From food to pottery, here’s a list of things you can do in Fukuoka, Japan.
IN July this year, I had the pleasure of living in Fukuoka, Japan for six weeks. It was a fantastic holiday and I wondered why no one had recommended a visit sooner. Air tickets are very affordable and a direct flight takes under eight hours from KL to Fukuoka.
I do recommend that when you decide on a holiday, that you consider staying for a longer period, because rushing through a three-day-two-night stay kind of sucks out the joy of living in a foreign place. When you have a longer, more relaxed holiday, you’re likely to enjoy yourself so much more, and get to know the Japanese way of life. Slow travel is definitely something to consider. Instead of making sure you hit the “hot spots” outlined in a travel guide, it’s actually quite refreshing to focus on things that locals do everyday – going grocery shopping or jogging on the beach.
Located on the northern tip of Kyushu, Fukuoka is one of Japan’s 10 most populated cities, and the largest city on Kyushu. If you are a history buff, you can visit the city museum and learn how it was such an important gateway for trade and culture exchange between Japan and the Korean Peninsula.
Apart from obvious tourist attractions and food, Fukuoka is gorgeously beautiful, safe, clean and orderly. People are courteous and though they don’t speak much English, you’ll get by quite easily with Google Translate.
Here’s a list of things you could try while you’re in town:
Tasty!: There’s so much to try when it comes to food and drink – whether you’re into happy hour all-you-can-eat beer and gyoza, Japanese curries, karaage fried chicken, or delicious pork ramen, a quick Google search will help you find somewhere closeby you can try out. In Summer, I suggest you try out the Kakigori, a Japanese version of ice kacang, but creamier and mainly all about the fine shaved ice. You might also want to sample the “eating alone” concept where you sit in a single-seating booth, or a “flavour concentration booth”, so that you can focus on your food. The Ichiran chain of restaurants is a good place to try this out. Many of these restaurants have a vending machine style ordering system. Another interesting concept is the standing bar, where people stand, chat and have a sake or two at the counters – yes, there are no seats, so be prepared!
Mould me: One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed was tyring out pottery. At Cafe Yu, in Fukuoka’s trendy Daimyo district, you can enjoy a lovely cup of coffee, and also learn pottery. There’s a one-day pottery making workshop that doesn’t take more than a couple of hours, although you will have to wait for over a month to get your final masterpiece after it has gone through the firing and glazing process. Not to worry, the good folk at Cafe Yu will mail your handiwork to you. Note: The class is in Japanese, but it’s easy enough to follow instructions.
Flower power: If it’s flowers you love, you absolutely must visit the Nokonoshima Island Park which is a 10-minute ferry ride away from Meinohama, and has seasonal flowers all year long. Apart from the beautiful flowers (in Summer, you’ll be dazzled by sunflowers, in Spring, sakura, azalea and poppies, cosmos in Fall and camellia in Winter), the island park also houses a traditional Japanese townscape and a little petting zoo with goats and rabbits. Instagram fans you’ll love the photo opportunities that abound here.
Tourist must-sees: There’s heaps to keep you busy in Fukuoka from the Art Musuem (which has a good international selection including Dali and Chagall, as well as local Kyushu-born artists) and its surrounding areas such as Ohori Park and Japanese Gardens. Fukuoka also has many interesting shrines like the Atago Shrine, the oldest shrine in Fukuoka from where you’ll get wonderful views of the nearby islands and the city. The Tenjin Chikagai is the largest underground shopping mall in Kyushu stretching 590m. It’s worth checking out if only for the European style flagstone floors, arabesque design ceilings …. and the incredible baked cheese tarts from Bake. Momochihama Seaside Park is a 2.5km long wonderful man-made beach with lots of little restaurants, a beautiful view of the Hakata Bay and a jogging/cycling path that’s always full of activity. The Fukuoka Tower is right by the park and is worth going up too. At 234m it is the tallest seaside tower in Japan.
