Things to do in Fukuoka
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Sam & Dave
Like its sister bars around Japan, Sam & Dave's vacillates between being somewhere fun to shake your ass, and just another boozy big-beat meat-market nightclub. Hope for a good crowd and you could be lucky, whatever you fancy. It's best Fridays and Saturdays.
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Ichiran
Ichiran has been serving noodles for 39 years. Unusually, customers eat at individual cubicles, and fill out forms requesting precisely how they want their noodles prepared. Flavour strength, fat content, noodle tenderness, quantity of special sauce and garlic content can all be regulated. An English language request form is also available.
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Dark Room
Dark, rocky and loud, this is a cool urban rock oasis with a killer sound system, pool table, foosball, friendly dudes behind the bar and a spiral staircase leading to a fun, summer-only rooftop patio.
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Voodoo Lounge
Chilled-out and spacious, Voodoo is known for good live bands and DJs most nights, quality drinks at the long wooden bar and ¥100 beer on Thursday nights from 21:00 to 22:00.
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Tenjin Core
Shopping, or at least window shopping, in Tenjin's high-rise and underground labyrinthine complexes is a popular Fukuoka pastime. Packed along a sparkling three-block section of Tenjin's Watanabi-dori, Tenjin Core (721-7755), Mitsukoshi (724-3111), Daimaru (712-8181), Solaria Plaza (733-7004), subterranean Tenjin Chikagai (721-8436) and IMS building (733-2001) are all favourite spots. The latter gets bonus points for a rooftop terrace, open 11:00 to 21:00, weather permitting.
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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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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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Medata-ya
Located in the older part of town, this bar recreates the mid- to late-Shōwa period, some 40 years ago. A selection of canned food including sardines, spam, and unusual items such as bees in oil are stacked across the bar and can even be purchased as a light snack. There's plenty of ales to choose from, though Sapporo Red Star is the preferred lager.
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Hakata Ippudo Ramen
Hakata Ippudo Ramen; Look for the big red lantern at the entrance to this cosy and bustling rāmen shop, one of several branches in town. The English menu boasts of Hakata-style gyōza dumplings, traditionally made small so dainty Hakata women would not have to suffer the indignity of opening their mouths too wide to eat them.
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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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IMS building
The IMS building in Tenjin has prime skyline views from its 12th- and 13th-floor restaurants, including No No Budo a busy 'all-you-can-eat' buffet, with fresh fish and meat dishes, noodles, salads, soups and desserts. Nearby is Pietro Corte Mrs Elizabeth Muffin (733-2083) in the basement food court sells sweet muffins with free coffee refills!
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Safari
Hardly surprising given its name Oyafuko-dori (Disrespectful Children), this area has an interesting mix of temples, restaurants and bars. Come to Safari at 02:00 and the party's just starting; you'll want to stay till it's light outside. During weekdays it's an unassuming izakaya (Japanese version of a pub/eatery).
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Pietro Corte
The IMS building in Tenjin has prime skyline views from its 12th- and 13th-floor restaurants, including No No Budo a busy 'all-you-can-eat' buffet, with fresh fish and meat dishes, noodles, salads, soups and desserts. Nearby is Pietro Corte Mrs Elizabeth Muffin in the basement food court sells sweet muffins with free coffee refills!
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Fukuoka Rekishi No Machi
The Fukuoka Rekishi No Machi history-theme village (806-0505; 545-1 Tokunaga, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka-ken; adult/student ¥600/400; ;10:00-17:00) gathers over 30 working potters, weavers and papermakers, plus a souvenir shop to sell their wares. From Tenjin, take the JR train to Kyudai Gakuen toshi station (25 minutes).
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Yamasaki
Just off busy Oyafuko-dori, this traditional eatery serves up excellent fish, salads and teishoku sets. Grilled sanma (mackerel) or netsuke (red snapper), a salad and beer will cost you about ¥1750. No English sign; look for the small 'Chestnut' signboard. A picture menu is available.
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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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Juke Joint
Funsters can select the tunes at this Fukuoka original DJ lounge. The eclectic music collection is the work of record-shop owner 'Kinky' Ko Matsumoto. Drinks start at ¥500, plus there's spicy seafood gumbo (that's right) and no cover charge.
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Café Serena
Eaten your fill of rāmen (noodles)? Café Serena, located in Hotel Nikkō Fukuoka, has an unforgettable continental French buffet, as well as an à la carte menu serving succulent roast duck and tropical fruit sorbet.
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Hakata-za
Fans of classical kabuki (stylised Japanese theatre) will swoon over this 1500-seat state-of-the-art theatre, above Nakasu-Kawabata subway stop. Actors enter and exit the stage via the raised hanamichi pathway through the audience.
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