Kyushu

Fukuoka is a booming, cosmopolitan city on the northern shore of picturesque Kyushu Island that offers a fascinating glimpse of Japan’s dynamic culture. The attractions here are numerous – you can check out a J-Pop concert, step back in time at Fukuoka Castle and the Hakata Machiya Folk Museum, unwind on Keya beach, and catch a baseball game at Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome.

Of special note is the famous Hakata ramen, which draws hungry travelers in droves to the open-air yatai (food stalls) in the back alleys of Nakasu. Fukuoka is also a great gateway for exploring the rest of Kyushu, where curious travelers can journey around active volcano craters on Mount Aso, tour Japan’s first Zen temple (Shofukuji Temple), and ease into a hot spring bath in Ureshino Onsen.