Fukuoka

Introduction

Huge Ferris Wheel in Fukuoka

© All Rights Reserved jbennett

Fukuoka, on the northern shore of the island of Kyūshū, is the capital of Fukuoka Prefecture and one of Japan's major trading ports. It is considered the gateway to southern Japan and is also the main city for Chinese and Korean culture.

Events and Festivals

• Hakata Yamasaka Gion matsuri (02 Jul 2013 - 15 Jul 2013) - It's a more than 700-year-old festival stil alive with traditions. Famous for its one ton float-racing, it has a 750-year history, attracts up to a million spectators, and in 1979 was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The sound of the Kaki Yamakasa has been selected by the Ministry of the Environment as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. Address: Hakata the center of Fukuoka, Hours: All day long, Price: Free

Weather

Fukuoka has a humid subtropical climate and it has hot humid summers and relatively mild winters. The city also sees on average about 1,600 mm of precipitation per year, with a stretch of more intense precipitation between the months of June and September. Along with much of the prefecture, Fukuoka City has a moderate climate with an annual average temperature of 16.3 °C, average humidity of 70% and 1,811 annual daylight hours. Roughly 40% of the year is cloudy. Winter temperatures rarely drop below 0 °C and it rarely snows, though light rain does fall on most days if not as consistently as on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu.[5] Spring is warm and sunnier, with cherry blossoms appearing in late March or early April. The rainy season (tsuyu) lasts for approximately six weeks through June and July, during which time the humidity is very high and temperatures hover between 25 °C and 30 °C. Summers are humid and hot, with temperatures peaking around 37 °C. Autumn, often considered to be Fukuoka's best season, is mild and dry, though the typhoon season runs between August and September.

Getting There

By Plane

Fukuoka Airport (FUK) is the main gateway to Fukuoka and the west of Japan. Destinations include most major Japanese cities and international destinations like Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Busan, Seoul, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Guam, Manila, Singapore, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City.

By Train

Fukuoka can be reached by train from Tokyo and many other cities. Check Hyperdia for schedules and prices.

By Boat

Mirajet has high speed ferries between Busan and Fukuoka, taking only 3 hours. JR Beetle, a Japanese based company, offers the same service.The Camellia-line ferry service is much slower (15 hours) but almost twice as cheap.

Sleep

Budget

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The Japanese postal service is excellent! Domestic and international mail service is very quick and reliable. The prices for sending letters, postcards and parcels vary depending on where you send if from and to which country you send it too, and of course depends on weight as well, so check this calculation page of Japan Post for more details. Post offices generally are open from 9:00am to 5:00pm on weekdays, closing at weekends and also on national holidays, though a few open on Saturdays from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Central post offices are sometimes open until 7:00pm, open on Saturdays from 9:00am to 5:00pm and on Sundays and holidays from 9:00am to 12:30pm. Another thing to remember is that the post office is one of the few places in Japan that is guaranteed to have ATMs that take international cards.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Official Tourism Website