiyoshi-jinja is a garden and teahouse built by a Meiji-era merchant, with an intact garden wall, known as Rakusuien.
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Tōchō-ji
Tōchō-ji has impressively carved Kannon statues and, upstairs, the largest wooden Buddha in Japan.
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Kushida-jinja
Kushida-jinja has displays of Hakata festival floats on the grounds, and a local history museum .
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Kushida-jinja
Kushida-jinja has displays of Hakata festival floats on the grounds, and a local history museum .
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Yahoo! Japan Dome
This monolithic, retractable-roof stadium is the home field of Fukuoka's much-loved SoftBank Hawks baseball team. Tours (in Japanese) are offered and there's a museum of the life of Oh Sadaharu, the world's all-time home-run king, although if you're less than a die-hard fan it may be hard to catch.
A small city has grown up around the stadium, including the impressive César Pelli–designed Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk hotel. Yahoo! Japan Dome is about 1km northwest of Tōjin-machi Station. Frequent direct buses go to Yahoo! Dome from Tenjin bus centre (about 15 minutes).
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Tenman-gū Shrine
Poet and scholar Sugawara-no-Michizane was a distinguished figure in the Kyoto court until he fell afoul of political intrigue and was exiled to distant Dazaifu, where he died two years later. Subsequent disasters that struck Kyoto were blamed on his unfair dismissal, and he became deified as Tenman Tenjin, god of culture and scholars. Among the countless visitors to the grand, sprawling Tenman-gū, his shrine and burial place, are students hoping to pass college entrance exams. The hondō (main hall) was rebuilt in 1591.
Behind the shrine is the Kankō Historical Museum, with dioramas showing Tenjin's life (an English leaflet provides explanations). Across the grounds,…
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Shrines & Temples
The intimate Kushida-jinja , municipal Shintō shrine of Hakata, traces its history to AD 757 and sponsors the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Matsuri. It has float displays and a local historymuseum chiefly featuring the festival.
Sumiyoshi-jinja is said to be Japan's original Sumiyoshi taisha (shrine). On its north side is Rakusuien, a pretty garden and teahouse built by a Meiji-era merchant, serving an outdoor tea ceremony.
Tōchō-jihas Japan's largest wooden Buddha (created 1992) and some impressively carved Kannon (goddess of mercy) statues. It is said to date from AD 806 and to have been founded by Kūkai, the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism.
Shōfuku-ji is a Zen…
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Nearby Islands
A quick ferry ride from Fukuoka, pretty Nokonoshima mixes natural and man-made parks. The latter, called Island Park, gets the most visitors, with a swimming beach, fields of seasonal wildflowers, huts selling crafts, and sweeping ocean views. Bicycle rental (per hour/day ¥300/1000) and English maps are available at Noko Market, by the ferry dock. Buses 300 and 301 depart frequently from Nishitetsu Tenjin bus terminal (¥360, 20 minutes) for Meinohama Municipal Ferry Port.
Ferries to delightfully rural Shikanoshima (志賀島), where fresh seafood restaurants line the harbourside streets, depart hourly (¥650, 33 minutes) from Bayside Place, along with seasonal sightseeing…
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Kyūshū National Museum
Built into the tranquil hills of Dazaifu and reached through a colour-shifting tunnel, this striking structure (built in 2005) resembles a massive space station for the arts. Highlights include Jōmon pottery, a fascinating Silk Road exhibit, stone carvings of AD 1st-century women with spears on horseback and a delicate 13th-century oil-spot tenmoku tea bowl. Self-guided audio tours and HD video theatre are free, and there's a wonderful 'please touch' section for the youngest visitors. The architect was Fukuoka's own Kikutake Kiyonori, who also built the Edo-Tokyo Museum.
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Kōmyōzen-ji
Secreted away on the southern edge of Dazaifu, this small temple has an exquisite jewel of a Zen garden. It's a peaceful contrast to the crowds at the nearby shrine.
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Kanzeon-ji
Adjacent to the monastery, this temple dates from 746 but only the great bell, said to be Japan's oldest, remains from the original construction. Its treasure hall has an impressive collection of statuary, most of it wood, dating from the 10th to 12th centuries. Many of the items show Indian or Tibetan influence.
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Kaidan-in
Across town, nestled among rice paddies and reachable by bus (¥100), Kaidan-in dates from 761 and was one of the most important Buddhist ordination monasteries in Japan.
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Fukuoka Rekishi no Machi Kottō-mura
Around 15 working potters, weavers and paper-makers exhibit and sell their wares at this rustic historical village and antiques cooperative. It's out of the way, but a nice diversion with bargains to be found. It's about ¥1000 by taxi from Kyūdai-gakken-toshi Station, or you may be able to arrange station pick-up if you phone.
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