Thursday to Monday
March 6 to 10, 2025

I said I’d be back in my previous Fukuoka blog and finally, the time has come. I’m once again in my favorite city in my favorite country. Here is my latest trip report for Fukuoka, take two.

Pre-Japan

This trip was a long time coming, having booked the flights way back in November of 2024. Since I already have a Multiple-Entry Visa, only Shane, had to apply for hers. Thankfully, we were able to squeeze an application in before the embassy tightened the restrictions. Visas secured!

There was nothing left to do but plan the itineraries and wait for the day of the flight. When leaving the country, don’t forget your e-travel QR code and for entry to Japan, the Visit Japan Web QR code.

We arrived very early to the airport and had a successful encounter with immigration. Sadly, the Starbucks at the pre-departure area was permanently closed, so we settled with Kenny Roger’s Roasters for our pre-flight meal.

I then spent the time by playing with my Steam Deck until it was boarding time. Thankfully, everything went smoothly and we were on the four-hour trip to Japan. We were scheduled to arrive there at 8 in the evening, Japan time.

Day 1

Upon arriving at Fukuoka, we went through the standard immigration process and secured our Wi-Fi devices. Then, we rode the subway to Akasaka station where our accommodation was a short, 5-minute walk away.

Our homebase for the next 4 nights would be APA Hotel Tenjin West. This was the best budget hotel we could find that was located outside the busy Hakata area, yet still close enough to be walkable.

After checking in, we decided to walk towards the Nakasu area and have some dinner at the Yatai stalls. Along the way however, we passed by an Ichiran that had no queue outside. I was in disbelief at seeing available seats, so we immediately entered and ordered some bowls of ramen.

It was Shane’s first time tasting Ichiran in-store and not just the instant ramen version. She enjoyed the rich tonkotsu broth as well as the booth-style experience. We were happy to have checked off a tourist destination so early. Bellies full, we continued our walk towards the Naka river.

It was a good thing we ate some ramen as the Yatai stalls were filled with people. Unable to secure a seat, we continued exploring the area and taking pictures.

The riverside was quiet and peaceful, the cool winds of Fukuoka welcoming me by freezing every bone in my body.

Having enough of the night’s chill and happy with the adventure, we walked back to our hotel, but not before stopping by a konbini for our breakfast rice-balls and canned coffee.

It was straight to bed right after. So ends our first night in Fukuoka.

Day 2

Our first destination for the day was Nanzoin Temple. We rode the JR Line from Hakata station way out of the city and into the quiet town of Sasaguri. This small town surrounded by mountains was home to the Reclining Buddha statue.

We followed a tour-bus full of senior citizens up the temple and passed many shrines to minor deities. Eventually we reached the path towards the plateau where the Buddha was waiting for us.

After admiring the view and offering a few prayers, we climbed a modest Inari shrine nearby. On the way down we found a cute elderly couple selling mushroom tea and bought a pack.

Finally, we purchased some souvenirs before heading back to the train station and back to the city center.

I loved the vibes of this small town. I wish we had more time to hunt for hidden gems here but it was early in the morning and most of the shops were still closed.

Back in Hakata, we had early lunch at Gyozaya Ni No Ni.

The one-bite gyoza was their specialty but my favorite was their Taipei karaage. It was drizzled in a cilantro and vinegar dressing that reminded me of Khao Khai’s Yam Kai Dao. It was so good and provided us with fresh energy for the next part of our trip.

We joined the long line of tourists at Hakata Bus Station for the transport to Dazaifu. This city holds the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, a major Shrine for the deity of Learning.

Upon alighting the bus at Dazaifu station, we were overwhelmed by the people. It reminded me of the hustle and bustle of Kyoto as well as the street markets of Taipei. Both tourists and locals surrounded us, enjoying the multiple stores that dotted the path up the temple.

The first store that caught my eye was the Dazaifu Dog from Mama Kitchen. The succulent-looking wiener peeking out of the bun and covered in toppings seemed to call out our names. We got the Mentai Dog and enjoyed every bite before moving on.

We proceeded into the Shrine’s main area where even more tourists were scattered about. We took some pictures of the early blooms of the Cherry trees as well as rub the head of the Bull Statue for an intelligence boost.

We hiked up another Inari shrine that ended in a small cave where we offered some prayers. We also happened upon an art installation along the trail, but we failed to grasp the meaning of it.

I thought that the trails of Dazaifu would make a good location for a trail run. It would be ideal if it was possible to run in temple grounds and could be closed off from non-runners.

Shane ordered a Kuroge Wagyu Bowl from Hakata Kitchen Kamiokaya while I got a stick of Skirt Steak from a nearby stall. Japanese beef is so juicy and flavorful, it’s hard to compare with what we have in the Philippines.

After locating a local 7-eleven and withdrawing more Yen, we boarded the bus back to Hakata.

Back in Hakata, we were feeling peckish and happened upon an empty Tenjin Horumon restaurant right outside the bus station. I’ve been seeing its praises to Shane the whole time and while this wasn’t the branch I dined in from last time, we can’t pass up an opportunity to dine without a line.

I’m happy to report that Shane enjoyed the meal and I was happy to eat some tasty beef offal once again. My mouth was watering the entire time the chef was cooking our meal in front of us.

Re-energized with a full stomach, we walked to Tochoji temple. A quiet and serene place welcomed us. As it was almost dark, there were only few tourists left. We took a picture of the multi-story Pagoda and went on our way.

We passed through the Kawabata Shopping Center but the shops were already on the process of closing. So we headed straight to Canal City Hakata. Here, we bought some apparel from WEGO.

We also waited for the fountain show and this time, it was a Gundam-themed presentation. It was impressive how they used the building’s walls as a projector wall. I was also impressed by the power of the fountains’ explosions. I wondered what it would be like to have a bidet that powerful.

We took the subway back to our hotel area and had dinner at Kaiten Sushi Fujimaru. I found this hidden gem via a local’s blog and I’m glad we tried it out. Not only was it very near our accommodation, the sushi was also very good.

We even got to try Ikatonbi (Squid Beak) which I initially thought was some alien body part. The meat and sauce were delicious, but it was hard to eat around the fragile but inedible beak. The highlight of this restaurant was the free-flowing green tea powder that you brew right from the table. This green tea was so good and I haven’t tasted anything of its level ever since.

After getting our sushi fix, we bought some coffee and rice balls from the konbini once more and retired into our hotel.

Day 3

It was a very early morning for us, as we planned to catch the 8:15 ferry to Nokonoshima Island. After taking a bus to Nokotosenba Ferry Station and waiting a bit, we found ourselves on the 10-minute ride to Nokonoshima.

Upon reaching the island, I immediately bought a hot coffee from the vending machine to help warm me up. The island breeze was multiplying the cold I was feeling. Thankfully, the island bus arrived on time to take us to Nokonoshima Island Park.

We were the first visitors of the park so we had the luxury of taking unobstructed pictures of the wonderful views. Unfortunately, the flowers had not sprung up yet during our time there so we had to make do with the early bloomers.

The park was beautifully tailored and looked like the land where Teletubbies lived. There were also some cherry blossoms and other flowers along the trails.

We reached the village area of the park and admired the locally made goods. I was very tempted to purchase some pottery, but I feared that they might break in transit, so I controlled my urges.

Having more time than expected while waiting for the return ferry, we had early lunch at Kochan Udon. A cute, old lady served us some freshly made udon and I got mine with fish cake. The noodles were exactly my type while the broth was a bit more savory than Marugame’s.

Finally, we boarded the ferry back to Fukuoka.

We reached Meinohama station, the last stop on the Airport Subway line. While waiting for our next train, we enjoyed the cool air outside as well as buy some snacks from Meinohama Marche.

I got a couple of croissants from Il Forno Del Mignon. These were barely two bites each, but the pain au chocolate was delectable and the bread was crispy and buttery. Shane got a Taiyaki (sweet bean-paste cake) from Meinohama Amatoya. I don’t like bean paste but she said that it was very good!

From Meinohama, we took the subway to Nakasu-Kawabata and walked all the way to Hakata port. Our next destination was the Hakata Port Tower.

We entered the museum and rode the elevator to the viewdeck. There, we enjoyed the 360-degree view of Hakata Bay.

We then entered Bayside Place Hakata, a shopping mall across the road from the tower. This mall is famous for having an aquarium in its lobby. Shane enjoyed looking at the fishes for a while. We then looked around for some souvenirs before getting another sushi fix at Hakata Toyoichi.

This restaurant offered sushi at very reasonable prices. There was a long queue when we went in, but take out orders can be processed right away. We took a plastic container and filled it up. We then walked to the nearby park to eat them.

I still preferred the sushi from Fujimaru, but the eel and tuna were good and much cheaper. We enjoyed this meal while looking out into the waters of the bay.

We headed back to our hotel for a quick breather as we planned to have a busy night ahead. On the way, we passed by Kego Park and Kego Shrine. There, we witnessed some locals going about their day and paying respects.

Shane was craving for wagyu and fortunately, a restaurant specializing in this was just a few minutes away from us.

Nikuya Utagawa is a premium restaurant that specializes in serving steak. Make sure to get the counter seats so you can clearly see the chefs prepare the food. They have an English menu and the chef was kind enough to introduce each dish as he served it to us. There are only two of them and they both served as the cooks and servers for the entire place. The service was great and only helped to enhance the entire experience.

I don’t need to explain why wagyu is a must-try for every Japan visit. There’s just something about the beef that melts in your mouth and explodes with flavor in every bite. You don’t even need to get the top of the line A5. The difference between regular wagyu and Philippine beef is day and night.

This restaurant was our most expensive meal, but it was also my favorite and most memorable. The ambiance of the place was already exquisite. They have a table charge of ¥550 per person, but this included a delicious cup of carrot potage, and a cup of green tea after the meal as well.

I had a terrific experience and I want to come back here and try their bestseller, the Ozaki Beef Bone Ramen.

After dinner, we headed to one of the most important destinations of a Japan trip: Don Quijote.

There, Shane and I spent all evening adding things to our carts. 5 floors of the most random things. I bought some chocolates, cough medicines, and other paraphernalia. Before long, our cart was worth more than ¥20,000. Oops! Thank you, Tax-free counter.

We hauled all our purchases back to the hotel, but not before stopping by Anytime Fitness Tenjin Daimyo. Not to work out, but to use the bathroom. We also surveyed the gym. Late in the evening, there were only two people lifting. We confirmed that our keyfobs work even in overseas branches. Cool!

We also passed by a 7eleven to buy some food as the shopping made us very hungry. This time, we skipped the rice balls and got some chicken skewers and a curry rice plate. We microwaved these in the hotel and had a delicious pre-midnight snack before bed.

We also took this chance to try out their beer. We had a can of the Ebisu brand. It was delicious; just the right balance of sweet and strong. Before long, we got sleepy and turned in for the night.

Day 4

As if we hadn’t done enough walking so far, we decided to go on an early morning jog. Our route took us first to the Fukuoka Castle Grounds, also known as Maizuru Park. Here, the early blooms of the cherries trees looked very beautiful indeed. We encountered a few more joggers exploring the grounds as well as photographers capturing the beautiful scenery.

We weren’t able to climb up to the castle grounds itself as there was a barrier for the Castle Lighting event. We took some pictures at the highest possible viewdeck and went off to the nearby Ohori Park.

Once we arrived, we realized that we were a bit late. The park was very alive with people. It was a very nice Sunday and there were lots of runners enjoying the running path as well as bikers on the bike lane. We also passed a lot of walkers and people using the provided exercise equipment in the park.

Of course, we had to take a picture at the famous Ukimi Pavillion. We were fortunate enough to have only a few people wandering around the path along the pond’s three islands.

We strolled around the park and admired the fauna: some turtles, colorful ducks, and other fish-hunting birds. Once we’ve had enough of the distance, we jogged back to our hotel. Along the way, we picked up some konbini food to serve as our late breakfast.

After freshening up, we took a city bus to another trip highlight, Marine World Uminonakamichi.

Upon arriving, we settled into our seats for the Sea Lion and Dolphin Show. Stealing the show was their huge Pilot Whale, Yuki. It was enchanting to see them do tricks and entertain the audience. The funniest part was them splashing the people on the front row.

After the show, we gorged on some sausages at the nearby cafe. Then once the crowd diminished, we entered the aquarium and watched the displays.

Everything was in Japanese except a few fish names, but it was nice to see the huge fishes. The huge tank in the open water exhibit was enchanting. We could stay there all day just observing the sharks, rays, and the cute puffer fish. Shane also enjoyed the jellyfish exhibit with its mesmerizing colors and blacklight.

We also had a delightful time watching the penguins. I loved the fact that they were identifiable via their wing bands. The aquarium also posted a sign which showed the penguin’s love lives. It was funny to see which penguins were heartbroken and angry at each other as well as their past relationships with other members of the group.

After visiting all the displays, we bought some souvenirs and headed to the ferry terminal nearby. There, we had a 15-minute boat ride straight to Seaside Momochi Park.

This is where the Fukuoka Tower is located. But since it was still early in the afternoon, the tower was not yet illuminated. This park also contains a beach where lots of people were taking pictures and enjoying the cool breeze. Meanwhile, I was freezing to death so we took some pictures as well and headed to a nearby restaurant for an early dinner.

A 20-minute walk away, Hamakatsu Tonkatsu served delicious pork tonkatsu with unlimited refills of cabbage and miso soup. I had their ginger pork and also took advantage of the unlimited cabbage to fill up my stomach. They have an English menu and you order via the provided tablet on your table.

The pork was soft, juicy and flavorful. Their tonkatsu sauce was a bit watered down which I liked, but Shane preferred a more flavorful blend. I can’t help but be amazed at how light and fluffy their pork can get. I felt like I can eat at least two slices of this without feeling full. Meanwhile, the tonkatsu in Manila makes me feel nauseous halfway through. But I digress.

We walked back to Seaside Momochi and along the way, we passed by the famous Fukuoka Poodle. This sculpture is part of the collection of the nearby Fukuoka City Museum. Though we didn’t get the chance to visit the main building, it was nice to see some exhibits scattered around the area.

We finally arrived at the foot of Fukuoka Tower, which was colored bright red for the theme of “Pulse Day.”

After taking some pictures we went in and bought tickets for the elevator to the viewdeck. Thankfully, there wasn’t a lot of tourists that evening. At the viewdeck, we enjoyed the city lights and took pictures at the dedicated “camera spots”.

Once done, we rode the bus back to our hotel area. Feeling hungry, I was looking for something delicious while walking back to APA Hotel. There, I saw a sign with some delicious food at a cheap price. After some bargaining with Shane, we went in and had a late evening meal at Yudetaro.

I ordered their katsudon and soba set while Shane got a croquette. It didn’t take long as there were only a few customers. The food looked delicious and upon biting into the pork cutlet, it tasted delicious as well. I slurped the hot soba noodles and the soup was to my liking. But I realized that I still prefer udon over soba. It’s a texture thing, I guess.

Shane and I took turns consuming the meal and eventually empty dishes lay in front of us. Satisfied with having had two different tonkatsu today, we walked back to the hotel and prepped our things for our final day in Fukuoka.

Day 5

After 3 days of eating rice balls for breakfast, we decided to treat ourselves by availing the hotel’s breakfast buffet.

The offerings were decent. Not a lot of variation, but most were quite delicious. My favorites were the breakfast sausage, the curry, and the mini pan au chocolat. Because of how good the curry was, I consumed an irregular amount of rice and got full immediately.

They also had a coffee machine that served latte and black coffee, hot and/or iced. And the best part is, you can get a cup for takeaway! They also used UCC Gum Syrup which I liked but could never find in Manila.

With breakfast done, it was time to check out. APA Hotel has a contact-free check out system where you just drop the keycards into the slot and exit the building. So convenient if you don’t have any other concerns.

We lugged our things to Hakata station and took the bus to our final landmark: Lalaport Fukuoka.

Lalaport is the perfect place to chill right before your flight because it has a bus station connected directly to Fukuoka International Airport. The bus leaves every hour during the day so you can go anytime you want. While waiting, there’s so much to do inside the mall.

We stored our things in the nearby coin locker and explored the shops. We bought some more pasalubong and at around lunch time, we decided to check out the food offerings.

Unable to decide, we ate at three different places. First, we had the wagyu burger from Wagyu Burger OJ.

This was my least favorite. I learned then that wagyu is not meant to be minced. It’s too soft and juicy to make a decent patty. Despite the other ingredients being fresh and satisfactory, I could hardly taste the beef. I surmised that it would take at least three patties to give off a flavor that I would be happy with.

Up next was the mixed beef plate from Mitsuboshi.

This plate contained two types of kalbi: Beef Rib and Beef Flank. Both were delicious and what I expected from wagyu. Soft and flavorful, every mouthful had me moaning in gastronomic ecstasy. A perfect meal for me.

And finally, Shane ordered the karaage meal set from Densetsu no Sutadonya.

This was another restaurant chain I’ve been raving about since having eaten it in Shintencho from my last Fukuoka visit. Once again, I’m happy to report that it did not disappoint. The fried chicken pieces were so juicy and bursting with flavor. The accompanying miso soup, rice, and shredded cabbage help fill up the remaining crevices of my stomach.

After finishing this meal, we were very satisfied and I was starting to become sleepy. We did some last minute shopping at Muji and, having explored the entire mall, we took our things from the locker and prepared to depart.

We boarded the bus to the airport and checked in without any hassle. While waiting for our flight, we ate some snacks from Muji. Finally, the boarding announcement sounded and we were soon on our way back to Manila.

And so ends the Fukuoka trip. What a jam-packed vacation and I can’t wait to do it again! Arigatou, Fukuoka!

Miscellaneous Thoughts

• I missed the trains and buses of Fukuoka. A working and efficient transport system really does wonders to your mental health.
• I wasn’t prepared for the cold. It averaged around 10-12 °C even during the day. I survived, and I actually loved it, but I needed a pair of gloves at the very least. Everyone was comfortable in their thick jackets while I only had my sukajan. Thankfully, Shane bought me a long-sleeved Uniqlo shirt and I used it as a mid-layer for multiple days.
• After the summer in Osaka, I now prefer the cooler seasons in Japan. Taking a bath only once a day is a blessing.
• Fukuoka is definitely my preferred port of entry to Japan. I want to come back and travel to other nearby places like Nagasaki and Yanagawa.
• I wanna gatekeep Fukuoka because there’s not a lot of tourists here yet. Compared to Osaka and Tokyo, it’s so convenient to walk around the city and not bump into other people.
• As usual, I am delighted by the Japanese concept of “Wa”, or harmony. This respect to society is a stark difference to what I experience in my daily life. The immersion to it every now and then is a good change of pace.
• I can no longer find the One-cup Sake in the konbini :( I wanted to take home the glass cup but I can’t seem to find them anywhere I went.
• Also, I can’t find any canned coffee in the vending machines. I liked buying these to get rid of my heavy coins, but they were nowhere to be found.
• I’ve noticed a lack of practical gacha machine toys recently. I like the ones that I can use and not just be displays. Fortunately, I was able to score a Tim Tam keychain and a panty pouch.
• Another thing unique to Japan is the use of cute cartoons for informational signage. I love how they use “kawaii” as a way to clearly convey their purposes. As a designer, I wish we could see more of these in Manila.

Thank you, Shane, for accompanying me on this trip. And for the great pictures, some of which I used for this post. To more travels with you, in Japan and other places.

If you made it up to here, thanks for reading. This is probably the most photos I’ve included in a post, but nothing really compares to being there in the moment. I’m always up for a trip to Fukuoka, so let me know if there’s a piso sale!

Toire wa doko desu ka?

-jgzn

P.S.

We took notes on our Yen withdrawals via the most accessible ATM and here is our breakdown. BPI, BDO, and MAYA were Visa while GoTyme was Mastercard. We didn’t have a Gcash card but we heard that it has even better rates than GoTyme.