Must see attractions in Fukuoka

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    Top Choice
    Hakata Machiya Furusato-kan

    Spread over three machiya (traditional Japanese townhouses), this folk museum re-creates a Hakata nagare (neighbourhood unit) from the late Meiji era…

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    Top Choice
    Fukuoka Asian Art Museum

    On the upper floors of the Hakata Riverain mall, this large museum houses the world-renowned Asia Gallery, and additional galleries for special…

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    Ōhori-kōen Japanese Garden

    Set within the expansive grounds of Ōhori-kōen, adjacent to the remains of Fukuoka's once-grand castle, this traditional (though constructed in 1984) 12…

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    Rakusuien

    This small but pretty garden and teahouse was built by a Meiji-era merchant in 1906 and offers a couple of paths, a rushing waterfall and tea ceremony. In…

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    Shikanoshima

    Delightfully rural, this island has fresh-seafood restaurants that line the harbour-side streets. Ferries depart hourly (¥670, 33 minutes) from Bayside…

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    Kushida-jinja

    The intimate Kushida-jinja, municipal Shintō shrine of Hakata, traces its history to AD 757 and sponsors the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Matsuri, in which…

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    Tōchō-ji

    Tōchō-ji houses the Fukuoka Daibutsu, Japan's largest seated wooden Buddha (10.8m high, 30 tonnes, completed in 1992) and some impressively carved Kannon …

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    Shōfuku-ji

    Shōfuku-ji is considered the oldest Zen temple in Japan, founded in 1195 by Eisai, who introduced Zen and tea to Japan; the nation's first tea plants are…

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    Kihinkan

    Built in 1910, this historic French Renaissance–style building, a nationally registered important cultural property, can be found just across the river…

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    Fukuoka City Museum

    This smart museum displays artefacts from local history and culture. The pride of the collection is an ancient 2.3-sq-cm, 108g golden seal with an…

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    Fukuoka Art Museum

    Expected to reopen in March 2019 following renovations, Fukuoka Art Museum has ancient pottery and Buddhist guardians, as well as works by Basquiat,…

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    Fukuoka-jō & Ōhori-kōen

    Only the walls of Fukuoka-jō (Fukuoka Castle) remain, but the castle's hilltop site (Maizuru-kōen) provides good panoramas of the city and great views of…

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    Nokonoshima

    A 15-minute ferry ride from Fukuoka, pretty Nokonoshima mixes natural and artificial parks. The latter, popular Island Park, has a swimming beach,…

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    Fukuoka Tower

    Standing above the Momochi district is 234m-tall Fukuoka Tower, Japan's tallest seaside spire, a symbol of the city and mostly hollow (its main purpose is…

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    Sumiyoshi-jinja

    Sumiyoshi-jinja is said to be the original taisha (grand shrine) of Shintō's Sumiyoshi sect. The main kami (divine beings) enshrined here are protectors…

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    Tenjin Chūō-kōen

    Some attractive historic Western architecture populates this park near city hall, most notably the French Renaissance–style Kihinkan, dating from 1910 and…

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    Nokonoshima Island Park

    Couples date here a lot, particularly in spring and summer, when the hills are covered with cosmos or sunflowers. Otherwise, it's a pretty run-of-the-mill…

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    Akarenga Bunka-kan

    This red-brick, copper-turreted British-style building from 1909 has simple historical exhibits and a charming coffee shop. The architect, Tatsuno Kingō,…

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    Fukuoka Yafuoku! 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…