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Fukuoka: Kyushu’s Compact Metropolitan Gateway

©︎Fukuoka city

HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Fukuoka: Kyushu’s Compact Metropolitan Gateway

Just 11 minutes from the airport to a city center full of culture, nature, and food

Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture

The largest city on the island of Kyushu, Fukuoka is a compact metropolis offering rich history, architecture, art, shopping, and delicious cuisine, while also offering quick and easy access to the sea and mountains.

Some say Fukuoka has the best street food scene in Japan, so you must have at least a snack at a yatai outdoor food stall. A good place to find them is Nakasu Island in the middle of the city. Pull up a stool and choose from dishes like tonkotsu pork broth ramen, yakitori grilled chicken, gyoza dumplings, beer, and sake. Seating just 6-8 diners, service is quick, and they are a great place to socialize with locals and other visitors to the city—many likely to be Japanese tourists from other parts of Japan.

Sights include Fukuoka Castle Ruins, Kyushu National Museum, Ohori Park, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Sumiyoshi-jinja Shrine, Tocho-ji Temple, and Canal City, a giant entertainment complex with shops, cafés, restaurants, a theater, arcade, cinemas, two hotels, and a canal running through the complex.

Easily accessible from other parts of Japan by Shinkansen bullet train, Fukuoka is also a major gateway to Asia, with many international flight services from Fukuoka Airport. You may even wish to fly into Fukuoka to begin your Japan holiday, as the city’s central Tenjin district is just 11 minutes from the airport by subway.