- It’s a popular shopping street where you can enjoy a retro atmosphere!
- Interact with owls at Fukuro-no-mise!
- You’ll love the fresh seafood at Seimon-barai!
- The Japanese paper shop, Tanaka Washi.
- It feels like you’re in Korea at, Kankoku hyakka Petit Korea!
- Curry Honpo’s grilled curry, the best curry you’ll try!
- Kawabata Zenzai Square is available only on weekends!
- Japanese baseball caps at Matsuda are very popular for some reason!
- Get your fortune told for free at Hasegawa!
- To sum up, you should visit Hakata during the summer!
It’s a popular shopping street where you can enjoy a retro atmosphere!
There are about 100 stores; clothing stores, Buddhist altar shops, Japanese sweets shops, traditional crafts shops, and restaurants along this 400meter long street.
The guardian of Hakata, The Kushida Shrine, is located at the end of the street, and the Hakata Riverain, a large mall where Kabuki shows are performed, is close by. Events in the area are a spring market in March, The Hakata donyaku in May, The Hakata Gion Yamakasa in July, The Noryo Festival in August, The Hakata –no-kunchi in October, and The Seimon-barai in November. Stores in the area have recently been focusing on Japanese souvenirs, and many foreign tourists love to come and learn about the lifestyle of Japanese people.
Let me introduce some of the most popular shops.
Interact with owls at Fukuro-no-mise!
Fukuro-no-mise is a great place where you can interact with owls. The price is 1,500 yen for an hour, including 1 drink.
【Fukuro-no-mise】
Address：4-211 Kamikawabata, Hakata ward, Hakata city, Fukuoka Prefecture [Reservation is needed.]
(http://www.veltra.com/jp/japan/fukuoka/a/123387)
Hours：Tue-Fri 12:00~20:00, Weekends & National holidays 11:00~20:00 Closed on Mondays
You’ll love the fresh seafood at Seimon-barai!
It feels like a small aquarium! There are plenty of fish swimming in these pools, and you can even eat some of them if you’d like. The most popular is the Gomasaba-fish. Please also try some of the other kinds of fish caught in the Kyushu area. It’s best to make a reservation beforehand.
【Fisherman’s cooking at Seimon-barai】
Address： 5-107 Kamikawabata, Hakata ward, Hakata city, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone：092-281-5700 Hours：17:00～24:00 (last order at 23:00） Closed on Sundays
The Japanese paper shop, Tanaka Washi.
Japanese paper, or ‘Washi’, is not just a paper to write something down on! This shop shows you a variety of ways to use Japanese paper, such as in origami, for a table cloth, for dolls, and in many others ways. The merchandise is affordable.
【Tanaka Washi】
Address：5-113 Kamikawabata, Hakata ward, Hakata city, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone：092-262-2797
Hours：9:30~18:00 Closed on Sundays and National holidays
It feels like you’re in Korea at, Kankoku hyakka Petit Korea!
The largest group of tourists who come to Fukuoka are Koreans. Fukuoka and Korea have a deep relationship in terms of history, and we often visit each other. You can buy some very cool accessories, Korean pop singer merchandise, Kimchi, sweets, yuzu tea and many other items. If they don’t have what you’re looking for, you can also special order it.
【Kankoku hyakka Petit Korea】
Address： 5 Kamikawabata, Hakata ward, Hakata city, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone：092-262-2877
Hours：11:30~19:30 No scheduled holidays
Curry Honpo’s grilled curry, the best curry you’ll try!
You’ll enjoy the heavenly smell of curry throughout this shop! Their curry is made with cheese, an egg on the top, grilled in the oven. This dish has been on their menu since 1950, and the shop is always busy around lunchtime.
【Curry Honpo】
Address： 6-135 Kamikawabata, Hakata ward, Hakata city, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone：092-262-0010
Hours：11:00~20:30（Las order 20:00） No scheduled holidays
Kawabata Zenzai Square is available only on weekends!
You can taste zenzai sweets only on weekends in the area where they display the Hachiban-yamakasa for the Gion festival throughout the year! It closed at one time, but re-opened, because their sweets were in such high demand.
【Kawabata Zenzai Square】
Address：10-254 Kamikawabata, Hakata ward, Hakata city, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone：092-281-6223
Hours：11:00~18:00 Closed on weekdays and National holidays.
※ It’s open everyday during the Gion festival (1st July to 14th July).
Japanese baseball caps at Matsuda are very popular for some reason!
There are many amusing goods related to Hakata for sale, and the baseball cap is very popular among tourists. The popular ones are the “Niwaka-men” and “Hakata dialect” baseball caps. The one that resembles the armor of a famous samurai is also very popular.
【Matsuda】
Address：10－261 Kamikawabata, Hakata ward, Hakata city, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone：092-291-5889
Hours：10:00~19:00
※10:30~18:00(National holidays) Closed on Sunday
Get your fortune told for free at Hasegawa!
The famous Buddhist altar shop in Japan, Hasegawa, has an oracle inside where you can get your fortune told for free.
【Hasegawa】
Address： Hasegawa build. 12-192 Kamikawabata, Hakata ward, Hakata city, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone：0120-550-275
Hours：10:00~19:00 Closed on New Years
To sum up, you should visit Hakata during the summer!
From July 1st to July 15th, the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival takes place. There will be three Kazariyama floats on display, and you can experience the festive atmosphere that entertains everyone!
※ This article was contributed by “Bura Bura Fukuoka”. “Hakata machi aruki Bura Bura Fukuoka” offers historical experiences for foreign visitors in Japan, Foreign guides, arrangements for a Kimono wearing experience, and other services. For more details, please see http://en.burabura-fukuoka.jp/ （Japanese, English and Chinese websites are available）
