Fukuoka 福岡市

Fukuoka 福岡市) is the capital of Fukuoka Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. The city is on the northern shore of the island. It was granted city status on 1 April, 1972, and is the biggest city west of Osaka. It has a population of 1.45 million and is within Greater Fukuoka, which has 2.5 million inhabitants.

Fukuoka is one of the oldest cities in Japan, and certainly among the oldest non-Jōmon settlements in the country. Its history goes back to AD 663 when a settlement by the name of Dazaifu was established here. The oldest part of Fukuoka is the settlement known as Hakata. Today Hakata is a ward, or neighbourhood, in downtown Fukuoka.

Fukuoka, Japan

Places of Interest in Fukuoka

Fukuoka, being one of the closest cities to mainland Asia, was the gateway for trade with Korea and China. Between 1268 and 1274 the great Mongol Kublai Khan sent several envoys trying to get the Shogun to accept the Khan's suzerainty. When these failed, he attempted an invasion with a fleet of 900 ships and 33,000 troops. The first invasion was thwarted by poor coordination and sheet luck - a fierce storm brewed up at that time.

In response to the invasion, the Japanese erected a 20-km stone barrier bordering the coast of Hakata Bay, where Fukuoka is located. An archaeological excavation of the ancient barrier was carried out in the 1930's.

Shoufukuji Temple, Fukuoka


Kublai Khan sent another envoy to Japan in 1279. The Japanese responded by beheading five of the emissaries. Infuriated, the Khan sent an armada of 4,000 ships and 140,000 soldiers to invade Japan. Once again a mighty typhoon dealt a severe blow to the Mongolian fleet. The typhoon soon became known as Kamikaze, or divine winds.

Fukuoka was traditionally the residence of the daimyo while Hakata was the port and merchant district. When these two towns merged, it was initially decided that the newly established town should be known as Hakata. However, the samurais gatecrashed the meeting and insisted that it be known as Fukuoka. For that reason, Fukuoka is today the name of the city, whereas the central core continues to be known as Hakata.

Planning your trip to Fukuoka

If you are coming from Tokyo, flying is faster and not significantly more expensive. The one-way fare by Skymark Airlines from Tokyo Haneda to Fukuoka is ¥19,800 while the Nozomi Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo Station is ¥22,320. The flight takes two hours, the train five. Of course, if you hold a Japan Rail Pass, then price comparison is immaterial. However it cannot be used on the Shinkansen, rather you need to take the Hikari train and change to the Hikari Rail Star en route. The change is usually at Shin Osaka station. Be sure you check the train timetable for the best connection.

Fukuoka International Airport is located surprisingly close to downtown Fukuoka - a mere two subway stops from the Hakata JR Station in the city centre. There are four terminals. The subway station is located at Terminal 2, which receives flights from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Okinawa. Terminal 1 handles flights from smaller cities in Japan. Terminal 3 is not used for departing flights which the fourth terminal, called the International Terminal, is a 10-minute bus transfer from Terminal 2.

Planning your travel within Fukuoka

There are three subway lines in Fukuoka. At the city centre, right under the JR Hakata Railway Station, is the Hakata subway station. The fare to Fukuoka airport takes 6 minutes and costs ¥250. If you are going to take the train quite a bit, I suggest you either get the Ichinichi Johshaken pass which allows unlimited rides per day for ¥600, or the stored-value F-Cards that come in denominations of ¥1000, ¥3000 and ¥5000, but give you stored values of ¥1100, ¥3300 and ¥5700 respectively. There are also the Yokanet Cards and the WaiWai Cards, all with discounts or added value that you can use.

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