Fukuoka travel guide: Hakata, Tenjin, yatai stalls, Dazaifu and the ferry from Busan

TUREFF• •0

Fukuoka is one of Japan's most relaxed big cities: compact, by the sea, famous for its food, and with an airport so close to the centre that you can be eating ramen within half an hour of landing. It is also the closest major Japanese city to Korea, which makes it a popular first or extra stop.

Getting from the airport

Fukuoka Airport is one of the most convenient in the world. The subway Kuko Line takes about five minutes to Hakata Station and around ten minutes to Tenjin. If you arrive at the international terminal, take the free shuttle bus to the domestic terminal first, where the subway station is. Buses also run directly from the international terminal to Hakata.

Hakata and Tenjin

The city has two centres:

Hakata: the area around Hakata Station, the Shinkansen terminal for Kyushu. Here you find Kushida Shrine, the old temple district, and Canal City, a large shopping and entertainment complex.
Tenjin: the main shopping and nightlife district, a short subway ride away, with department stores and an underground shopping street.
Nakasu: the island between them, Fukuoka's entertainment area, with a riverside line of food stalls at night.

Yatai food stalls

Yatai are open-air food stalls that set up in the evening and pack away before morning, and Fukuoka is the city famous for them, with over a hundred still operating, mainly in Tenjin, Nakasu and Nagahama. You sit on a bench at a tiny counter, elbow to elbow with locals.

Expect Hakata ramen, yakitori, oden, gyoza and drinks.
Many stalls seat only around eight people, so be ready to queue and do not linger after you finish when others are waiting.
Check prices before ordering; a stall with no visible menu can surprise you.
Some stalls do not open in rain or strong wind.

What to eat

Hakata ramen: thin noodles in a rich, creamy tonkotsu (pork bone) broth. Order "kaedama" for a refill of noodles.
Mentaiko: spicy marinated pollock roe, a local speciality, on rice or in pasta.
Motsunabe: a hot pot of beef offal, cabbage and chives.
Mizutaki: a light chicken hot pot.

Ohori Park and around

Ohori Park is a large lake with a path around it, a Japanese garden and a café, popular with joggers and families. Next to it are the ruins of Fukuoka Castle in Maizuru Park, known for cherry blossom. Momochi Seaside Park and Fukuoka Tower are a short bus ride away for the waterfront.

Day trip: Dazaifu

Dazaifu Tenmangu is one of Japan's best-known shrines, dedicated to the scholar Sugawara no Michizane, and students come to pray for exam success. The approach is lined with shops selling umegae mochi, a grilled rice cake with red bean. The Kyushu National Museum is next door. Take the Nishitetsu line from Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station, changing at Futsukaichi; it takes well under an hour.

Day trip: Yanagawa

Yanagawa, further down the same Nishitetsu line, is a canal town where you are punted through the waterways on a flat boat, under bridges and past willow trees. The local dish is unagi seiro-mushi, eel steamed over rice. Nishitetsu sells combined tickets for Dazaifu and Yanagawa; check what is offered when you go.

Ferry from Busan

Fukuoka and Busan are close enough to travel between by sea. The JR Kyushu high-speed ferry Queen Beetle, which many older guides recommend, has been withdrawn from the route. Camellia Line operates the conventional ferry New Camellia between Hakata Port and Busan, a longer crossing with an overnight sailing in one direction. Schedules have changed in recent years, so check Camellia Line's official site and current listings before planning around it. Flights between the two cities are short and frequent.

Getting around

The subway and buses cover most of what you need. An IC card (such as Hayakaken, or one from another region) works on both. Many visitors use Fukuoka as a base for the rest of Kyushu by Shinkansen. What is your favourite yatai or ramen shop in Fukuoka? Share recommendations or ask your questions in the comments.