Area Characteristics
Fukuoka is the central prefecture for Kyushu, and historically, it has had a lot of experience in dealing with Asian countries. It has many cities with distinct features and highlights including Fukuoka City with its status as the largest business hub in Kyushu and as a center for a rich food culture, the old city of Dazaifu, Yanagawa which is known as the City of Water, and Kita-Kyushu which has a reputation as a foodie port town.
Major Sites
There are many highlights in the Fukuoka area such as Canal City Hakata which is enjoyed for cuisine and shopping, the food stands of Tenjin, and Dazaifu Tenman-gu known for the God of Scholarship. The Kita-Kyushu area is known for retro Port Moji which was selected as one of the Top 100 Cityscapes by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Kokura Castle close to the Kanmon Straits and Mt. Sarakura which was selected as having one of the New Top 3 Night Views of Japan.
Food
In Fukuoka which is known as a treasure house for food, there are many people who come just for the cuisine. Dishes such as karashi mentaiko (spicy and salted cod roe), mizutaki hot pot and motsunabe hot pot are nationally famous. If you are starting with Hakata ramen which is the symbol for Fukuoka cuisine, then you have to try tonkotsu ramen at least once. Then there is umegae rice cake which is a specialty of Dazaifu and curry in Port Moji. The sweet bun known as Hakata Torimon is a favored souvenir which won prizes at the Monde Selection world food awards for 15 consecutive years.
Transportation
The most frequent way to get to Fukuoka from Tokyo is by air. It takes about 2 hours from Haneda Airport to Fukuoka Airport and for access to other airports in the area it takes less than 3 hours. And since Fukuoka Airport is directly connected to the local subway, Hakata can be reached within 5 minutes while Tenjin can be reached within 10 minutes. There are plenty of JR trains serving the Fukuoka area as well as many subways and buses. For other areas, rental cars are convenient.
Accommodations
Hotel facilities are most prevalent in Hakata and Tenjin which are close to the airport, and there are also many accommodations in Kokura and Port Moji in the Kita-Kyushu area.