Spread over three machiya (traditional Japanese townhouses), this folk museum re-creates a Hakata nagare (neighbourhood unit) from the late Meiji era…
Must see attractions in Fukuoka
- HTop ChoiceHakata Machiya Furusato-kan
- FTop ChoiceFukuoka 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…
- ŌŌhori-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…
- RRakusuien
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…
- SShikanoshima
Delightfully rural, this island has fresh-seafood restaurants that line the harbour-side streets. Ferries depart hourly (¥670, 33 minutes) from Bayside…
- KKushida-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…
- TTōchō-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 …
- SShōfuku-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…
- KKihinkan
Built in 1910, this historic French Renaissance–style building, a nationally registered important cultural property, can be found just across the river…
- FFukuoka 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…
- FFukuoka 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,…
- FFukuoka-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…
- NNokonoshima
A 15-minute ferry ride from Fukuoka, pretty Nokonoshima mixes natural and artificial parks. The latter, popular Island Park, has a swimming beach,…
- FFukuoka 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…
- SSumiyoshi-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…
- TTenjin Chūō-kōen
Some attractive historic Western architecture populates this park near city hall, most notably the French Renaissance–style Kihinkan, dating from 1910 and…
- HHakata Traditional Craft & Design Museum
This compact museum displays stellar examples of local crafts, Hakata-ori textiles, Hakata ningyō (Hakata dolls), papier-mâché Daruma and lion figures,…
- NNokonoshima 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…
- AAkarenga 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,…
- FFukuoka 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…