Hakata is an old Japanese city located in Fukuoka Prefecture. It is best known for its ramen (Hakata ramen) and festivals (Hakata Gion Yamakasa, Hakata Dontaku Minato Matsuri, and Hakata O-kunchi).

How to get there

I flew in to Japan via the Kansai Airport, so I took the Limited Express Haruka train from the airport to Shin-Osaka station and then the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Hakata Station. The entire trip was covered by my Japan Rail Pass and took about four hours.

How to get around

Getting around Hakata is quite easy as it has many buses and subway lines. Walking is also a fantastic and healthy option as many of the city’s attractions are situated not too far from each other.

What to see

Canal City

From the hostel I stayed at, it only took 10 minutes to walk to Canal City, a huge, open-air, multi-storey dining, entertainment, and shopping complex in the heart of Hakata. I spent at least a couple of hours checking out the more than two hundred restaurants, cinemas, shops, and cafes in the building. What I really loved the most about it was the Ramen Stadium on its topmost floor — a staggering array of different kinds of ramen and other Japanese food — I decided then and there that I’d have to come back at least once more before I left Hakata!

Fukuoka Castle Ruins

To go to the Fukuoka Castle Ruins, I got on a Kuko Line subway train and got off at Ohorikoen Station. From there, it took 10 minutes to walk to the ruins found in Maizuru Park.

I was welcomed to the remnants of a number of guard towers and gates, and what seemed to be a moat. I also noticed how the garden’s walking paths were lined with cherry trees and thought I should have gone there in spring instead of winter to experience the beauty of the blossoms.

Yatai

Hakata is also known for its open-air food stalls, known as Yatai. These food stands can accommodate between six and ten people at a time, and they specialise in different local dishes, such as oden (hot pot), yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) and, of course, ramen.

I went there one evening at around seven and saw all the stands were already full, with dozens of people, both local and foreign tourists, patiently waiting in line to be served. It was such a fun and lively atmosphere!