Fukuoka is Kyushu Island’s largest City and has some great local food. Being more spread out than other cities of Japan, Fukuoka offers a great location to perfect your sporting ability. One of the top Baseball teams is here, as is one of the top Rugby High schools of all Japan. Fukuoka offers Festivals, Shopping, and great soul food. The dialect is a little different from other areas of Kyushu Island, something that the local are proud of.
Fukuoka is Kyushu Island’s largest city (and Japan’s sixth largest) and still growing. It’s made up of two former towns, the Fukuoka castle town on the west bank of the Naka-gawa and Hakata on the east. The two towns merged in 1889 and became Fukuoka City, although the name Hakata is still widely in use (for instance, if you arrive by a flight you will arrive into Fukuoka Airport, and if you arrive by train you will arrive into Hakata Station).
Hakata traces its trading history back some 2000 years, which continues today with visitors from Seoul and Shanghai. Among Japanese, the city is famed for its ‘Hakata bijin’ (beautiful women), SoftBank Hawks baseball team are one of the most talented, and if in Hakata you must try Hakata ramen noodles, as well as sit at one of the outside stalls after the sun goes down and try some of the local street food.
Fukuoka’s warmth and friendliness make it a great gateway to Kyushu Island, and warm weather and contemporary attractions – art, architecture, shopping and cuisine – make it a good base for regional excursions.
