I’m moving down to Fukuoka for work next month, and I’ve never been before. What’s Kyushu like? What are some interesting places to visit, and where are places to avoid? I’ve seen a lot of news about floods, but how bad was flooding around Fukuoka? What’s winter like? I’ve heard it doesn’t snow much at all.
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Winter cold. Summer hot. Not much interesting in Fukuoka, less crowded but also less stores / restaurants / attractions.
I went to Kyushu last year I think. More precisely fukuoka and nagasaki. I haven’t found nicer people than the one from Nagasaki. As for places to visit, there is a big laying Buddha in fukuoka and in Nagasaki you can see gunkanjima and other abandoned islands to get a “last of us” vibe.
Fukuoka is a large city with a great balance of nice people, convenience, accessibility, great food and access to nature, and relatively international for a Japanese city. Definitely one of the best cities in Japan to live in, afaik.
However, if you come from a major metropolis like Tokyo or Osaka, it will obviously be much smaller and may at times feel a bit quiet.
lots of hakata bijin . enjoy!
You’re incredibly lucky. Fukuoka isn’t much of a tourist spot but it’s probably my favorite city in Japan. Perfect size and people are incredibly friendly.
Lived 3 years in Fukuoka.
Very well-planned city. Imagine an airport that’s 5 minute away from the city!
Very nice people, top-notch Tonkatsu Ramen and Mentaiko, low crime-rate.
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Imagine a typical non-touristic Japan. Probably not a fun place to entertain, but a nice place to live.
Drove counterclockwise from Fukuoka, NagasKi, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Beppu, and back to Fukuoka. Had an absolutely great time.
I live in Fukuoka. It’s great. Flooding happens in every prefecture. Don’t live in a hazard zone and it’s no problem really. We get a few inches of snow once or twice a year.
I lived in Fukuoka for four years and would gladly have stayed if work hadn’t taken me elsewhere. Best city I’ve lived in in Japan.
Hard to pinpoint a recommended place to visit, the city doesn’t have much in the way of tourist attractions, but the city itself is a kind of attraction. Exploring downtown – Tenjin, Ohori Koen, Nakasu, Canal City and Hakata (all in walking distance of each other) is a lot of fun, if the weather cooperates.
Depending on your personality you may find Kyushu more fun than Tokyo area.
I lived down there in the late 90’s for a few years. People were much nicer and friendly than Tokyo, I used to get the random hello from people walking on the street in Hakata or someone striking up a conversation on the train. That never happens in Tokyo.
Must eat the ramen it is the best imho 長浜ナンバーワン in Hakata. If you get up to Kitakyushu stop by the Yahata no Chanpon in front of Yahata Station 八幡のチャンポン .
Fukuoka has some nice beaches, check out Umi no nakamichi 海の中道 , there are resorts and aquarium near there.
Lot’s of outdoor activities, biking, hiking, fishing, also easy to find a bbq spot.
Winters can be brutal and feels colder than Kanto but without much snow. The wind coming down from Korea is freezing.
Speaking of Korea, you can hop on the hydrofoil ferry from Hakata to Pusan for a day trip to Korea.
It’s been twenty years since I have been down there but I had a great time. I’m a bit jealous. Back then I used to get lots of stares and people commenting “がいじんおる” or “look! a foreigner” almost every 30 minutes. I wonder if that still goes on?
Nice people, barely any snow and if it snows it’s pretty much gone the moment it hits the ground. We get less natural disasters and it’s less seismically active than other places in Japan. Flooding can happen anywhere but you need to check the hazard map for where you move before you decide.
I could sum it up for you as beaches, mountains, baseball and ramen. Great place to live if you’re a bit outdoorsy and speak Japanese (or want to learn).
Fukuoka-shi is generally safe when it comes to floods, although this year came very close. When you go south towards Kurume-shi, things get dicey because it usually floods with heavy rain. I would advise against living in the first floor.
No need to sugar coat it summers are hell (but then again it’s the same everywhere in Japan I guess, except Hokkaido?). I like other seasons a lot more. It snows every 3-4 years.
It’s not a major tourist destination, and there isn’t much sightseeing to do *within* the city. But an hour or so driving will let you enjoy beaches (Itoshima), mountains (Aburayama is pretty close), rivers, falls. The rest of Kyushu is reachable with the train; Yanagawa has multiple matsuri and even though it is a bit touristy I can recommend the canal rides. Nagasaki has Dejima – a small settlement that was used by the Portuguese and Dutch during the isolation period. Miyazaki has Takachiho – an amazing gorge and I highly recommend a boat trip. Beppu has great onsens.
If you are interested in Art there are always some exhibitions going around. Of course not as much as Tokyo or Kyoto. Same with anime events. It’s a smaller city after all.
Cost of living is cheaper compared to Tokyo.
There aren’t any dangerous places. Kitakyushu is known for the yankees, but then again don’t do something stupid and you’ll be fine.
It’s beautiful. Go to Mt Aso if you can.
Fukuoka is great, Kyushu is beautiful.
I guess the only criticism is that there is perhaps a bit of “fear of missing out” for some so not for everyone.
Has one of the best burger places in Japan, everything sourced and run by an American: U. S. burger. I’ve been all over Japan and lived in the states as a trucker, I’ve tried practically every burger out there, this is one of the best.
There was a joke to avoid Kitakyushu because you might find a grenade flying in your direction.
No clue if it still holds up though.
You’ve moved to the best region.
Fukuoka?RAMEN RAMEN RAMEN RAMEN EVERYWHERE and it’s the best you can get.Than you have the best hot springs spots Harazuru in Fukuoka,Beppu in Ohita and much more.OGURA castle in Fukuokaand Kumamoto castle.(sorry for the messed up grammar still learning)
Love Kyushu. The Hakata ramen is great. My favorite city is Yufuin.
im quite surprised by the commenters saying that fukuoka isnt a touristy city as I feel like there are plenty of reasons people would want to go there, but maybe thats just because its the closest “big city” to where I live. Must try fukuoka foods: tonkotsu ramen, motsu nabe, mentaiko juu. Yatai can be a little touristy but are totally worth the experience. Some very nice beaches on the coast north of the city. places i like within day trip distance from fukuoka: nagasaki, beppu, mojiko/shimonoseki. the rest of kyushu is fairly easy to get around by train. in conclusion fukuoka/ northern kyushu is amazing!
Fukuoka is a great city and the places everyone else have listed get a thumb up from me (especially Beppu, amazing day out). One I’d like to add is Hita. It’s a smallish place with an Edo period style shopping street. Spend a few hours browsing the shops, try some of their famous yakisoba, and some wagashi for desert. I enjoyed it so much I went twice.
We currently live in Kurume and work in Fukuoka City. Generally, we don’t do too much weekend sightseeing or dining in Fukuoka these days, but when we did, I really enjoyed Fukuoka City over Tokyo or Kobe (and to put perspective on my opinions, I was born and lived in NYC for most of my life before relocating to Japan).
WEATHER: From my perspective, it’s really easy to live in Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka-ken, and Kyushu in general, especially if you don’t mind a subtropical climate. The rainy season is pretty short (May-June). Summers are hot and humid (mostly late July-August). September-November is fine outdoor weather. Not much snow, but it’s pretty when it falls. Sometimes the wind in winter is bad (especially in the places where there are tall buildings), but tolerable. Dress in layers for the winter, and buy quick-drying work clothing for the summer!
FLOODS, LANDSLIDES, QUAKES: It all depends on where you live. Most of the flooding that just happened was on the riverbank areas (ie. places where you expect flooding). The same goes for the landslide areas (well-known as high-risk). Fukuoka-shi isn’t a high seismic area.
Specifically, the latest flooding in Fukoka-shi was not anywhere near most of the work spots, but the trains were canceled.
PLACES OF INTEREST: As folks mentioned, there are many outdoor things to do and see (beaches, mountains, etc.) lots of museums, historic sites, outer city tours, etc…waaay too much to list here. The trains are very convenient and not too crowded on the weekends.
Depending on what type of person you are, and what type of things interest you, the things I find awesome might not be that great in your eyes. For example, I like gardens, lakes, and mountains, but that might not be your thing. In any case, if you look around a bit and like to try new things it’s really hard to get bored here. Don’t overlook traveling outside the city.
FOOD: The food all over Kyshu is generally amazing, and the restaurant competition is strong so, unlike some neighborhoods in Tokyo, it’s hard for mediocre places to survive. Beyond the obvious ramen, there are lots of other local dishes to try (chanpon, gobo-ten, yakitori, etc.). Don’t Definitely do your own cooking from time to time as the fruit, produce, meat and fish here is AMAZING. And if you want authentic tonkatsu ramen…come to Kurume, where it was invented. There are dozens of shops waiting to serve you delicious (and really affordable) Kurume ramen LOL.
PLACES TO AVOID: none come to mind (except for girls bars and the yatai crowds LOL).
Fukuoka is great! Good city as others have said. Connected to kinki and honshu by the shinkansen of course. Also it’s easy to access the rest of Kyushu which is amazing and people are super friendly in Kyushu.
Fukuoka imo has the best balance of all landscapes and elements of Japanese living. It’s urban, but has a nice beach and is within close proximity to the mountains and countryside. It has good public transport, its own sports teams, a large arena/music venue, shopping, restaurants, and is large enough with all of these things yet is all still quite walkable. You’ve got the airport and seaport and the Shinkansen, and you’re a just a train ride away from some great natural onsen and other nice cities like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Kyushu is lovely and the people are generally very friendly and warm. I’d say you’re quite lucky!
Kyushu is one of my favorite places in Japan, I really liked Beppu and Fukuoka!
I’ve been on a short trip, it was awesome. Fukuoka was beautiful in March, also went to Kagoshima, super nice. Nothing like the never ending concrete jungles of Tokyo. I prefer a smaller city
Lived near Fukuoka for a couple years. It is my favorite city in Japan. It is a nice balance between convenience and the buzz of a big city and the calm of suburb. Great food. People are kind. Weather is milder than Tokyo IMO (although summers tend to be more humid and not so comfortable). 100/10 would go back in a heartbeat.
Perfect balance between nature and city life
Let me know if you ever want to meet up for a beer!
I liked it, the 2 weeks I had been there
If you like fugu then you can get a lot of it in Kitakyushu for insanely cheap prices compared to Kanto and Kansai.