North Kyushu Independent Travel | Fukuoka City Attractions | Tenjin Underground Mall | Ohori Park | Canal City Hakata

North Kyushu Independent Travel | Fukuoka City Attractions | Tenjin Underground Mall | Ohori Park | Canal City Hakata | One-Day Transit Pass

Fukuoka is one of the Japanese metropolises closest to Taiwan. With a flight time of just over two hours, it has become a Japanese city that Taiwanese travelers visit again and again.

Fukuoka City lies in northern Kyushu, in the western part of Fukuoka Prefecture. It is Kyushu's largest city and its political, economic and transport hub. Facing Hakata Bay, the city was anciently known as Hakata and served as the gateway to the East Asian continent; as early as the medieval period it developed into a self-governing merchant town. The city is full of cultural and historical sights — Fukuoka Castle, for instance, is one of Japan's 100 Fine Castles. Fukuoka enjoys a mild climate with an average annual temperature of about 17°C, making it one of the warmest of Japan's major cities.

For this guide, Fukuoka's attractions are divided into several districts:

Nakasu-Kawabata area
Tenjin area
Chuo Ward

Nakasu-Kawabata Area

Broadly speaking, this area lies between Gion and Tenjin. It includes the famous Kushida Shrine, Canal City Hakata for shopping and dining, and the Kawabata Shopping Arcade at the heart of local life — plus one of Fukuoka's red-light districts. It's a lively area where history and modernity blend together.

Kushida Shrine

Address: 〒812-0026 1-41 Kamikawabata-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Opening hours: 04:00 ~ 22:00
Admission: Free
Official website: https://www.hakatayamakasa.com/61866.html

Standing at the far end of the Kawabata Shopping Arcade, Kushida Shrine has a very long history. Since ancient times it has been worshipped as Hakata's guardian deity and chief protector, drawing the devotion of locals. It hosts the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival in July and the Hakata Okunchi festival in October. Located right in the city center, Kushida Shrine is one of the shrines visitors to Fukuoka simply must see.

A "Kazari Yamakasa" float from the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival

The Hakata Gion Yamakasa is a votive ritual held at Kushida Shrine's grand Gion festival, in which the people of Hakata pray to ward off summer illnesses. If you're interested, here's some further reading: https://ohmatsuri.com/zh/articles/fukuoka-hakata-gion-yamakasa

The Inari Shrine within Kushida Shrine

The side entrance to Kushida Shrine

Canal City Hakata

Canal City, with an artificial canal running right through it

Address: 〒812-0018 1-2 Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Opening hours: 10:00 ~ 21:00
Official website: https://canalcity.co.jp/

Canal City Hakata is a shopping and entertainment complex in the heart of Fukuoka, and a large mall that everyone visiting the city ends up browsing. A canal runs through the middle of the complex — the source of its name. It's a mixed-use mall with a cinema, theater, arcade, exhibition space and shopping, plus plenty of food: not only the square-bowl "Ichiran Ramen" but also a "Ramen Stadium" gathering ramen from all over Kyushu. That said, after walking around I personally felt Tenjin might be the better shopping district — so do check out both places for yourself.

Floor guide: https://canalcity.co.jp/files/floormap_zh-tw.pdf

The fountain show inside Canal City Hakata

Canal City Hakata is home to many international brands

Canal City Hakata is just over ten minutes' walk from Hakata Station, and if you're coming from Kushida Shrine you can take a skywalk straight there! Exit from the side of Kushida Shrine and you'll find a hidden pedestrian bridge that leads directly to Canal City — there's an escalator inside the building that takes you right up onto the bridge.

Kawabata Shopping Arcade

Address: 〒812-0026 10 Kamikawabata-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Opening hours: Varies by shop
Official website: http://www.hakata.or.jp/

The Kawabata Shopping Arcade, a hub of daily life for residents, stretches 400 meters between Nakasu-Kawabata subway station and Canal City Hakata, and has more than a century of history. It brings together all kinds of restaurants, clothing shops, general goods stores and more — just like the shopping arcades found in cities large and small across Japan, it's part of everyday local life. What makes it special is that it isn't just a shopping street: it's also one of the key venues for Hakata's annual "Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival"!

Shop directory: (if the image doesn't load, please go straight to the Kawabata Shopping Arcade official site)

The entrance facing Nakasu-Kawabata subway station

Ichiran Head Office Main Store

Address: 〒810-0801 5-3-2 Nakasu, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Opening hours: 09:00 ~ 02:00
Payment: Cash only
Official website: https://ichiran.com/shop/kyushu/sohonten/

Ichiran Ramen, famous in Taiwan too, has its head main store right here in Nakasu-Kawabata, Fukuoka! Ichiran originated in Fukuoka, Kyushu, so naturally its flagship is in downtown Fukuoka, near the exit of Nakasu-Kawabata subway station. Although Ichiran only occupies the first and second floors, the entire building is hung with Ichiran lanterns, making it look very impressive.

What's unusual is that the main store deliberately incorporates Fukuoka's yatai (street food stall) culture: the first floor, "Ichiran Yatai," has ordinary seating, while the second floor has the individual booth seats everyone knows. And if you look carefully at all those red lanterns, you'll spot the one and only white lantern!

The one and only white lantern

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Tenjin Area

Shintencho Shopping Arcade

Address: 〒810-0001 2-9 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Opening hours: Varies by shop
Official website: http://www.shintencho.or.jp/

The Shintencho Shopping Arcade is a historic arcade near Tenjin Station, with clothing stores, drugstores, restaurants and more. Personally, though, I didn't find it that great for browsing — if you're already at the Tenjin Underground Mall, you might just swing by to see the landmark clock tower.

The landmark clock tower

At the entrance stands this large musical chiming clock, which starts up on the hour, much like the clocks found in some European cities. It's also decorated differently for various holidays and festivals.

Tenjin Underground Mall

Address: The underground mall running between "Tenjin Station" on the Airport Line and "Tenjin-Minami Station" on the Nanakuma Line
Opening hours: 10:00 ~ 20:00 (restaurants until 21:00)
Official website: https://www.tenchika.com/

When it comes to shopping in Fukuoka, the most recommended spot — and the one that shows up most often in Google search results — has to be the "Tenjin Underground Mall." Tenjin is also Kyushu's largest shopping district, packed with department stores whose basement levels all connect to the underground mall. It's about as complex as the underground beneath Taipei Main Station, so it's hard not to get lost on your first visit!

The Tenjin Underground Mall runs for about 600 meters and holds more than 150 shops — fashion boutiques, restaurants, general goods stores and more — in a spacious, beautifully designed setting.

Here's the shop map:

https://www.tenchika.com/tenchika-map/

Besides shopping, the Tenjin Underground Mall is worth visiting just to appreciate its varied design. At the junction connecting to the PARCO department store there's the Tenjin Kappa no Izumi (Kappa Fountain), which even hosts light shows during the holiday season.

Another distinctive feature is the restrooms in the Tenjin Underground Mall: each section has its own theme, and they're all designed with real style. While you're browsing the mall, you can go browse the restrooms too (?)

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Chuo Ward

Ohori Park

Address: 〒810-0051 1 Ohorikoen, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Opening hours: 24 hr
Official website: https://www.ohorikouen.jp/

Ohori Park sits in Chuo Ward and covers 39.8 hectares, serving as a place for locals to relax and unwind. There's actually plenty to see here: a Japanese garden, an art museum, a children's play area, boat rentals and more — and during cherry blossom season it's one of the top hanami spots.

The adjoining Maizuru Park is packed with cherry trees

Fukuoka Castle Ruins

Fukuoka Castle, also known as Maizuru Castle or Seki Castle, is today a nationally designated historic site of Japan. The ruins lie in Maizuru Park right next to Ohori Park, so if you're visiting Ohori Park, be sure to stop by!

2019 North Kyushu Independent Travel:

2019 North Kyushu Independent Travel: Full Itinerary Overview

Day 1: Kokura

Day 2: Mojiko and Shimonoseki

North Kyushu Independent Travel | Mojiko Attractions | Getting from Kokura to Mojiko | Mojiko Retro District | Kaikyo Plaza
North Kyushu Independent Travel | Mojiko Food | BEAR FRUIT Baked Curry | Mojiko Specialty | Must-Eat in Mojiko
North Kyushu Independent Travel | Shimonoseki Attractions | Getting from Mojiko to Shimonoseki | Karato Market | Shimonoseki Treaty Memorial Hall | Akama Shrine

Day 3: Yufuin

Days 4~5: Fukuoka

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Travel Sean

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