After our month in Kyoto, we took the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kyoto Station to Fukuoka (Hakata Station). Fukuoka is a cool city that is much less crowded and touristy than Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. However, there isn’t a whole ton to do in the city itself, especially if you’re like us and staying one month in Fukuoka, Japan.
Explore Fukuoka City
One of top things to see is Ohori Park. This park is huge with a large pond at its center. From here you can also walk to Maizuru Park to see Fukuoka Castle Ruins. These areas are beautiful and great for a relaxing day out.
Get a Great View From Fukuoka Tower
Boasting the tallest seaside tower in Japan, Fukuoka Tower have a great observation deck that overlooks the beach. From Hakata Station you can get the 306 bus and from Tenjin Station you can get bus W1 or 302. All these buses drop you off right out front of Fukuoka Tower. The fee for the observation deck is 800 yen (~$5.30 USD) per adult. Either before or after visiting Fukuoka Tower, you can walk around Momochihama Beach. We left the observation deck a little before sunset and instead watched it on the beach.
Check Out teamLab Forest Fukuoka
Another of teamLab’s interactive art exhibits, this one allows you to use the app to catch and collect animals. It was much less crowded than its counterparts in Tokyo, meaning we were able to explore and get pictures with little to no people around. I believe we booked the tickets via Klook for around $16 USD per person.
Visit Canal City in Fukuoka, Japan
Canal City is a huge mall in Fukuoka, Japan that has a pretty cool light show at night. We were there around Christmas, so we got to see a Christmas show and then waited around to an awesome Gundam light show. This mall also has a ton of cool shops and eateries. The Kirby Cafe is here too if you’re interested. You can book reservations here, but it requires a Japan phone number. Sean and I just made one up, so you don’t necessarily need it.
Going back to Gundam, if you’re a Gundam fan, also check out LaLaport Fukuoka. They have a giant Gundam statue outside that moves every hour and – I think – also has a show in the evenings.
Take the Bus to Sakurai Futamigaura’s Couple Stones
While staying one month in Fukuoka, Japan, seeing the beach and especially the couple stones is a must. It’s a bit of a bus ride from the main city (I believe it took around an hour from Tenjin Station). But it’s a beautiful bus ride and the beach was really enjoyable. The Sakurai Futamigaura’s Couple Stones are two large stones jutting out of the water, attached by a Shinto rope. It looks like a great spot for sunset, but it was also a lovely way to spend a few hours during the day. For lunch we stopped at Beach Cafe SUNSET that had a really good vibe, delicious food, and a great view.
Visit Dazaifu in Fukuoka, Japan
Another easy day trip from Fukuoka, Japan is Dazaifu. This area is best known for Tenmangu Shrine. The area was free to enter and was breathtaking during the autumn. The area itself is very relaxing and we, besides walking around Tenmangu Shrine, we also visited Kanzeon-ji and the remains of Dazaifu’s Government Office while searching for Pokemon manhole covers. For lunch, we had some delicious soba at Sakadoya near Tenmangu Shrine.
Day Trip to Takachiho Gorge Near Fukuoka, Japan
Takachiho Gorge is a must do when visiting Fukuoka, Japan. Unless you have your own car, the easiest way to get here is to book a tour. We booked a tour through Klook that included transportation to and from Fukuoka city, the visit to Takachiho Gorge, the Takachiho train ride, and a visit to Kumamoto Castle. The price for all of this was around $51 USD per person. It’s definitely worth it as the gorge is incredible!
Buy The JR Pass Kyushu
If you’re planning on exploring areas around Fukuoka, Japan – and I would recommend you do – the JR pass for the Kyushu region might be worth the money. We wanted to visit Beppu and Nagasaki so doing a bit of math showed us that buying the 3 day JR pass (a cost of $80 USD per person) just for North Kyushu region would be worth it. This pass allows you unlimited use of various trains and buses in the region. Definitely check the trains you can use it for before you book it.
But we were able to take the trains to Nagasaki and Beppu and book reserved seats with no extra costs. To get the pass, we ordered it on Klook then went to the JR Pass office at Hakata station to use the voucher to get our tickets. Make sure you have the voucher and your passports. Then you can go to the green ticket kiosks to reserve your seats. It’s actually super easy once you do it.
Go From Fukuoka, Japan to Nagasaki
Nagasaki is where the second atomic bomb was dropped (after Hiroshima). It’s a beautiful city with an extremely sad history. But I definitely think it needs to be visited to learn about it. While there we visited Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, the Sanno Shrine one-legged Torii Gate, the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, the Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Monument, and the Peace Park. The cost of the museum was 200 yen (~$2 USD) per person – the rest of it was free.
After exploring and learning more about this tragic event, we also took the Nagasaki Ropeway up to Mount Inasa overlook. The price of a round trip ticket on the ropeway were 1,250 yen (~$8 USD) per adult. But I believe you can also hike up to the overlook. The view is beautiful, especially around sunset and at night.
Enjoy the Hot Spring Town of Beppu
Beppu is a hot spring town with a ton of onsens. Known for it’s 7 Hells of Beppu, you can buy tickets to visit each of these areas. You can either buy a combo ticket to see all 7 or you can pay to see however many you want. We visited two of the seven.
Visit a Hot Spring
Another thing we wanted to check off was going to an onsen in Japan. It’s not something we’ve done yet as we know a lot aren’t tattoo friendly. But we found one that had both private onsens and was tattoo friendly, call Hyotan Onsen. It’s apparently the only Michelin star hot spring in Japan. The family baths (or private rooms) start at 2,400 yen (~$16 USD) for up to 3 adults for 60 minutes. It was a unique experience and relaxing, but make sure you drink plenty of water. Sean got really dizzy from the hot water.
Eat a Hot Spring Steamed Meal
After the hot spring, we got lunch at Jigoku Mushi Kobo Kannawa. This is a popular place, especially with tourists as you can steam your food over the hot springs. You order your food at the ticket machine and then wait for your number to call. It’s a cool experience and the food was actually pretty yummy.
Catch Sunset at Kifune Castle
We walked to Kifune Castle and happened to be the only ones there right before they closed. It costs 300 yen (~$2 USD) per person to enter. The man working there used a notebook to communicate with us in English and gave us the history of the castle. The inside isn’t particularly impressive but the sunset view from the roof deck was pretty great, especially with no one else there. I think it’s worth and visit (you might even get to see an albino python).
Final Tips for Visiting Fukuoka, Japan
If you happen to be visiting around Christmas time, make sure to check out all the Christmas markets. We were surprised by how well they did these markets. They had delicious apple cider and hot chocolate as well.