9 Hours Fukuoka
Alacoque Whitchurch
Nanzoin Temple is a must-visit for any Buddhist or art lover traveling to this area. The temple is located in the hills of Sasaguri, just 15 km from the city. Nanzoin Temple is home to a giant reclining Buddha statue, one of the largest in the world.
Out of the hundreds of Tenmangu shrines in Japan, the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is one of the most famous ones. It is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, a famous scholar and poet who was deified as the god of learning and success.
We spent about 2.5 hours here as we hiked all around the Dazaifu area visiting the hill top shrines. In addition, the handicraft shops were unique and we purchased a couple of handmade scarves to bring back to family.
The park is home to a large pond, several gardens, and a variety of trees and flowers. There are also a number of bridges and pagodas scattered throughout the park, adding to its beauty. There is a popular walking and jogging track which runs around the circumference of the pond which is a little bit over 2 km long.
Another popular spot in the park is the Ohori Garden. This garden is home to a variety of flowers, including cherry blossoms, hydrangeas, and lotus flowers. The garden is especially beautiful in the spring and summer when the flowers are in bloom.
If you still have time, within the park is the Fukuoka Art Museum which contains an interesting collection of art and sculptures. This includes works by Dali and Miro. Opposite the museum is a small pay-to-enter Japanese garden, which contains tea houses, a stone garden and a small pond.
Canal City Hakata calls itself a city within a city. It has a canal that runs through it. At the center of the canal is a fountain with many spouts that has water shows every 30 minutes from 10:00 (am) until 22:00.
There are movie theaters, cafes, restaurants and shops here. The stores are mostly western with some interesting handicraft ones mixed in. There is even a very large Muji store here. A real Muji in the mother land?! So fun! For a one day itinerary, we do not recommend this as a specific destination, just a fun pass through on the way to perhaps taste the infamous food at some of the Yatai Street Stalls (which are close by).
This is a city that loves to eat, and nowhere is this more evident than at the yatai. These mobile food stalls are a way of life for many locals, and they offer a unique and authentic dining experience that is unlike anything else in Japan.
In addition to the food, yatai are also known for their lively atmosphere. The stalls are often crowded and noisy, but this is all part of the experience. It is a great place to meet people and enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of Fukuoka.
There are 763 hotels in this city! Therefore a lot to choose from. However, one must think about location and proximity to the train/metro stations first and foremost. Especially when traveling here for only 2 nights, like us.
We stayed at the #1 hotel in the city (according to Tripadvisor) on IHG points. The hotel is ANA Crowne Plaza. It was OK, however we would only rate it an 8 out of 10 at best. Especially due to the rude staff.
Fukuoka is a super laid back city that was a true delight to visit. This is the foodie lovers destination of choice for so many Japanese citizens and visitors alike! Residents of other large cities of Japan, make this city a weekend food destination at least a few times a year.
Have you been to this area or perhaps some of the other Buddhist countries like Myanmar, or Bhutan? What was your favorite part? We would love to hear from you in the comments!
Please inform 9h nine hours Hakata station of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Please inform 9h nine hours Nakasukawabata Station of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Fukuoka City is located in the western part of Fukuoka prefecture in the northern part of Kyushu and is the prefectural capital. With a population of 1,645,100 (as of February 1, 2024), it is the largest city in Kyushu. Since it is a city in Kyushu, many people may imagine that the climate is warm, but Fukuoka prefecture is the northernmost prefecture in Kyushu and its latitude is not so different from the Kansai region. The average winter temperature in Tokyo is 5.6C (January 2019), while the average temperature in Fukuoka is 8.0C, which is slightly higher than the average temperature. Please be prepared for cold weather by bringing along a warm coat. Torrential downpours often occur in the summer, and typhoons pass through in the fall, so be prepared for rain. One of the most popular sightseeing spots in Fukuoka is Kushida Shrine, to which Hakata Gion Yamakasa is dedicated. Ornamental Yamakasa are exhibited on the grounds throughout the year. The shrine has been nicknamed Okushida-san by locals and is the guardian of Hakata. Fukuoka Tower is a tourist spot built on the bayside. At a height of 234m, it is the tallest seaside tower in Japan. The observation room on the top floor overlooks the city of Fukuoka, and because of its beautiful night view it is recommended as a date spot. If you want to enjoy shopping, Tenjin is the place to go. In the Tenjin area of Fukuoka City, which is the number one shopping area in Kyushu, you will surely find what you are looking for in the many stores such as long-established department stores, cutting-edge fashion shops and electronics retail stores. Fukuoka has a lot of delicious food that you will keep you wanting to come back over and over. Some dishes that are famous throughout Japan are tonkotsu ramen (pork bone broth ramen), mizutaki (one-pot dish), motsunabe (offal hot pot), yakitori, etc. One of the characteristics of Fukuoka is the high level of its food so you may be impressed by the taste of the food in a restaurant you just stopped by to try. Also, when it comes to Fukuoka, don't forget about the food stalls. At night, lighted food stalls appear all over the city and are always crowded with locals on their way home from work as well as tourists. The stalls serve a wide variety of foods such as oden and gyoza as well as the standard ramen. One of the ways to enjoy the stalls is by stall-hopping, say, with the first stop for gyoza, the second stop for yakitori, and the third stop for ramen.
Platform : The Fukuoka City Subway runs from the south side of the Domestic Passenger Terminal Building.
For those arriving on international flights, exit the Arrivals Lobby on the 1st floor, take the free shuttle bus from the shuttle bus stop, arrive on the south side (end point) of the domestic passenger terminal building, and then proceed to the subway.
For those arriving on domestic flights, go to the Arrivals Lobby on the 1st floor to and take one of the four elevators on the south side of the terminal building down to the subway.
Reception Counter : Car Rental Information Center on the 1st floor of the International Passenger Terminal Building (not available at Domestic Passenger Terminal Building)
Business Hours : Hours vary from company to company; Toyota Rent a Car and Times Mobility hours are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Nissan Car Rental Solutions hours are 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The Hakata to Busan ferry route is provided by 2 operators and is available for booking all year round. The ferry crossing from Hakata to Busan takes approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes on ferries servicing this route. Hakata to Busan ferry duration can range between 3 hours 40 minutes and 6 hours depending on the operator that you decide to travel with.
There are around 22 ferry weekly sailings from Hakata to Busan. JR Kyushu Beetle Jet Ferry offer up to 16 weekly sailings and Camellia Ferry offer 6 weekly sailings. Ferry timetables often increase during the high season.
Opening hours
2 hours and 30 minutes before scheduled departure time
(Check-in counters are closed punctually 60 minutes before scheduled departure time. Showing up past closing time may result in denial of boarding.)
Self-service check-in, baggage tag and self-service bag drop
Use the kiosk for self-service check-in, boarding pass and baggage tag. Next, proceed to the self-service bag drop machine. Find out more.
Note: If online check-in has been completed, proceed to the kiosk to obtain baggage tags and then the self-service bag drop machine.
Note: all ferries were suspended due to the pandemic. Ferries are now running again on reduced schedules, the number of sailings is slowly increasing but note that the frequency is still much lower than before
Also note that port taxes, fuel surcharges, fares and schedules change frequently. I try to keep the information here up to date, but make sure to double check and be prepared for the possibility of things being slightly different
Korea Ferry operates the Camellia Line car ferry making one round trip per day between Japan and Korea, sailing from Fukuoka to Busan by day (6 hours), and from Busan to Fukuoka overnight (9 hours). They have an English website here where you can make online reservations, or you can book on Direct Ferries here.
Kampu Ferry has a decent English website here; you can make a reservation by phone or email as per the instructions on their site, book online via Direct Ferries here, or just turn up and buy a ticket.
At time of last update (2024) the cheapest standard one-way fare from Shimonoseki is 9,000 JPY (second class), plus port & fuel charges (details here); sailing from Busan the cheapest fare is 95,000 KRW. Direct Ferries usually has it for less, and you can often get a discount by booking direct on the Kampu website.
The Panstar Dream runs between Osaka & Busan several times per week, taking about 18 hours. Their website is unfortunately only available in Korean and Japanese, but thankfully you can book this ferry on Direct Ferries here which is usually cheaper anyway.
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