Things To Do In Fukuoka

I am a total travel addict and if I see opportunities to travel with my family, I immediately plan a short trip to visit a new place.  

When my daughter got her short  break from school as well as my husband from work, I immediately plan our trip to Fukuoka, Japan.
I drafted our itinerary with excitement to see some interesting tourist spots to visit in Fukuoka and of course to try their original “Hakata Ramen”.

Arrived Fukuoka. Daughter buying train ticket going to Hakata Station (this is where our hotel is located)

Fukuoka, capital of Fukuoka Prefecture, sits on the northern shore of Japan’s Kyushu Island.  Fukuoka is best known for its temples, shrines, beaches, shopping malls and for it’s Hakata Ramen.  After checking-in at Hotel Centraza Hotel, the first thing we do is head to the “Ramen Stadium”.

Other Resources: Beppu, Japan: Experience the sand & mud bath
Other Interesting Places in Japan: Thing to do in Yufuin, Japan

The Canal City Hakata

Canal City Hakata is a huge colorful shopping complex in Fukuoka, Japan.  The shopping complex centered around an artificial canal and it’s called “a city within a city”.  Canal City Hakata consists of 250 shops, numerous cafes and restaurants, two hotels, movie theaters and a performance theaters.

It’s a huge shopping building split into different sections, and all of these sections are filled with cafes, ornament shops, children shops, ladies boutique, mens wear, restaurants and amusement center.

The “Ramen Stadium” is located at the 5th floor of the Canal City Hakata.
Ramen Stadium is a collection of Japan’s most iconic ramen shops. They have eight different Ramen shops from all over Japan.

Finally…we reached the Ramen Stadium.  I guess we were the last one to dine-in since our flight got delayed from Dalian, China

This photo was taken at the Ramen Stadium (5th floor Canal City Hakata)

HOW TO DINE:

1.  Buy a ticket from the meal ticket vending machine (the machine has multiple languages).
2. Choose the kind of ramen you want
3. Give your ticket to the attendant
4. Take a seat and enjoy your ramen

Different types of soup base: Salt base soup, pig-bone soup, soy base soup, and miso base soup.

During our first night my husband and I tried the pig-bone soup base (very good!) and my daughter tried the miso base (yummy too!), then after few days we decided to come back again and tried another version and I would say…Japanese ramen REALLY good – very tasty!

This Ramen experience must be your no. 1 things to do in Fukuoka.

How to go to Canal City Hakata:
About 15 minutes walk from Hakata Station or in about 20 minutes from Tenjin Station.

Fukuoka Castle Ruins (Maisuru Park)

The Fukuoka castle was not able to complete its erection. What they’ve got was just the base (foundation) of the castle. The memorials, gates, pits, and stone walls are uniquely beautiful.  The height of the beauty of this place is during the cherry blossoms bloom in spring.

How to go to Fukuoka Castle Ruins:
5-min walk from Ohori Koen station

Ohori Park

Ohori Park is a beautiful park with a huge pond in the middle.  The name Ohori means “moat around the castle”. It became the name of this area and the park.

This pond was once part of the moat system for Fukuoka Castle. The pathway of about 2 kilometers around the pond in the park is quite popular amongst tourists, joggers, and dog walkers.

How to get to Ohori Park:
Few steps from Ohori Koen Subway Station or about 10 minutes from Hakata Station.

Ohori Park Japanese Garden

Inside the Ohori Park, they have this “Japanese Garden”.  A Japanese style garden with a pond surrounded by manicured plants and dry landscape, small streams, and a small hill.

The garden is designed in the scenic promenade style, which follows the traditional Japanese garden making techniques while combining some modern features.

Opening Hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm
(last entrance by 4:45 pm. Exception: June, July, August 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, last entrance by 5:45 pm)

Closed:  Every Monday

Entrance Fee:
Adult: 240 Yen
Children: 120 Yen

Daienji Temple

It was constructed in 1060 (Heian Period). Once being torn down, it was restored and was reconstructed by the founder of Fukuoka Clan, Kuroda Kanbe, and his wife during the Edo Period as a temple of the Jodo sect.

It’s a 38.358m tall wooden five-story pagoda (red pagoda)

How to get to Daienji Temple:
About 25 minutes walk from Ohori Park

Hakozaki Shrine

This shrine shares the title alongside Iwashimizu and Usa. It is also called Hakozaki Hachimangu and has many national important cultural properties, such as the main shrine, the front shrine, the tower gate, the torii gate, and the stone lanterns.

This photo was taken at the front gate before entering the Hakozaki shrine

I am now passing the second gate before reaching the Hakozaki shrine.

The Hakozaki shrine –  Fukuoka, Japan

Since we are not allowed to go inside, this is the closest view I could take inside the shrine.

When we visited the Hakozaki shrine, we were able to witness a Japanese wedding ceremony.

How to get to Hakozaki Shrine:
Hakozaki Miyamae subway station or Nishitetsu “Hakozaki” bus stop

This travel with Jeng seeks to encourage more people to explore and travel the world to live life to the fullest! It’s all about the adventures, the different cultures, the people, different food exploration, the journey to make your travel experience FUN with EASE!

======================

This article was brought to you by Travelwithjeng.com. I’d love to hear your suggestions for future topics and if you have any questions on how to make your travel easier & more fun – please leave me a comment below.

I hope this help with making your travel decision!