Fukuoka, chief town of a prefecture and Japan's tenth largest city, is the administrative, economic and cultural center of the island of Kyushu and one of the most progressive cities in the south of Japan. Situated in Hakata Bay, it is the northern gateway to Kyushu.
The territory of present day Fukuoka is divided into two by the River Naka. Hakata, the older eastern part of the town, was formerly known as Nanotsu, a port and commercial center. To the west of Hakata the castle town of Fukuoka grew up in the 17th C. The two towns were amalgamated in 1889, but Hakata is still mainly the business center, while banks and administrative offices are concentrated in Fukuoka. The city's principal products are electrical, appliances, tools, textiles and foodstuffs; it is also famed for its porcelain dolls (Hakata-ningyo).
Sumiyoshi Shrine is one of the oldest shrines on Kyushu, which like the one at Osaka is dedicated to the protective divinities of seafarers. Particularly impressive is the main building, in classical style (rebuilt 1623). From the shrine, which is surrounded by a grove of Japanese cedars and camphor trees, there is a fine view of the River Naka. The shrine festival in October includes displays of sumo wrestling.
Canal City Hakata is known as a city within the city. The artificial canal runs through the complex which includes hotels, restaurants, an arcade, cinemas, and a theater.
Address: Canal City Hakata, Fukuoka, Kyushu , Japan
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is dedicated to the god of education, making it popular with students wanting to pass exams. Nearby are about 6,000 plum trees.
The Art Museum features Japanese paintings and crafts, pre-modern Korean arts and crafts, western style masterpieces as well as prints, Persian glassware and Chinese, Korean and Japanese works of paintings and applied arts.
Address: Fukuoka Art Museum, 1-6 Ohori-Koen Park, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, Kyushu 810-0051, Japan
Hours:
January 1 to June 30: 9:30am-5:30pm; Closed: Mon
July 1 to August 31: 9:30am-7:30pm; Sun:9:30am-5:30pm; Closed: Mon, Mon
September 1 to December 31: 9:30am-5:30pm; Closed: Mon, Mon, Mon
Tips: Last admission half hour before closing. Group admission available for 20 or more.
The Hakata Machiya Folk Museum is housed in one of the few surviving buildings from the Meiji era. Displays include local crafts and the craftsmen creating live, dioramas of local festivals, and a home typical of a Hakata merchant family.
Kushida Shrine is a well-known Shinto shrine and is Fukuoka's oldest. Founded in 757, the shrine features carvings of the Chinese zodiac and a gingko tree that claims to be 1,000 years old. Each year in July, the shrine hosts the Yamakasa Festival - an event to pray for good health and prosperity. Highlights of the festival include the elaborate floats.
Shofukuji Temple the oldest Zen temple in Japan; it is believed to have been founded in 1195 by a priest named Eisai (1141-1215) at the behest of Minamoto Yoritomo. Eisai had brought Zen Buddhism to Japan from the Court of the Sung dynasty in China. The temple, which belongs to the Rinzai sect, has a bronze bell of Korean type.
Tochoji Temple is the oldest temple in Fukuoka, founded in 806 by the scholar-priest Taishi Kobo. The temple is housed mainly in modern buildings and is noted for the largest wooden statue in Japan. Other highlights include the tombs of the lords of the Kuroda clan, local feudal lords since 1600.
Hours:
9am-5pm
Tips: Refrain from taking photographs inside the temple.
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Fukuoka
