Discover 20 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Fukuoka (Japan). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Fukuoka tower, Fukuoka Castle, and Ohori Park. Also, be sure to include Fukuoka Dome in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Fukuoka (Fukuoka).
Table of Contents
Fukuoka tower
Also known as: 福岡タワー
Skyscraper and scenic observation deck. Fukuoka Tower is a 234-metre tall tower located in the Momochihama area of Fukuoka, Japan. It is the tallest seaside tower in Japan. The highest observation deck at 123m has a 360degree view of the surrounding area, the most popular time to visit is at sunset. Fukuoka Tower was finished in 1989, taking a total of 14 months to build at a cost of ¥6,000,000,000. It was designed by Nikken Sekkei. It was built on reclaimed land out of Hakata Bay.[1]
Address: 2-3-26 Momochihama, Sawara-ku, 814-0001 Fukuoka
Fukuoka Castle
Also known as: 福岡城
Historic castle ruins with city vistas. Fukuoka Castle is a Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is also known as Maizuru Castle or Seki Castle. Completed in the early Edo period for tozama daimyō Kuroda Nagamasa, it has been decreed a historic site by the Japanese government.
The castle lies in the centre of Fukuoka, on top of Fukusaki hill. The Naka River (那珂), Naka-gawa in Japanese, acts as a natural moat on the eastern side of the castle, while the western side uses a mudflat as a natural moat. Hakata, a ward with a bustling port, is located on the opposite side of the Naka River to the east. The castle town was established on the northern side, facing the sea.
Much of the castle grounds has been converted to Maizuru Park, which houses several sports facilities, a courthouse, and an art museum. Heiwadai Baseball Stadium, the past home field of the Nishitetsu Lions and the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, was also located on the castle grounds. Some of the castle's gates as well as its towers and turrets, known as yaguras, are preserved inside the park, one of which has been marked as an important historical artifact by the Japanese government.
The remnants of a korokan (鴻臚館), an ancient guest house for foreign diplomats, were discovered under the castle grounds in 1987, showing that the castle was a vital geographical checkpoint even into the Heian period. This is the only korokan remnant found in all of Japan.[2]
Address: Jonai, Chuoku, 810-0043 Fukuoka
Ohori Park
Also known as: 大濠公園
Park with paths around a lake and boating. Ōhori Park is a park in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan and a registered Place of Scenic Beauty.
The name Ōhori means a large moat and it derives from the fact that Kuroda Nagamasa, the old lord of Fukuoka, reclaimed the northern half of a cove or an inlet called Kusagae which was facing Hakata Bay and made a moat for the Fukuoka Castle. At the same time the Hii (Tajima) River, which was flowing into the cove, was diverted from its course to the west.
The present park was reconstructed by Fukuoka City, modeled on the West Lake of China, and opened in 1929. A fireworks festival is held here every August.
The Fukuoka Art Museum and the United States Consulate are nearby.
Heiwadai Stadium also used to stand near Ohori Park. Opened in 1949 and closed in 1997 and demolished the following year, this baseball stadium was home to 3 NPB franchises. The Nishi Nippon Pirates only stayed in Heiwadai for their only year of operation in 1950. The Nishitetsu Clippers/Lions (now Saitama Seibu Lions) played their entire time in Heiwadai during their tenure in Fukuoka from 1950-1978 before moving to Saitama. The last team to call Heiwadai home was the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (now Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks) for their first 3 years from 1989-1992. The stadium was eventually replaced with the Fukuoka PayPay Dome. During a renovation to Heiwadai in 1987, underneath the bleachers of the stadium, ruins of an ancient facility were found. When the stadium was demolished in 1997, the outfield bleachers were left as archeological work continued until these bleachers were also demolished in 2008 due to concerns over safety. It can be said that the reason why there were ruins found under the bleachers in Heiwadai was because it was built over the ruins of Fukuoka Castle.[3]
Address: 1-2 Ohorikoen, Chuo-ku, 810-0051 Fukuoka
Fukuoka Dome
Also known as: 福岡ドーム
Stadium in Fukuoka, Japan. The Fukuoka PayPay Dome is a baseball field, located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Built in 1993, the stadium was originally named Fukuoka Dome and has the capacity of 38,585 seats. With a diameter of 216 meters, the Fukuoka PayPay Dome is the world's largest geodesic dome. This is Japan's first stadium built with a retractable roof. In 2005, Yahoo! JAPAN, one of SoftBank's subsidiaries, acquired the stadium's naming rights, and thus renamed it Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome or abbreviated as Yahoo Dome, In January 2013, it was renamed to Fukuoka Yafuoku! Dome. Yafuoku is the abbreviation for Yahoo! Auctions in Japan. On October 30, 2019, it was announced that the stadium was going to be named Fukuoka PayPay Dome, in reference to the payment system PayPay owned by Softbank and Yahoo Japan, from February 29, 2020. It is one of the few NPB stadiums with onsite hotels.[4]
Address: 2-2-2 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, 810-0065 Fukuoka
Fukuoka Art Museum
Also known as: 福岡市美術館
Museum in Fukuoka, Japan. Fukuoka Art Museum is an art museum in Fukuoka, Japan. It contains a notable collection of Asian art and exhibits various temporary exhibitions. In November 2010 it hosted a large exhibition of Marc Chagall's work.
The Madonna of Port Lligat by Salvador Dalí is exhibited at this museum.[5]
Address: 1-6 Ohorikoken Chuo-ku, 810-0051 Fukuoka
Best Denki Stadium
Also known as: 東平尾公園博多の森球技場
Stadium in Fukuoka, Japan. Best Denki Stadium, is located in the Hakata Ward of Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.
It is the home ground of the J1 League association football club "Avispa Fukuoka".[6]
Address: 2-1-1 Higashihiraokoen, Hakata-ku, 816-0052 Fukuoka
Hakozaki Shrine
Also known as: 筥崎宮
Historic shrine with relics and rituals. Hakozaki Shrine is a Shintō shrine in Fukuoka.[7]
Address: 1-22-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, 812-0053 Fukuoka
Fukuoka Municipal Zoo and Botanical Garden
Also known as: 福岡市動植物園
Time-tested place with animals and plants. The Fukuoka Municipal Zoo and Botanical Garden, also known as the Fukuoka City Zoological Garden, is a zoo and botanical garden established in 1953 and located within Minami-koen at 1-1, Minami-Koen, Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan.
The garden contains about 1,300 types of outdoor garden plants, mostly common. Its greenhouse contains over 1,200 plant species including orchids, ferns, and cacti.[8]
Address: 1-1 Minamikoen, Chuoku, 810-0037 Fukuoka
Kushida Shrine
Also known as: 櫛田神社
Historic headquarters of yearly festival. Kushida-jinja is a Shinto shrine located in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Dedicated to Amaterasu and Susanoo, it is said to have been founded in 757. The Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival is centred on the shrine.[9]
Address: 1-41 Kamikawabatamachi, Hakata-ku, 812-0026 Fukuoka
Fukuoka Kokusai Center
Also known as: 福岡国際会議場
Conference center in Fukuoka, Japan. Fukuoka Convention Center in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan is a collection of three separate buildings operated by the Fukuoka Convention Center Foundation.[10]
Address: 2-2 Chikkohonmachi, Hakata-ku, 812-0021 Fukuoka
Marine World Uminonakamichi
Also known as: マリンワールド海の中道
Aquarium in Fukuoka, Japan. Marine World Uminonakamichi is a public aquarium in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.[11]
Address: 18-28 Saitozaki, Higashi-ku, 811-0321 Fukuoka
Shofu-en
Shōfū-en is a Japanese garden attached to a former tea ceremony room in Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.[12]
Fukuoka City Museum
Also known as: 福岡市博物館
Museum in Fukuoka, Japan. Fukuoka City Museum opened in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1990. The permanent exhibition, which tells the history of Fukuoka, is arranged in eleven sections, including those focussing upon the King of Na gold seal, the Kuroda clan, and the Hakata Gion Yamakasa.[13]
Address: Fukuoka, 3-1-1 Momochihama, Sawara-ku
Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art
Also known as: 福岡県立美術館
Museum in Fukuoka, Japan. Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art opened in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1985. The collection focuses upon artists from Fukuoka Prefecture and Kyūshū more generally, and includes works by Koga Harue. The Museum's precursor, the Fukuoka Prefectural Cultural Hall, which combined art museum with library, opened on 3 November 1964.[14]
Address: Fukuoka, 5-2-1 Tenjin, Chūō-ku
Kashii-gū
Also known as: 香椎宮
Shinto shrine in Fukuoka, Japan. Kashii-gū is a Shinto shrine located in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is dedicated to Emperor Chūai and Empress Jingū.[15]
Address: 4-16-1 Kashii, Higashi-ku, 813-0011 Fukuoka
Hakata Port Tower
Also known as: 博多ポートタワー
Tower in Fukuoka, Japan. Hakata Port Tower is a 103 metre high lattice tower with an observation deck in a height of 73.5 metres in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Hakata Port Tower was built in 1964.[16]
Address: 14-1 Chikkohommachi, Hakata-ku, 812-0021 Fukuoka
Fukuoka Japan Temple
Also known as: 末日聖徒イエス・キリスト教会日本福岡神殿
Temple in Fukuoka, Japan. The Fukuoka Japan Temple is the 88th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temple serves more than 7,700 members in Kyūshū, Okinawa, Yamaguchi, Hiroshima and Shikoku[17]
Umi Hachiman-gū
Also known as: 宇美八幡宮
Large Shinto shrine complex with gardens. Umi Hachimangū is a Shinto shrine located in Umi, Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. It is dedicated to Emperor Ōjin, Empress Jingū, Tamayori-bime, Sumiyoshi sanjin and Izanagi. In the former Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines, it was classified as a prefectural shrine.[18]
Address: 1-1-1, UmI, Fukuoka
Najima Castle
Also known as: 名島城
Najima Castle is a hilltop castle, located in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Today, only its ruins still stand.[19]
Sumiyoshi Shrine
Also known as: 住吉神社
Prominent Shinto shrine in a wooded park. Sumiyoshi-jinja is the Japanese Shinto shrine at Hakata in Fukuoka Prefecture on the island of Kyushu.[20]
Address: 3-1-51 Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku, 812-0018 Fukuoka