Planning a trip to Fukuoka
Getting There
By Plane -- Direct flights connect Fukuoka Airport (FUK; tel. 092/621-6059; www.fuk-ab.co.jp) to a variety of international cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, 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 ¥36,800 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; www.skymark.co.jp), a small airline serving Fukuoka, offers 10 flights daily from Haneda to Fukuoka for as low as ¥16,800 one-way. Even JAL offers advance-purchase fares as low as ¥16,800 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, 11 minutes; the fare is ¥250, or you can purchase a 1-day subway pass for ¥600 if you plan to sightsee the same day. Alternatively, there's Nishitetsu bus service directly from the domestic terminal every 20 to 30 minutes to Hakata Station's bus terminal; the cost is ¥250.
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 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 -- A Nishitetsu "Hakata" bus (tel. 0120/489-939; www.nishitetsu.co.jp/bus/highway/gb) departs from Tokyo's Shinjuku Station nightly at 9pm, arriving at Hakata Station at 11:10am the next morning. The fare is ¥15,000 one-way.
Visitor Information
You can pick up the leaflet "Fukuoka" at the Tourist Information Centers in Tokyo or Narita or Kansai airports or 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 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). More information by phone is available at the Tourist Information Call Center for Foreign Travelers at tel. 092/751-6904. On the Internet, sightseeing information is available at www.yokanavi.com and www.city.fukuoka.jp. Other useful sites include www.fukuoka-now.com (good for restaurants, exhibitions, events, and nightlife) and www.fukuoka-tourism.net, 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 for 1 hour.
Mail & ATM -- 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 -- Fukuoka City Subway (tel. 092/471-8111; http://subway.city.fukuoka.lg.jp) 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, but if you think you'll be riding a lot, a 1-day subway pass for ¥600 allows unlimited rides.
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. 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.
Fast Facts
Business Hours Businesses and most government offices are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm; banks operate from Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm. Department stores are open daily from 10am to 8pm, while small post offices remain open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and close on weekends and national holidays. Larger post offices stay open on weekdays until 7pm and may also open on weekends. Many convenience stores are open 24/7.
Electricity Fukuoka uses 100 volts, with 60 hertz. Buy appropriate converters before arrival.
Emergencies For an ambulance or fire truck, call tel. 119. To contact the police in an emergency, dial tel. 110.
Internet Access Free Internet access is available at the Fukuoka International Association at Rainbow Plaza (8F IMS Building), though there is a daily 30-minute time limit per person. Some internet cafes offer access for free or a fee; these include the Cybac cafes (call tel. 0120-24-3189 or go to www.cybac.com for locations) and the Media Cafe Popeye chain (call tel. 092-737-7744 or go to www.media-cafe.net/1.htm for locations). Many hotels, such as the Hyatt Regency (tel. +81 92 412 1234; wwww.hyatt.com), offer internet access to guests for free or at a nominal charge.
Liquor Laws The legal age for purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Japan is 20. Driving after drinking (even one beer) is not tolerated -- if you're arrested for it, expect to serve up to five years in prison or a pay a hefty fine (up to $8,800). The same penalties apply for providing an intoxicated person with a vehicle, and there are also weighty punishments for providing a person with alcohol who subsequently gets a DUI, as well as for riding as a passenger in a vehicle operated by an intoxicated driver.
Mail At press time, first-class domestic postage rates were 80 to 90 yen for standard-sized letters and 50 to 60 yen for postcards. To send a standard-sized letter to Europe or the U.S. costs 110 yen; the rate to send a postcard to Europe or the U.S. is 70 yen.
Newspapers & Magazines Four daily English-language newspapers are available in Fukuoka: Japan Times (www.japantimes.com), Herald Tribune Asahi (www.asahi.com/english), Mainichi Daily News (mdn.mainichi.jp), and the Daily Yomiuri (www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy); they're often available for purchase at major hotels and bookstores. Fukuoka Now (www.fukuoka-now.com) is a free monthly multilingual magazine which includes dining and nightlife reviews, event listings, and local maps; it's available at Rainbow Plaza and other locations around town.
Pets Bringing pets to Fukuoka is a complicated, time-intensive process which includes obtaining microchip identification and rabies vaccinations at least 210 days before travel, faxing a form to Japan's quarantine services 40 to 90 daysbefore arrival, and obtaining a health certificate for the animal 2 to 10 daysbefore arrival. Animals that arrive without all documents in order are subject to a quarantine of up to 120 days. To read about the procedure in full detail, go to www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/index.html.
Police To call the police, dial tel. 110 in an emergency. For the English-language help line, call tel. 03-3501-0110.
Safety Fukuoka is a relatively safe destination, but criminal incidents are not unheard of, so be sure to lock your car, bicycle, and hotel room. Women should be particularly alert, as cases of bag-snatching, bullying and sexual harassment can happen.
"Police boxes" are located throughout the city and are open 24 hours a day to take burglary and assault reports, assist with directions or lost items, and to help locate missing people.
Earthquakes are not uncommon in Fukuoka, so make note of possible escape routes in your hotel. After an earthquake, be alert for tsunamis and stay away from the beach. If you are near a beach during an earthquake, head for higher ground immediately and listen to the radio for tsunami-related news.
Smoking Smoking while walking or riding a bicycle is prohibited in Fukuoka. A violation of this, especially in the Tenjin or Hakata Station areas, can cost up to 20,000 yen.
Taxes A 5% sales tax (shohizei) is tacked onto all purchases; check with your hotel to find out whether this is already included in your overnight rate.
To Make International Calls To call abroad from Japan, dial the international dialing access code (010), then the country code of the country you are calling (for the U.S., it's 1), then dial the rest of the number (if it starts with a 0, drop the 0). For example, to call the U.S. number (123) 456-7890, dial 010+1+123-456-7890.
Public phones are easily found in Fukuoka, and you can make domestic and international calls from them using either yen coins or a prepaid phone card, which you can buy from vending machines in most telephone booths, or from convenience stores.
Since most U.S. cell phones don't work in Japan, you may want to rent one. To do so, check with the kiosks at the airport.
Time Zone Fukuoka is on Japan Standard Time (JST; GMT+9), which puts it 9 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (and thus London). Fukuoka clocks do not change for daylight savings time.
Tipping Tipping is not expected in restaurants or bars. Hotels usually include a service charge of 10 to 15% so that you don't have to worry about tipping each service person individually.
Water Tap water is considered safe for drinking throughout Japan, but if you're unsure or have a delicate constitution, stick to bottled water.
