Fukuoka

Fukuoka，the capital of Fukuoka prefecture, is the largest city on the island of Kyushu. It has the bustle of Tokyo without the hustle.
Much like Nagasaki, Fukuoka has been a gateway to the world. It is the closest major city in Japan to Korea. In fact, it is closer to Seoul, South Korea geographically than it is to Tokyo.
Perhaps due to its historical contact to the rest of the world, the people of Fukuoka are a very warm and outgoing people. They speak a dialect known as Hakata-ben, which is named after Hakata, the merchant town located outside of the Castle town of Fukuoka. Today Hakata is part of Fukuoka.
Every year it hosts an annual Gion festival where huge ornately decorated floats are paraded through the streets.
Fukuoka is also the home to the Softbank Hawks, a professional baseball team.

Sightseeing:
·Tourists visiting Fukuoka should not miss the beautiful Ohori park located 2 stops west of Tenjin on the subway.

·Fukuoka is the home ground of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, so you can watch baseball games in the Yahoo Dome during the baseball season.

·Near the Yahoo Dome, is a stretch of beach known as Momochihama where visitors can enjoy a bit of swimming and sun. While the water isn't as clean as the waters further west and east in Fukuoka, you can still take a refreshing dip. I recommend the area behind the Seahawk Hotel. It's less crowded during the summer.

·Not too far from the downtown Tenjin area, visitors can go to Dazaifu where you will find the Tenmangu Shrine. This shrine is popular with students as it is dedicated to Sugawara-no-Michizane who was deified as Temman Tenjin or Kanko, the god of culture and scholars. You can get there from Fukuoka/Tenjin Station, Nishitetsu line. About 220 yen. See the link at the bottom of the page.

·In the basement of Eeny Meeny Miny Mo, there is ROBOSQUARE. It is free admission and there you can see and play with different kinds of robots as well as watch some of the engineers at work. Eeny Meeny Miny Mo is near Hakata-Za, the Kabuki Theater.

·If you are visiting in November, be sure to check out the sumo matches held in Fukuoka. You are bound to see some of the sumo out on the streets doing a bit of tourism as well! ·Kabuki Theater is also an experience worth checking out. Check times and prices at the akata-za near Nakasu. If you don't want to stay for the whole show, or don't have so much money to spend, you can watch part of a show for bout 800 yen. Ask at the ticket office.
·Noh Theater is also a cultural experience that some may not want to miss. There is a Noh theater in Ohori Koen. Quite a few productions are held there, some of them free. You can get a schedule in the newsletter printed by Rainbow Plaza (IMS building 8th floor). Don't worry, if you fall asleep during the play, it's almost expected. It's all part of the Noh experience!

Every year it hosts an annual Gion festival where huge ornately decorated floats are paraded through the streets Fukuoka is also the home to the Softbank Hawks, a professional baseball team.

Things to do:

The area is famous for 2 local annual festivals, the Dontaku (May 3-4) and the Yamakasa (July 1-15), both of which are some of Japan's oldest and draw huge crowds.

·A bus ride across the bay is also highly recommended for the sweeping views of the port, the ocean, and outlying islands.

·In the summer, many of the department stores have beer gardens on their roofs with buffet style courses and all you can drink for about 2 hours. If you have a bit of cash (around 3500yen) its a nice way to spend a hot summer evening.
·The park behind Solaria Plaza, Kego Koen, is an interesting place to go in the evening to see some of the younger and more colorful residents of Fukuoka strut their stuff and try to impress the other sex. Don't be surprised if some of these kids try to approach you for a bit of random conversation.

·If you haven't tried karaoke yet, why not try it now? There are many karoake places to choose from, some with costumes you can borrow (just don't try to take them home!!!). If you just want to go for a couple of hours, most have systems where they charge by the hour, morning and afternoon hours being the cheapest. If you want to make a night of it, from 11pm, most have a free time system which means nomihodai (all you can drink) and all you can sing for about 2500 yen until 5am.

·Get out of the city. Although Fukuoka doesn't seem like the premier beach destination city, there are quite a few beautiful beaches in and around Fukuoka city. Most are an easy train ride away. While surfing isn't very good during the summer, a few waves can be caught around Mitoma (take the subway to Kaizuka Stn, then transfer to the Nishitetsu Miyajidake line to Mitoma Stn. Takes about 20 minutes or so. From the station, its a 10 minute walk to the beach) east of the city around the end of August. West of the city, Niginohama and Futamigaura are supposed to have nice waves. To get to Niginohama, you'll need a car. Drive to Maebary IC, head in the shima direction along Kendo 12. Go straight at the intersection in front of Shima town office and turn left at Nogita intersection in front of 7/11. 50 min from Tenjin. To get to Futamigaura, Take a SHOWA bus for Tani from JR Chikuzen Maebaru (so firs take a train to Chikuzen Marburg if you are in Tenjin or Hakata). Get off the bus at Imuta (around 30 minutes). About a 15 minute walk to the beach.

·Club Olympus Fitness Centre & Spa, Grand Hyatt Fukuoka Hotel, 1-2-82 Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku.