The last time I was in the Japanese city of Fukuoka, I was only there for less than a day (you can read it about it here); and that was not enough to get to know the city. At all. So I was extremely glad to have the opportunity to return again, and see and do much more than I did the first time round. Even though it was just for a day again, but it was one full day this time; and I made sure to include as many places to see and eat into my itinerary as I could!

Fukuoka is the largest city of Kyushu, Japan’s most southern and third largest island. It is the capital of the Fukuoka Prefecture, and is located on the island’s northeast coast. The city surrounds the Hakata Bay, and is a merging of two towns since 1889; the original town of Fukuoka on the east side of Naka River, and Hakata on the west.

Fukuoka City is dotted by temples and shoppings areas, and is also known for its delicious food. There’s a lot to see and do, so if you’re in the city with only a limited time to explore (like me); I’ve come up with a list of all the must-do’s and must-eat’s to make your time worthwhile. I do hope this list helps you plan your next visit!

Mynn’s Top 10 Things to Do and Eat in Fukuoka City
1. Visit the Temples in the City
2. See the Fukuoka Castle Ruins and Park
3. Shop at the Tenjin Underground Shopping Arcade
4. Admire Canal City Hakata
5. Join the Locals at the Yatai Food Stalls Along the Canal
6. Enjoy a Hakata Mizutaki Meal
7. Get a Taste of the Motsunabe
8. Look for the Hakata Tonkatsu Ramen
9. Snack on Some Tetsunabe Gyoza
10. Eat the Karashi Mentaiko

1. Visit the Temples in the City

Fukuoka is home to some of the most beautiful shrines and temples in Japan. During both my visits to Fukuoka, I had the opportunity to visit some of its most amazing ones. The Kushida Shrine in Hakata is definitely not to be missed; it is the dedicatory shrine to the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival, and displays some of the gorgeous 10m-high Yamakasa Floats used for the festival. It is also the oldest shrine dedicated to the local God of Hakata, established in 757. While in the city, I also visited the nearby Tochiji Temple with the country’s largest wooden seated statue of Buddha; and the Shofukuji Temple, Japan’s first Zen temple.

A little out of the city centre, there’s the famous Daizaifu Tenmagu Shrine; the head shrine for more than 12,000 shrines in Japan dedicated to the God of Learning — the scholar Michizane Sugawara. Devotees visit this shrine to pray for academic achievements. And there’s also Nanzoin Temple, notable for its huge statue of the reclining Buddha — said to be the largest bronze statue in the world. Entrance to most of the temples are free.

2. See the Fukuoka Castle Ruins & Park

Built in the early 17th century, Fukuoka Castle used to be the largest castle in Kyushu during those times. It stood in the centre of the city, on top of Fukusaki Hill. However, the castle was torn down during the Meiji Restoration (end of the 19th century) to get rid of any trace of Japan’s feudal past. Now, even though only ruined walls remain, we could still walk up to some of the lookout points for beautiful views of Fukuoka City. The castle ruins are located within Maizuru Park (the castle was also known as Maizuru Castle); which is one of Fukuoka’s most beautiful spots to admire cherry blossoms. However, I had a different view of fallen leaves and twiggy trees while strolling along the walking paths, as I was visiting at the tail-end of autumn.

Next to Maizuru Park is the Ohori Park, which has a large pond in the center of the park. The pond was once part of the moat system of the Fukuoka Castle (Ohori is actually the Japanese word for ‘moat’); but a park was built around it in the 1920’s. Locals were jogging, cycling, playing football and walking their dogs in the evening when we visited.

3. Shop at the Tenjin Underground Shopping Arcade

The area of Tenjin in Fukuoka has a whole different world underneath its roads and buildings. It is the location of the largest underground shopping area in Kyushu — connecting almost 20 buildings for a length of 590 meters (so you don’t have to worry about the weather). It is also directly connected to the Tenjin Subway Station and Tenjin-Minami Station. The Tenjin Chikigai (underground shopping arcade) is divided into 12 avenues, with over 100 shops and 20 cafes and restaurants; making it a one-stop shopping destination. You can really spend an entire day underground!

While roaming around the Tenjin Chikigai, we chanced upon a cafe that sells BAKE Cheese Tarts. Originally from Hokkaido, I had it for the first time here… and the thick, crumbly crust and light, creamy cheese fillings made the tart simple delectable. It was so so good!

4. Admire Canal City Hakata

Canal City Hakata is Fukuoka’s largest shopping and entertainment complex. It is filled with a wide range of attractions that consists of shops, cafes, restaurants, a theater, game center, cinemas, and two hotels — and is therefore called the “city within a city”. Located between Fukuoka’s entertainment and commercial district; the mall is within a 15 minutes walk from the Hakata Station and the Tenjin Station.

I visited Canal City Hakata at night, and it was all lighted up in multiple colors and blinking lights. An artificial canal runs right through the middle of this five-storied complex; centering at a Musical Fountain with water shows every 30 minutes during opening hours. We arrived just in time to catch the pretty spectacular show! Oh, and if you’re looking for a ramen meal (aside from all the other restaurants in the complex); the fifth floor is home to a “Ramen Stadium”. It consists of eight ramen shops with styles from all across Japan — including Fukuoka’s very own Hakata Ramen.

5. Join the Locals at the Yatai Stalls Along the Canal

If there’s one thing that sets Fukuoka apart from the many other cities in Japan — it is their open air Yatai Food Stalls. As soon as it gets dark, hundreds of these food stands open for business around the city; selling all kinds of street foods like ramen noodles, gyoza dumplings, yakitori skewers and tempura. One of the best places to find them is along the canal on the southern end of Nakasu Island, in the middle of the city.

We arrived in time for dinner. There were about 20 yatai stalls lined up by the canal — and we had a hard time deciding which one to dine at! The popular ones get really packed because a yatai stall can only fit about eight diners; so generally people do not linger after a meal. In the end, we chose a relatively empty stall with a very friendly seller. We ordered ourselves some ramen, yakitori skewers, a pork offal dish (that turned out pretty good), and the owner even recommended us a local sake. It was a fun (albeit cramped) dining experience; though I have to say at JYP500-800 (US$5-7/MYR20-30) per dish, it was more costly than I expected.

6. Enjoy a Hakata Mizutaki Meal

I had my taste of Hakata’s Mizutaki at the Hana Midori Restaurant during my first visit to Fukuoka. This traditional Hakata dish is a chicken hot pot of rich chicken broth that is boiled for more than 6 hours. The whole meal takes a long process, and we were served by a waitress who attended to us the entire time.

The dinner starts off with a delicious cold Japanese appetiser. The hot pot of chicken broth is then bought to the table to boil. We begin by drinking a cup of only the broth; and then chicken pieces are added and boiled in the soup, and later served with the broth in a bowl. After that, the waitress adds in the chicken offal like gizzard and liver, and chicken meat balls; followed by the vegetables. Finally, the left-over ingredients in the hot pot are cleared out, leaving only the broth — and rice is added to soak in all that leftover rich broth. Nothing is spared! By the time this awesome meal was done, I was completely stuffed! Prices range from JYP2900-7000 (US$27-65/MYR115-280) per person, depending on the set you order (the cheapest one is more than enough, really).

7. Get a Taste of the Motsunabe

Motsunabe is a hot pot stew of beef or pork offal in either a miso or soy sauce based broth. This “motsu” which means offal, and “nabe” which means hot pot, is a specialty of Fukuoka. The offal used in motsunabe is usually beef intestines; and other ingredients like cabbage, garlic chives and champon noodles are added later to complete the dish. During my visit to Fukuoka, I made it a point to try this unique dish — and I had it at one of the best places in the city, the Yamanaka Akasakaten. Located on the 2nd floor of an unassuming building, the restaurant looks pretty fancy on the inside… and reservations are recommended (it gets really packed). We arrived just as they opened at 4pm; so we were lucky that they had a place for us!

The motsunabe in Yamanaka costs JYP1,980 (US$18/MYR80) per person, with a minimum of 2 pax per order. The restaurant also serves the dish in a shabu-shabu style; but we decided to go for an order each of the usual miso and soy-sauce, since there were 5 of us. I have to say that despite being used to eating offal; the fatty and gummy texture of the beef intestines were tough to bite, and a little difficult for me to swallow. However, I wouldn’t say that I disliked it completely. The chewing did get easier after awhile, and the sweet broth was delicious. So is the dish worth a try? Definitely — if you’re in the city, and if you’re adventurous enough! I’m glad that I can say I did.

8. Look for the Hakata Tonkatsu Ramen

Now for something easier to eat — how about some ramen? While in Fukuoka, don’t miss out on what is said to be the very best tonkatsu ramen in Japan! Known as Hakata Tonkatsu Ramen, this special broth is made out of boiling pork bones to give it a bold, distinctive meaty flavor. The broth is then poured over thin, straight ramen noodles; and served with a slice of chasu pork and onsen egg. There are many famous places in Fukuoka to get a hearty bowl, but I had my taste at the popular Ichiran Honten. It’s a brand that was established in the city in 1960, and has branches all over Japan and the world. A bowl cost JYP890 (US$8/MYR36), with an onsen egg for JYP130 (US$1/MYR4.5).

Another notable ramen shop I stopped by in Fukuoka was the Nagahama Number One. Established since 1971, it started as a Yatai stall and now has branches around the city. It is known for its creamier and thicker tonkatsu broth. A simple bowl starts at JYP620 (US$6/MYR250); but I ordered the ‘special’ with chashu, wanton and an onsen egg for JYP1170 (US$11/MYR47). And while in Fukuoka, I also had ramen at the Yatai Food Stalls, and the mall, and even at the airport!

9. Snack on Some Tetsunabe Gyoza

The Hakata Gyoza is also another specialty item of Fukuoka. These grilled dumplings the city is known for are smaller in size as compared to the normal ones around Japan. There are a couple of specialty restaurants selling gyoza in Fukuoka — but the very first restaurant to serve the Hakata Gyoza in cast iron pans is the Hakata Gion Tetsunabe. So that was where we went! Upon stepping into the restaurant, we could tell that it is wildly popular; it was extremely packed, and the walls were filled with pictures of public figures who had patronised the restaurant. There were even signs telling diners — “No Photographs of the Pictures”!

The restaurant only has a Japanese menu, but we were only there for the gyoza (and it has a drawing on it) so it wasn’t a problem. The gyoza meal costs JYP500 (US$4.5/MYR20) per serving of 8 dumplings; and each diner has to order one meal. Despite the waitress being too busy to smile, she was kind enough to prepare our sauce for us (knowing we were foreigners); a mixture of soy sauce, chilli pepper and salt. Our three orders of gyoza came together in one huge cast iron pan; and it was extremely delicious — the crunchy skin and the juicy filling just goes so well with the sauce! We couldn’t stop eating, and I really could have had more.

10. Eat the Karashi Mentaiko

And last but not least — this was probably my favourite meal of all during my visit to Fukuoka. It is a local delicacy called the Karashi Mentaiko, a spicy cod roe marinated in chilli pepper sauce. The very first mentaiko specialty restaurant in the whole of Japan is located in Fukuoka, and is called the Ganso Hakata Mentaiju. We visited in the early morning for breakfast; and when we arrived, there was already an extremely long queue in front of the restaurant. The queue extended to the other side of the road! We ended up waiting for about 45 minutes.

Once inside, service was fast and efficient. We ordered the Mentaiju Rice Box for JYP1680 (US$15.5/MYR68) with additional poached egg; and the Su Motsu (a popular Hakata appetiser of pork offal in vinegar sauce) for JYP680 (US$6/MYR27). Other dish varieties of mentaiko on the menu is with tsukemen noodles, or a mentaiko soup. You can also choose the spiciness level of your mentaiko — we went with ‘mild’. Our Mentaiju was served in a small box; and it came with a kombu-wrapped mentaiko, white rice and seaweed. The mentaiko has a salty but rich and thick taste; and the whole meal just came together so well. It was truly heaven (or more precisely, the sea) stuffed in a box!