Each year, the travel guide publishing company Lonely Planet releases their Best in Travel lists, which are intended to shine a spotlight on various up-and-coming destinations across the globe. For the 2023 iteration of these lists they focused on five specific categories – Eat, Journey, Connect, Learn, and Unwind – and Fukuoka in Kyushu made it onto the Eat list.
For anyone who has visited this part of Japan before, this may not come as a surprise. The region is known for a variety of top-notch cuisine, most notably represented by the prefecture's signature dish of Hakata ramen. Traditional yatai stalls are a popular tourist attraction in the city, and the coastal location of the urban area means that seafood lovers are in for a treat.
Of course, there are plenty of other reasons to explore Fukuoka aside from the food on offer. Fukuoka Tower offers some great views out over the city, Canal City is a dream for both shopaholics and fans of unique architecture, Nanzōin Temple is home to an impressively large reclining Buddha statue, and the picturesque Ohori Park offers some tranquil respite from the hustle and bustle of city life.
If you're planning a visit to Fukuoka in the future, be sure to explore more things to see and do in the area on our website. If you enjoy experience-based travel, this list is a great place to start.
Getting there
Fukuoka can be accessed by train from Tokyo via the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen, with the travel time sitting at approximately five hours.
The region is also serviced by Fukuoka Airport (airport code FUK) which handles both domestic and international flights, plus the JR Beetle ferry which connects Fukuoka City to Busan in South Korea.
