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Fukuoka prefecture (福岡県 Fukuoka-ken) [1] is the most populous prefecture of Kyushu, Japan with a population of over 5 million.

Culture and History

Cities

  • Dazaifu, part of the Fukuoka metropolitan area, is the former administrative capital of Kyushu and houses the popular and atmospheric Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.
  • Fukuoka, part of which is also known as Hakata, is the largest city in Kyushu by population (over 1.3 million). There's a lot to see here, and if you're just stopping by in Fukuoka prefecture this epynomous city is a good place to stay and see.
  • Kitakyushu is the largest city in Kyushu by area (486 square km). It is best known for its industry but there's so much more to see and enjoy.
  • Kurume (久留米) is a small city in the south of Fukuoka, not very attractive.
  • Yanagawa (柳川) is a small, beautiful city with many old shrines and mansions that can be toured on its canals.

Other destinations

  • Yoshinogari (吉野ヶ里) has famous, recently discovered ruins.
  • Yabahita Hikosan (耶馬日田英彦山) is a "quasi-national park" containing Mt. Hiko.

Talk

Travel to Fukuoka (prefecture) - Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Fukuoka (prefecture)

Fukuoka city's airport is the busiest on Kyushu and fields a fair number of international flights too, e.g. to South Korea, China and Taiwan.

By train

Fukuoka city and Kitakyushu city are both on the shinkansen line that runs to and from Tokyo.

Buses to Fukuoka (prefecture)

123bus [2] is a company which provides daily night time bus services between Tokyo and Hakata, Osaka and Hakata. With an online booking service in English.

Tours and Getting around Fukuoka (prefecture)

While there are local trains running in and out of Fukuoka-shi, the best parts of Fukuoka-ken are accessible only by car or bus.

Fukuoka (prefecture) tourist attractions and sightseeing

The Aso caldera is the largest caldera in the world. Drive around the outside of the caldera; there are a few hills where you can get a spectacular 360-degree view of the caldera, the nearby mountain range, the cities within it, and Mt. Kujuu to the north. The Aso rim is probably one of the most breathtaking views in all of Kyushu.

If you know a Japanese person living in the area, get them to show you the natural spring inside the caldera which supplies fresh water to the region, the beautiful waterfalls at the local park, and the windmills around the caldera. Feel free to ignore Mount Aso itself as it is basically a smelly pit (smells strongly of rotten eggs) with muddy water at the bottom, and the steam coming out of it is toxic and dangerous to stand downwind of.

Fukuoka (prefecture) city tours

During the winter months (through February), take a ride down a scenic canal in Yanagawa in one of 150 small "kotatsu-bune" boats. In the boat, you keep your legs covered with a "kotatsu" quilt, while sitting at a low table equipped with a charcoal braziers. During the ride you can often enjoy cups of hot sake and mikan (mandarin orange) citrus fruits, common to this area during the winter months.

Fukuoka (prefecture) Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

The local speciality is a version of ramen made from boiled pork bones, known as tonkotsu ramen. It is widely available from a number of street stalls called yatai on the streets of Fukuoka City and Kurume, as well as at the Raumen Stadium in the Canal City entertainment complex.

Fukuoka (prefecture) nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Get out

Fukuoka City hosts the largest entertainment district in Western Japan (i.e., west of Osaka). Situated on the islet of Nakasu between two rivers, with downtown Tenjin on the one side and the transport hub Hakata on the other, there are literally thousands of restaurants, clubs, snack bars and other adult venues to whet the appetite of the fearless traveller. Be warned though, you are best going with a Japanese native, if only to be able to discover the reasonably priced outlets amongst a sea of bunny girls and drunk salarymen.

Destinations in Fukuoka (prefecture):

This page was last edited by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Colin Thompson, Ravikiran Rao, Evan Prodromou and Jani Patokallio, Wikitravel user(s) Episteme, Ashibaka, InterLangBot and Historian and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license

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