Welcome to Japan * Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka City

Traditional Culture

On the surface Japan appears exceedingly modern, but travelling around it offers numerous opportunities to connect with the country's traditional culture. Spend the night in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), sleeping on futons and tatami mats, and padding through well-worn wooden halls to the bathhouse (or go one step further and sleep in an old farmhouse). Meditate with monks or learn how to whisk bitter matcha (powdered green tea) into a froth. From the splendour of a Kyoto geisha dance to the spare beauty of a Zen rock garden, Japan has the power to enthral even the most jaded traveller.

Food

Wherever you are in Japan, it seems, you're never far from a great meal. Restaurants often specialise in just one dish – perhaps having spent generations perfecting it – and pay close attention to every stage, from sourcing the freshest, local ingredients to assembling the dish attractively. And as you'll quickly discover, Japanese cuisine has great regional variations. The hearty hotpots of the mountains are, for example, dramatically different from the delicate sushi for which the coast is famous. It's also intensely seasonal, meaning you can visit at a different time of year and experience totally new tastes.

Outdoors

Japan is a long and slender, highly volcanic archipelago. It's over two-thirds mountains, with bubbling hot springs at every turn. In the warmer months there is excellent hiking, through cedar groves and fields of wildflowers, up to soaring peaks and ancient shrines (the latter founded by wandering ascetics). In the winter, all this is covered with snow and the skiing is world class. (And if you've never paired hiking or skiing with soaking in onsen, you don't know what you've been missing.) Meanwhile in the southern reaches, there are tropical beaches for sunning, snorkelling and diving.

Ease of Travel

Japan is incredibly easy to get around: you can do a whole trip using nothing but its immaculate, efficient public transport. The shinkansen (bullet train) network now runs all the way from the southern tip of Kyūshū (the southernmost of Japan's major islands) up to Hokkaidō (its northernmost), and reasonably priced rail passes make it affordable. Major cities have subway networks that are signposted in English and these days we're seeing and hearing more English all over. But if getting off the beaten track and outside your comfort zone is what you're after, you can have that experience, too.

And because they know that meals need look good, taste good, and offer something decidedly different, Japan rules the snack-food market. Here are five of the best:

“Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine (dedicated to the God of Learning)”

Its geographic position has made Fukuoka the gateway prefecture to Kyushu for commerce and visitors alike, from within Japan as well as from overseas, particularly from other Asian countries such as South Korea. Air, rail and sea links are many and convenient, so visitors will find it easy to plan their Japan itineraries to explore this fascinating region of Japan.

The prefectural capital, Fukuoka City, is the largest metropolitan area in Kyushu and is Japan’s fifth-largest city. It is an international city renowned for its 2,000-year history of exchange with China and Korea. The city is modern and compact, while still enjoying scenery from the nearby mountains and sea. Fukuoka’s rich food culture is also not to be missed, with Hakata tonkotsu ramen noodles and its fresh seafood as just some of the many delicious choices. The vivid local culinary scene is highlighted by the outdoor stands or yatai that serve some of the city’s best food in an al fresco setting.

Rugby fans will also find much to state their appetites in Fukuoka. The island of Kyushu itself is one of the major hubs of Japanese rugby, and Fukuoka was the starting point of the sport here with the formation of the Kyushu Rugby Club by a group of Keio University graduates who were stationed in the city by their employer. Currently local rugby fans have strong favorites to cheer in the professional Top League and its Kyushu second tier, as well as school teams at the high school and university level.

“Kushida Shrine”

Fukuoka Prefecture has many historic shrines, temples and castle ruins that give the visitor a sense of the region’s history and culture. These include the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine (dedicated to the God of Learning) which is famous throughout Japan, the Kushida Shrine (renowned for the important role it plays in the annual Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival), and the sacred island of Okinoshima (the “island of the gods”) and associated sites in Munakata region, which are a candidate for World Heritage Site status. Visitors can also enjoy a romantic boat trip in Yanagawa, with its many canals.

“Hakata Dontaku Festival”

With around 20,000 participants, the Hakata Dontaku Festival, which is held in Fukuoka on May 3rd – 4th each year, is Japan’s largest festival. The Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, which is held during the period July 1st – 15th and has a history going back around 700 years, has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the Japanese government.

“Hakata dolls”

Fukuoka has a wealth of traditional arts and crafts, including Hakata dolls, Hakata-ori textiles, and Kurume Kasuri textiles. Fukuoka also boasts delicious traditional foods, with famous agricultural and marine products that include Karashi Mentaiko (spicy cod roe), Ramen noodles, Mizutaki (chicken broth hotpot), and Amao strawberries, among many others.

Venue – Hakatanomori Football Stadium
http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/venues/hakatanomori-football-stadium

For more information on Fukuoka Prefecture and Fukuoka City and their attractions, please see the following links: