Welcome to Fukuoka
Fukuoka is located in the south-west of Japan. Its moderate climate, beautiful scenery and great location have made it popular with travelers both from within Japan and without. In 1997, 1999 and again in 2000, Fukuoka was ranked the best city in Asia by Asiaweek magazine. In 2006, it was chosen by Newsweek as one of the world's top 10 boomtowns, and in 2008 Monocle Magazine ranked it as the 14th most liveable city in the world, and the best shopping city in the world!
Click here to jump to Fukuoka Guide.
Fukuoka Prefecture is part of Kyushu, a large island to the south of Honshu, Japan's main island. Close to both mainland China and Korea, it is an important hub linking Japan with the rest of Asia and beyond.
Fukuoka City is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, and has a population of approximately 1.3 million people. It is situated on the Sea of Japan (or the East Sea), and is well protected from the stronger elements of Japanese weather - earthquakes and typhoons are rare, summers are warm, and the people are friendly.
Fukuoka's renowned cuisine (the city has more restaurants per person than anywhere else in Japan) and warm-hearted people will make your stay here a pleasure. Foreigners are still not too common a sight in Fukuoka, so you will be sure to enjoy plenty of attention, and people are always happy to help you, even if your grasp of the language is not perfect. In addition, Fukuoka is 
bursting with culture: its many art galleries, museums, and theaters will give you your fill of the Japanese arts, while the nightlife is the best on the island.
Fukuoka is also unparalleled in convenience - the international airport is a mere 10 minutes from the center of the city by subway, and from there it is only another 10 minutes by bus or bicycle to the nearest beach. Japan's famous shinkansen (bullet trains) will take you to any city in Japan in short order, or you can fly to Tokyo in an hour and a half.
We have put together a collection of locations on Google Maps that might be useful for our students and others visiting the city. Click any of the pins to show the information, or click here to jump to the Google Maps page with a listing of all places:
Click to enlarge
Fukuoka Events Each Month
| January Japanese New Year Tamaseseri Festival |
May Hakata Dontaku Festival: 3 days of dancing and parades, in one of Japan's biggest festivals Golden Week holidays |
September Asian Month: a celebration of Asia in Japan, with cuisine, films, dance and more Houjouya Festival |
| February Setsubun Festival |
June Fukuoka International Gift Show |
October Music City Tenjin Nakasu Festival |
| March Fukuoka International Cross Country Race Hinamatsuri Doll Festival |
July Yamakasa Festival: teams of semi-naked men race huge floats around the city Asian Film Festival |
November Fukuoka Sumo Tournament Saga International Balloon Fair |
| April Cherry Blossom viewing |
August Obon Ohori Fireworks Festival Isla de Salsa |
December Fukuoka International Marathon Christmas lights |
Check here for a full list of events (in English).
Fukuoka Guide Topics
- Museums and galleries
- Music and theater
- Getting around
- Sightseeing
- Shopping
- Eating out
- Being vegetarian in Fukuoka
- Nightlife
- Sports
- Relaxing
- History
Fukuoka Attractions
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Famous Fukuokans
These are just a few of the famous people from Fukuoka. A much bigger list (in Japanese) is available here. |
For more information about Fukuoka City, see the Fukuoka section of our links page.
Map from public domain maps at http://aoki2.si.gunma-u.ac.jp/map/map.html
