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City guide · 福岡 Fukuoka
Fukuoka
A thousand-year-old port facing Asia: yatai, tonkotsu ramen and the god of learning
Fukuoka is compact and delicious: yatai stalls in Nakasu at dusk, Hakata tonkotsu ramen, mentaiko and motsunabe; a short train ride away is Dazaifu Tenmangū, the shrine of the god of learning.
History
How the city came to be
Fukuoka is built along Hakata Bay and has been a centre of foreign trade since ancient times. In the late Asuka period it served as the port of Dazaifu, the administrative centre of Kyushu and Japan's gateway for trade with Tang China. When the Mongols attacked Japan twice, in 1274 and 1281, they landed at Hakata Bay. In 1600 the daimyō Kuroda Nagamasa built a castle and named the castle town 'Fukuoka' after his family's home.
- Asuka periodAs the port of Dazaifu, it became the gateway for exchange with Tang China
- 1241Legend says the priest Shōichi Kokushi was carried in a palanquin sprinkling water to drive off plague — the origin of the Hakata Gion Yamakasa
- 1274First Mongol invasion, landing at Hakata Bay
- 1281Second Mongol invasion
- 1600Kuroda Nagamasa built a castle and named it 'Fukuoka'
Stories
Stories of the city
History · Dazaifu Tenmangū
The god of learning exiled to Dazaifu
In 901 Sugawara no Michizane was framed by his political rival Fujiwara no Tokihira and demoted to a minor post at Dazaifu; his whole family was exiled to Kyushu, and he died there two years later. Dazaifu Tenmangū was built over his grave. After his death the Seiryōden of the imperial palace in Kyoto was repeatedly struck by lightning, and heavy rains and floods followed; the court believed Michizane's vengeful spirit was to blame and built Kitano Tenmangū in Kyoto to appease it.
Legend · Dazaifu Tenmangū
Tobiume: the plum tree that followed its master
Michizane wrote many poems about plum blossom in his lifetime. Legend says that after he died in exile, his favourite plum tree at his Kyoto residence flew overnight to Dazaifu to be reunited with its master; today this 'flying plum' at the Tenmangū is said to be the first plum tree in Japan to bloom each year.
Legend · Hakata Gion Yamakasa
Carrying a priest to sprinkle water and drive off disease
Legend says that when an epidemic swept Hakata in 1241, Shōichi Kokushi (Enni), founder of Jōten-ji, sat on a wooden platform and had people carry him around the city while he sprinkled water and prayed, finally driving away the disease. This is considered the origin of the Hakata Gion Yamakasa.
History · Nakasu yatai, Fukuoka
Why yatai survive only in Fukuoka
Yatai were common all over Japan during and after the Second World War. Before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the government introduced regulations on hygiene grounds, and yatai fell sharply in number; many turned into shops, some later even growing into ramen chains. Today Nakasu and Tenjin in Fukuoka are the centre of Japan's yatai culture.
People
People connected with Fukuoka
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Before you go
Rules to know in Fukuoka
Take off your shoes when you see a genkan (entrance step)
- Take off your shoes at the entrance of homes, some restaurants, temples and hot-spring facilities
- If unsure, look for a shoe rack or slippers at the entrance
- Stepping onto tatami or indoor wooden floors in shoes
It is seen as very rude.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese etiquette
No phone calls on trains and the shinkansen; queue to board
- Put your phone on silent; on the shinkansen, take calls in the area between carriages
- Queue at the marked spots on either side of the train door, and let people off before you get on
- Give priority seats to older people, pregnant women and passengers with limited mobility
- Talking on the phone or playing sound aloud in the train
Not illegal, but you will get looks and a reminder from the conductor.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese etiquette
If you have tattoos, check the rules before using a hot spring
- Before you go, email the facility to ask about its rules
- Small to medium tattoos can be covered with skin-coloured patches (some onsen sell them)
- Choose a tattoo-friendly onsen, or book a private bath (kashikiri-buro) in advance
- Ignoring 'no tattoos' signs and getting in anyway
Most onsen do not allow guests with tattoos to bathe, but rules vary by facility and are often more relaxed for foreign visitors.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: tattoo rules and etiquette at onsen
Wash your body thoroughly before getting into a hot spring
- Before getting in, sit on the small stool in the washing area and wash your whole body with the shower or a bucket, leaving no soap
- Leave your small towel at the edge of the bath or fold it on your head
- Getting into the bath without rinsing first
- Dipping your towel in the bath water
- Leaving a used towel in the washing area
Not illegal, but other guests and the staff will see it as very rude. Most onsen require you to be fully naked in the bathing area.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: a beginner's guide to onsen
There is no tipping in Japan
- Say thank you with 'arigatō gozaimashita'
- Pressing loose change on staff
Japan is a no-tipping country and bills usually include service; if you press a tip on staff, some will politely refuse.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese table manners
An izakaya's otoshi is a cover charge
- Accept the otoshi as an appetiser
- Arguing with staff about it or asking for it to be taken back
There is no penalty: before you order at an izakaya, a small dish of otoshi always arrives. It doubles as the cover charge and cannot be chosen or swapped.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: drinking in Japan