10 Things To Do In Fukuoka

Above, the Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu, is best-known as a battleground in Rodan (1956), Gamera, Guardian of the Universe (1995) and Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994). Of the three, fans can visit the easily recognizable Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome, featured in the Gamera movie, and Fukuoka Tower in the Godzilla movie. They are spotlighted in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan on page 45.

Above, Fukuoka Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

But, Fukuoka has other places to visit and Time Out Tokyo has a new post on "10 Things To Do In Fukuoka."

They start it off with:

If Tokyo is the friend who rushes you between sights and social engagements to a turbo timetable, Fukuoka is the relaxed southern cousin who sits you in a sunny spot, pours you a beer and tops it up as you chat. Kyushu’s largest city is often overlooked on tourist itineraries, yet is beloved by its residents, who clearly know how to unwind – it has the second highest number of bars, cabarets and clubs in Japan after Tokyo. Whilst crowds gather for big festivals like the Hakata Dontaku parade in May and to see towering floats raced at dawn at the Gion Yamakasa in July, Fukuoka remains down to party all year round. 

Time Out Tokyo is correct in their description of Fukuoka as "the relaxed southern cousin." I visited Fukuoka in 2007 and found it quite laid-back in comparison to the more frenetic pace of Tokyo.

Above, a view of Fukuoka from Fukuoka Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The article states that the fastest shinkansen to Fukuoka from Tokyo will get you there in about five hours. When I went, the only real "delay" was a change of trains in Shin-Osaka. Other than that, it is a pleasant ride with nice views of the Japanese countryside along the way.

To see what 10 things Time Out Tokyo recommends, go here.