One of Japan's largest cities, Fukuoka is the administrative, economic, and cultural center of the southernmost island of Kyushu and is one of the country's most progressive cities. Located in Hakata Bay, Fukuoka is divided in two by the River Naka, with Hakata, the older eastern part of the city, serving as an important port and commercial center.

Visitors flock to Fukuoka for the numerous fine museums, art galleries, and theaters, as well as great places to shop and eat. Hakata ramen, a rich noodle soup made from a rich pork bone broth and thin noodles originated in Fukuoka.

The city also hosts many professional sporting events and festivals, most notably the famous Hakata Gion Yamakasa, a two-week long, 700-year-old celebration held each July, which involves colorful parades, traditional races, and costumes, along with live music. Canal City Hakata is a city-within-a-city complete with a waterway running through a complex of hotels, restaurants, arcades, cinemas, a theater, 250 shops, and other fun things to do.

Popular sights to see

• Fukuoka Castle
• Sumiyoshi-jinja Shrine
• Kyushu National Museum
• Kushida-jinja Shrine
• Hakata Machiya Folk Museum
• Dazaifu Tenman-gu
• Ohori Park
• Nanzoin Temple and the Reclining Buddha
• Marine World Uminonakamichi
• Fukuoka Art Museum
• Fukuoka Tower
• Fukuoka Food Markets