Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Direct flights connect Fukuoka Airport (tel. 092/621-6059; www.fuk-ab.co.jp) to a variety of international cities, including Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Bangkok, as well as numerous domestic cities. Flying time from Tokyo's Haneda Airport is 1 1/2 hours; the regular, one-way fare costs ¥33,700 ($280/£140) on Japan Airlines. However, because of fierce competition on the Fukuoka-Haneda route, bargains do exist. Skymark (tel. 03/3433-7670 in Tokyo, or 092/736-3131 in Fukuoka), for example, a small airline serving Fukuoka, offers nine flights daily from Haneda to Fukuoka for as low as ¥16,900 ($140/£70) one-way, while even major airlines sometimes offer special rates depending on the time of day and season. To get into town, there's a subway station located directly under the domestic terminal of Fukuoka Airport (if you've arrived at the international terminal, take the free shuttle bus to the domestic terminal). The trip to Hakata Station takes only 5 minutes and to Tenjin takes 11; the fare is ¥250 ($2.10/£1.05), or you can purchase a 1-day subway pass for ¥600 ($5/£2.50) if you plan to sightsee the same day. Alternatively, there's Nishitetsu bus service directly from the domestic terminal to Hakata Station's bus terminal; departures are every 20 to 30 minutes and cost ¥250 ($2.10/£1.05).

By Train -- Fukuoka's Hakata Station is the last stop on the Nozomi Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo, with the trip taking approximately 5 hours and costing ¥21,210 ($177/£88) for an unreserved seat. If you have a Japan Rail Pass, which doesn't cover Nozomi trains, you'll have to take the Hikari Shinkansen and change trains in Osaka or Okayama; the trip takes almost 6 hours, not including transfers. Hiroshima is 1 hour and 10 minutes away; Kyoto is 2 hours and 45 minutes away.

By Bus -- Buses depart from Tokyo's Shinjuku Station nightly at 9pm, arriving at Tenjin Station in the heart of the city at 11:20am the next morning. The fare is ¥15,000 ($125/£63) one-way. For more information, including fares from Fukuoka to other cities in Kyushu and beyond, call tel. 0120/489-939 or go to the website www.nishitetsu.co.jp/bus/highway.

Visitor Information

Before leaving Tokyo or the Narita or Kansai airports, pick up a copy of the leaflet "Fukuoka" at the Tourist Information Center (you can also download it from JNTO's website at www.jnto.go.jp by looking under "Browse by Destinations").

Fukuoka Tourist Information Office (tel. 092/431-3003; daily 8am-7pm) is in Hakata Station near the East Gate. It has maps and sightseeing pamphlets. Ask, too, for Rainbow, a free monthly with concert, exhibition, events, and festival information; and Fukuoka Now, good for restaurant and nightlife listings. Be sure to pick up the free Welcome Card and accompanying guide, which gives overseas visitors discounts for selected hotels, restaurants, attractions, and shops (the card must be presented at check-in to receive hotel discount). On the Internet, sightseeing information is available at www.yokanavi.com and www.city.fukuoka.jp/index-e.html. Other useful sites include www.fukuoka-now.com (good for restaurants and nightlife) and www.fukuoka-tourism.net and www.across.or.jp, both with information on Fukuoka Prefecture, including Fukuoka City, Dazaifu, and Space World.

Internet Access

You can check e-mail 24 hours a day at Media Café Popeye, located on the eighth floor of the Kotsu Center, next to Hakata Station (tel. 092/432-8788). It charges ¥390 ($3.25/£1.65) for 1 hour.

Mail & ATMs

An international post office, with a counter for stamps and mail that is open 24 hours, as well as an ATM that accepts international credit cards, is located next to the Hakata (west) exit of Hakata Station.

Orientation

Although Hakata Station is the terminus for the Shinkansen bullet train and trains departing for the rest of Kyushu, with most of Fukuoka's hotels clustered nearby, the heart and business center of Fukuoka is an area to the west called Tenjin. It's home to several department stores, its own train station and bus center, a large underground shopping arcade, and restaurants. Just a few minutes' walk from Tenjin is Nakasu, one of Japan's most famous nightlife districts, with more than 2,000 bars, restaurants, and small clubs clustered on what's actually an islet bounded by the Nakagawa River.

Across the river from Nakasu (and a 10-min. walk west of Hakata Station) is Canal City Hakata, an intriguingly designed (by award-winning American architect Jon Jerde) entertainment, hotel, and shopping complex with 125 shops and restaurants. Also nearby and within walking distance are Tochoji Temple, Hakata Machiya Folk Museum, Kushida Shrine, and the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum.

Getting Around

You can walk from Hakata Station to most of the attractions recommended below.

By Subway -- This is the easiest method of transportation because there are only three major lines. One line connects Hakata Station to Tenjin (the third stop), passing Nakasu-Kawabata on the way -- the stop for the Nakasu nightlife district. This same line will also take you to Fukuoka Airport. Stops are announced in English. Fares start at ¥200 ($1.65/85p), but if you think you'll be riding a lot, purchase a 1-day subway pass for ¥600 ($5/£2.50).

By Train -- Whereas Hakata Station serves as the terminus for the Shinkansen and Japan Railways trains departing for the rest of Kyushu, Tenjin has its own station, called Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station, located inside the Mitsukoshi department store building and useful for trips to Dazaifu.

By Bus -- The city's two bus terminals are located near Hakata Station at the Kotsu Center and in Tenjin near Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station and Mitsukoshi department store; both are clearly marked in English. Buses running inside the central Hakata-Tenjin District charge a flat fare of ¥100 (85¢/45p). Most useful for tourists is the so-called "¥100 Bus," which sports a big ¥100 coin on its side and travels a circular route going both directions from Haktaka Station to 18 stops in the downtown area, including Tenjin, Canal City, and the Hakata Riverain shopping/cultural complex.