Places
Okahira Kenji at Drum Logos
Oct 13th
Shikaka Beach
Oct 13th
Shikaka Beach
Shikaka Beach is ideal for those that don’t have a car or a friend with a car, but want to find a nice quiet beach with clean water. It is not a surfing beach, although there is a surfable beach further down at a car rest stop if you don’t mind a long walk. Shikaka Beach is probably not the real name of the beach I am referring to in this post but it’s the name that was given by many English Teachers due to it’s proximity to Shikaka Station.
JR Chikuhi Line Picture
Momochi Beach
Oct 13th
Momochihama Beach
Momochi Beach is one of the best places to go in Fukuoka, especially in the spring and summer. It’s a little oasis of paradise in the middle of the big city. It’s walking distance from the subway if you are in shape or don’t mind getting a little exercise. Another option is to take a bus. There are buses that will take you a lot closer. I would say any bus that gets you near the Fukuoka Dome (Yahoo! Dome), Fukuoka Tower, or the Sea Hawk Hotel will work. Perhaps the best way to get anywhere in Japan is by bicycle so that is my best advice, it’s a nice ride from just about anywhere in central Fukuoka.
Fukuoka Tower 福岡タワー
Oct 13th
Fukuoka Tower
Fukuoka Tower is located in Momochihama and was built on reclaimed land that was once Hakata Bay. The tower is 234 Meters tall and provides a great view of Fukuoka City and surrounding areas. The tower took 14 months to build and was finished in 1989. Unfortunately an elevator ride to the top is not free, but if you don’t mind forking out a little money it’s a good place to take some pictures. As we mentioned in our article about the Sea Hawk Hotel, there is a free place to get a view of Fukuoka at the top of the hotel. It all depends on your budget, if you have some extra money and you would like to check out Fukuoka Tower then by all means do so. If you are on a shoe string budget I would say go the cheaper (free as in beer) route and take an elevator to the top of the Sea Hawk Hotel.
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Palm Beach Cafe Futamigaura 二見ケ浦
Aug 6th
What can we say……WE LOVE FUTAMIGAURA BEACH!!! 二見ケ浦大好き!! We also love the Palm Beach Cafe,
which has the best location of all!!
A Sunday Drive in Fukuoka: Nijo Parking Area
Feb 15th
Nijo Parking Area is a cool little place outside of Fukuoka City to drive to or hang out at. It’s especially nice in the summer but even in February the Nijo Parking Area is pretty crowded. I first found this place while driving with a friend one Sunday a while back, we were tired and wanted to use the restrooms and get something to drink from a vending machine. Me being a bodyboarder the first thing I noticed was the beach and the waves! Of course they aren’t Hawaii caliber but they due just fine for any surfer away from home.
Tenjin Chikagai
Dec 1st
Tenjin Chikagai (Click for larger Image)
The best thing about the Tenjin Chikagai isn’t the shopping! The best thing about the Tenjin Chikagai is the ability to avoid in climate weather by staying underground.
Have you ever really looked at a map of the Tenjin Chikagai, which is an underground shopping area underpass. If you have you will quickly realize that there is an exit at just about all the best areas of Tenjin. You can pretty much walk from the Nishitetsu Tenjin station to Oyafuko Dori (Street in Japanese is “Dori”), and every where in between. I believe it was my good friend Tom that showed me some of the best entrances/exits in and around Tenjin. The two seasons that really put the Tenjin Chikagai at work are the rainy season and winter. If you are lucky enough to work in Tenjin then you know what I mean. You can pretty much go to work without an umbrella if you live close to the subway or Nishitetsu line. Just jump on the train, get off and tenjin, study the map to find the best exit, and then you are at work nice and dry.
If you don’t work but love to hang out and shop in Tenjin then the Chikagai is also your best friend, when the weather gets bad. Let’s face it Tenjin is all about shopping and the last thing you want to worry about is the weather when you have your bonus in your hand. There are shops in the Chikagai and of course exits to most of the best store in Tenjin like Tenjin Core, Mistukoshi, Solari, and Bic camera for the geeks and technology otakus out there.
The secret to mastering the Tenjin Chikagai is to think about the main places you frequent and then figure out the closest exit and try to remember that map in your head. I usually do the north, south, east, west thing. What I mean by this is I figure which 4 corners of Tenjin that I would most likely want to visit and find the corresponding exits.
- South: Back of Nishitetsu Tenjin Station
- North: Closest exit to Oyafuko Dori
- Center Point: Tenjin Core
- East: Closest to my Bank
- West: Closest To the Akasaka Side of Tenjin
Ohori Koen: A Great Place To Exercise
Nov 30th
Ohori Koen (Ohori Park)
Ohori Koen ,also known as Ohori Park, is a great place to exercise! It’s a great place to walk, jog, roller blade, skateboard, or cycle. The distance around the park is 2.2 kilometers, which is perfect for a nice stroll or a jog. Just about all hours of the day you can find people exercising at the park. Part of the path that goes around the park is made of a softer material so it’s a little easier on your joints. I guess the best way to describe Ohori Koen is that it’s Fukuoka’s “Central Park”.
While exercising at Ohori Koen you can expect to see:
- People playing instuments
- Freestyle BMX riders
- Skate boarders doing tricks
- Dance groups practicing
- Couples enjoying a romantic view
- High School students hanging out
- Roller bladers doing tricks
There is no excuse not to get over to Ohori Koen and get a little exercise
HawksTown
Nov 15th
Hawks Town consists of the Yahoo! Dome, Hawkstown Mall, and the JAL Resort Sea Hawk Hotel. Yahoo! Fukuoka Dome is home to the Softbank Hawks a Japanese professional baseball team. It also features concerts for Japanese and International artists. Yahoo! Dome also features expos and shows such as the Fukuoka Autosalon Car Show and the Fukuoka International Car Show. Yahoo! Dome has one unique feature in that it’s a dome and it’s not a dome. It’s a dome but the roof can be opened so it can be turned into an outdoor area as well.
Hawks Town Mall is right next to the Yahoo! Dome and is a favorite place of Fukuoka Locals and travelers. It has over 100 shops that consists of clothing, restaurants, game centers, movie theater, and coffee shops. Hawks Town Mall is the home of The HardRock Cafe Fukuoka and Zepp Fukuoka a smaller concert venue. Hawks Town Mall is a great place visit for several reasons:
- Great place for dinner and a movie
- Lots of parking
- Easy to get to using Public Transport or a bicycle
- HardRock Cafe
- Arcade, Bowling, and Battling Cages
- Spacious and un-cramped shopping.
JAL Resort Sea Hawk Hotel is an excellent hotel and resort! I have had the pleasure of staying in one of their posh rooms and attending a wedding in one of their chapels. The service is second to none, the view is amazing, and the rooms are just plain nice. Inside the hotel there are restaurants and shopping as well as a “green house” type room with lots of plants. It’s basically a resort in the middle of the city. Rates aren’t as bad as you would expect if you get package deals through travel agencies or Japan Airlines (JAL). Even if you aren’t staying in the Sea Hawk Hotel you must stop by and check it out. While there take an eleveator to the 36th floor and check out the view of Fukuoka, it’s amazing and it’s free!