Fukuoka is Kyushu's largest city and it continues to grow. It consists of two ancient cities, Fukuoka and Hakata, each on opposite sides of the Naka-gawa River. The two cities merged in 1889 and became known as Fukuoka, but Hakata is still used today.
Hakata dates back 2000 years and its trading history still attracts visitors from Seoul and Shanghai today.
Hakata is famous for its Softbanks Haws baseball team, and the famous Hakata ramen.
Fukuoka is warm and welcoming, and a great gateway to the island of Kyushu and its warm weather.
What to do in Fukuoka can be a problem, as there is so much on offer. Depending on the time of year we can see the Sumo or Baseball tournament. We can go to one of its many beaches, attend the hakata dontaku festival in May, or the hakata gion yamakasa in July. All year round we have buildings with exceptional architecture, temples like hakozaki, and neighborhoods like kashii where we marvel at the bustle of life in Fukuoka.
Nagasaki is one of the most interesting places on the island of Kyushu, not only because of the tragedy of the atomic bomb, but also because it was, and is becoming again, a city full of multicultural life and fantastic cuisine.