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