Fukuoka is one of the largest cities in Japan and is located in the north of Kyushu. It’s similar to many big Japanese cities but still offers some differences due to the more southern location. Many people will visit the city to board the ferries bounded to Busan. But it’s worth it to consider staying there for another night before your departure date. As many cities in Japan the city is close to the ocean and has a big harbor. However in contrast to other cities Fukuoka also has nice beaches which are very close to the city centre.
How to get there and go around in the city
Fukuoka is very easily reachable by train from both the western part of Honshu and other parts of Kyushu. The main station is Hakata Station in the eastern part of the city not too far away from the airport. To get around the city you can use the metro system which unfortunately has a few gaps in some city parts. So you should be comfortable with some walking. But you also have to be careful around the ocean area as the streets there can be very confusing. I accidentally walked several kilometres too much on my search for a beach.
The sights of Fukuoka
My first stop in Fukuoka was the area of Fukuoka Castle and Ohori Park. The castle dates back to the 16th century. Later in 1871, most of the castle was abandoned and destroyed leaving it in its current shape. Therefore, mostly the ruins of the castle remain visible without many buildings. The gates and castle walls are better preserved and partially reconstructed. You can enjoy a nice view of Fukuoka from the top of the former castle building. Next to the stone foundation of the castle are stairs which go up a few metres.
Ohori Park next to the castle area is a great place to relax and enjoy the good weather when you have it. I walked there along the big lake after my visit to the castle.
The next spot on my walk through Fukuoka was Nishi Park. It’s closer to the sea, north of Ohori Park. I went ther in hope to find another great view of the city as the park is located on a hill. Although there’s only a good view of the harbor area it was still nice walking through the nature and greenery. The best viewpoint in the park is on the eastern side close to a parking space.
After Nishi Park I made a bad decision and decided to go to the nearest beach to relax for awhile. I didn’t know that this decision led me to a several kilometre long walk through Fukuoka. The first beach I went to was fenced off, and then I got to a secluded yacht area. I even somehow got into a street construction site. One construction worker there gave me a really weird look and I chose to go back to the main street.
I checked my phone there and looked on the map for some other nearby beaches. I saw that there’s a big beach next to Fukuoka Tower and as I wanted to go there anyway it was my next destination.
At first, I thought Fukuoka Tower would be a normal skyscraper, because it’s very voluminous from the distance. Just when I came closer I was able to see that it’s actually a TV Tower. But my first destination was the beach as I wanted to save the tower for sunset. The beach is very wide with clean sand and a few beach bars. So you can just sit and drink while enjoying the oceanview. Or even sunbathe when it’s warm. During my visit in December it wasn’t very cold, around 15 degrees, and it was nice to just sit there for some minutes. As the sun slowly started to set it was time to go up Fukuoka Tower.
With a height of 234m Fukuoka Tower is one of the tallest observation towers in Japan. You can go on top for 800 Yen. The view from up there is very nice although there are many reflections when it gets darker. You can look across all of Fukuoka to the mountains behind the city. I roughly spent an hour up there to see both the sunset and the illuminated city at night. Additionally, the tower is also very beautifully illuminated from the outside and offers some great photo motives. The downside is the relatively long way from the tower to the metro. You have to walk for two kilometres from Nishijin Station.
Before I went back to Hakata Station I did a short visit at Canal City Mall. It has an unique design as it’s both an indoor and outdoor mall. You can enter the shops from both sides, so when you have a nice comfy weather you can walk outside. I also walked outside, but because of another reason. The name Canal City can be taken literally, as there’s a water canal with many water fountains going through the mall.
There are also other nice places in Fukuoka I haven’t visited. For example shrines and temples like Sumiyoshi-jinja, Kushida-jinja or Dazaifu-Tenman-gu. Many of them have a history of over 1000 years.