Fukuoka

The gateway to Kyushu and a ramen capital, with Hakata yatai night stalls, Dazaifu Tenmangu and the Itoshima coast, Fukuoka is one of the most convenient short-trip cities in Japan for visitors from China.

Fukuoka is the capital of Fukuoka Prefecture and the largest city in Kyushu, on Hakata Bay in the north of the island. It has long been Japan's gateway for exchange with continental China and the Korean Peninsula (Japanese embassies to Tang China set out from here, and the Mongol forces landed here twice), and today it is the major Japanese city closest to China: the flight from Shanghai takes about 1.5 hours, and many cruise ships call here as well. The Naka River divides the city into Fukuoka on the west side (the Tenjin shopping district and Ohori Park) and Hakata on the east side (Hakata Station, Canal City, Nakasu and Kushida Shrine). The two areas are only a few minutes apart on foot or by subway, making this a very compact city famous for its food: Hakata tonkotsu ramen (the birthplace of Ichiran and Ippudo), motsunabe (offal hot pot), mizutaki chicken hot pot, mentaiko (spicy cod roe), fresh sashimi, and the yatai (street stall) culture that sets up along the Naka River at night. You can see the main sights in the city in a day, so more time is best spent on the surrounding area: Dazaifu Tenmangu (shrine of the god of learning; umegae mochi) about 15 km to the southwest, the Itoshima Peninsula (coastal road, white torii gate, cafés) about 30 km to the west, Yanagawa (canal boat rides and unagi seiro-mushi) about 60 km to the south, and Moji Port in northern Kitakyushu. Best seasons: late March to early April for cherry blossoms (Maizuru Park, Nishi Park); May and October–November have the most comfortable weather. The Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival runs 1–15 July (the Oiyama race before dawn on the 15th is the most spectacular). November–February is the season for oysters, fugu (pufferfish) and motsunabe. The rainy season runs from June to early July, August is hot, and typhoon season peaks in August–September. Getting there: Fukuoka Airport is the closest airport to a city center in Japan, just 2 subway stops (about 5 minutes) to Hakata Station and about 11 minutes to Tenjin. Hakata Station is the terminus of the Sanyo Shinkansen, about 1 hour to Hiroshima and about 2.5 hours to Osaka, and the Hakata Port International Terminal has high-speed ferries to Busan. Three subway lines cover the main sights, with a one-day pass for ¥640; to reach Dazaifu, take the Nishitetsu train from Tenjin, about 30 minutes. Suggested length of stay: 1–2 days in the city, plus half a day to a full day each for Dazaifu, Itoshima and Yanagawa, for a total of 2–3 days. Tips: yatai generally open after 6 p.m. and do not operate in the rain; popular stalls have queues, and the cost is about ¥2,000–3,000 per person. The underground malls at Hakata Station and Tenjin are huge, so watch the signs when looking for exits. Hotels are tight during Gion Yamakasa, so book well in advance.

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