| Fukuoka isn't that small of a place. Actual | | | | Mexican food, I always have the option to |
| numbers bring the population to about the 5 | | | | head on over to Hard Rock Cafe right next |
| million mark, with the city having roughly | | | | door to Fukuoka dome in Momochi. Momochi is |
| 1.3 million people. With that amount of | | | | adjacent to Nishijin so indeed I am in luck. |
| people around, you know there has got to be | | | | Hard Rock Cafe Fukuoka boasts the largest |
| something to do. On any day of the week if | | | | restaurant of its kind in Japan. The food is |
| you look you will be able to find something | | | | fantastic and of course the atmosphere is |
| that interests you. There are often festivals | | | | like all other Hard Rock Cafes out there. The |
| in one area or another in Fukuoka city. With | | | | staff is very friendly and since I frequent |
| a little help from a friend or the domestic | | | | their establishment often I am treated |
| foreigner magazines and information centers | | | | extremely well with occasional benefits. |
| you will be able to find out where the | | | | |
| festivals are being held. | | | | Izakaya |
| | | | |
| The center of Fukuoka city will have to be | | | | Though not only found in Fukuoka, Izakaya |
| Tenjin (though others may argue it to be | | | | restaurants deserve a notable mention. |
| Hakata). It is the shoppers' haven of the | | | | Izakayas offer a wide variety of food and |
| prefecture. Feel you need to do a little | | | | more importantly drinks at a low price. |
| shopping for some nice named brands from | | | | University students as well as business men |
| Italy or France? head on over to Tenjin. Want | | | | can often be found in these restaurants |
| to blow off some steam and hit a bar | | | | chatting with colleagues and drinking up a |
| (including foreigner bars)? Tenjin is the | | | | storm. All Izakayas offer a different |
| place to be. Want to meet some new friends? | | | | ambiance, and with some searching you will be |
| Rainbow Plaza in... you guessed it, Tenjin, | | | | able to find one that suits you. |
| is the place to do just that. | | | | |
| | | | Famous Fukuoka food |
| Right next door to Tenjin is Nakasu. Nakasu | | | | |
| hosts nightlife entertainment but tends to | | | | Fukuoka ramen |
| cater to the more affluent individual. | | | | |
| However, Nakasu also has a huge shopping | | | | Have you ever had that cup O ramen or that |
| complex named Canal City which has so many | | | | freeze dried packaged ramen? bah! throw that |
| shops that you wouldn't be able to count them | | | | out and try some "Tonkatsu ramen" (pork |
| all. The complex holds many restaurants, two | | | | ramen) famous in Fukuoka and well know |
| hotels, a large cinema and in the center of | | | | throughout all of Japan. First time I tried |
| Canal City is an area called Sun Plaza where | | | | it I was instantly hooked and to this day try |
| it is common to find street performers doing | | | | and eat it once every week or so. |
| their acts. | | | | |
| | | | Mentaiko |
| Of course Tenjin and Nakasu aren't the only | | | | |
| place you can have fun. I live about 10 | | | | Another famous food which Fukuoka is renowned |
| minutes away from Tenjin by subway in a town | | | | for is mentaiko (very tiny fish eggs). To |
| called Nishijin and I can do nearly as many | | | | some people mentaiko may not seem very |
| things here as I can in Tenjin. Bowling, | | | | appetizing but please don't knock it till you |
| swimming, soccer, billiards, game centers, | | | | try it. Mentaiko spaghetti, as an example, is |
| and even a movie theater are just a few of | | | | a delicious treat around these parts. And |
| the things Nishijin and the nearby areas have | | | | there are of course many other recipes which |
| to offer. | | | | have use for mentaiko. |
| | | | |
| Yahoo Dome (formerly Fukuoka Dome) is located | | | | Transportation |
| in Momochi which boarders the sea. Yahoo Dome | | | | |
| is home to the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. The | | | | Unlike the nickname given to New York, |
| Hawks are a strong baseball team, beloved by | | | | Fukuoka does tend to get a little tired at |
| the city and its residents. In fact, there | | | | night but usually not until quite late |
| are only two teams in Japan's professional | | | | especially on weekends. One of the reasons |
| baseball league who attract more than one | | | | for this in my humble opinion is the |
| million fans to their home games per year, | | | | transportation shutdown at around midnight. |
| and the Hawks are one of them. When the Hawks | | | | That's right, the subway, train, and bus |
| don't have a home game you can sometimes find | | | | system all but stops once you hit the AM. |
| other activities occurring in the Dome. Yahoo | | | | Which leaves the weary and, more often than |
| Dome hosts various flea markets and concerts | | | | not, drunk to either take a taxi home, walk, |
| throughout the year. | | | | or I have even heard the "I will just stay up |
| | | | until the subway starts again at 6:00 before |
| Food, food, food! | | | | I go home" line used by those who just aren't |
| | | | finished partying when its time for the |
| As far as I'm concerned, Fukuoka has the best | | | | transportation system's last call. This isn't |
| food to offer in all of Japan (though I hear | | | | just a Fukuoka special, for the shutdown |
| food in Sapporo is quite good). Fukuoka has | | | | happens throughout the whole of Japan. |
| its own well known dishes and of course the | | | | |
| chefs here are well capable of recreating | | | | Though the transportation system does |
| dishes found throughout the world. | | | | shutdown at perhaps inconvenient times, it is |
| | | | a wonderful system. Perfectly clean trains, |
| Yatai | | | | buses and subways (which are amazingly quiet) |
| | | | are the consequence of the shutdown for they |
| When night begins to fall on Fukuoka city you | | | | are all cleaned during the wee hours of the |
| may suddenly notice many little street | | | | morning. |
| vendors (usually operating out of their vans) | | | | |
| popping up all over the sidewalks. These | | | | Location |
| vendors serve a variety of foods ranging from | | | | |
| ramen to yakiniku to tempura. Yatais | | | | Fukuoka is found on the southernmost island |
| themselves are really a site to see. | | | | of the four main islands in Japan. The name |
| | | | of the island is Kyushu. Fukuoka happens to |
| Hard Rock Cafe Fukuoka | | | | be closer to Seoul, South Korea than it is to |
| | | | Tokyo. Fukuoka prefecture is located on the |
| On the occasions when I miss American and | | | | northern tip of Kyushu. S.B. |