Fukuoka is the biggest city in Kyūshū, and a rising star in Japanese commerce and tourism. Once upon a time it was two separate towns – the lordly Fukuoka castle town to the west of the river Naka-gawa, and to the east, the common folks’ Hakata. When the two merged in 1889, the label Fukuoka was applied to both towns, but subsequent development has mainly been in Hakata and many residents still refer to the town that way. The airport is known as Fukuoka, the train station as Hakata. Fukuoka has transformed itself over the last decade into one of Japan’s most cosmopolitan and internationalised cities. Seoul and Shanghai are among its nearest neighbours. Fukuoka’s most recent international aspirations include a bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics – going up against Tokyo among others.
Its attractions are contemporary rather than traditional, but they are still very much worth seeing, modern architecture in particular. Fukuoka is also renowned as a culinary centre and its vibrant nightlife is centred on the Nakasu, Daimyo and Tenjin districts.Nationally the city is known for its ‘Hakata bijin’ (beautiful women), its feisty and much-loved baseball team the Daiei Hawks, and, most of all, Hakata rāmen (Chinese-style egg noodles in broth).
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