Fukuoka

Getting Here and Around

Fukuoka Airport is Kyushu's main airport. It's just two stops away—only six minutes—from Fukuoka's Hakata train station on the Kuko subway line. All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines (JAL), and Skymark Airlines (SKY) fly the 1½-hour route to Fukuoka Airport from Tokyo's Haneda Airport. JAL also flies once daily (1¾ hours) between Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Fukuoka Airport. ANA and JAL have 12 direct flights (1¼ hours) between Osaka and Fukuoka.

The Kyushu Kyuko Bus Company makes the two-hour trip between Fukuoka's Tenjin Bus Center and Nagasaki. Frequent buses make the four-hour trip between Fukuoka (departing from Hakata Kotsu Bus Center and Tenjin Bus Center) and Kagoshima.

JR Shinkansen trains travel between Tokyo and Hakata Station in Fukuoka (5½ hours) via Osaka and Hiroshima. The regular fare is ¥22 and there are 15 daily runs. Regular JR express trains also travel this route, but take at least twice as long.

After World War II Fukuoka was rebuilt with wide, tree-lined avenues arranged on an easy-to-navigate Western-style grid. The subway system connects the downtown attractions with a convenient extension to the international airport. The two major transportation hubs are Hakata Station and Tenjin Station. Tenjin, in the heart of downtown Fukuoka, is the terminal for both subway lines. The Kuko Line runs to Hakata Station and on to Fukuoka (Hakata) Airport, and the Hakozaki Line runs out toward the bay. Fares start at ¥200.

A low-cost bus (¥100) operates in the city center. Most city buses leave from Hakata Kotsu Bus Center across the street from Hakata Station, and from Tenjin Bus Center.

Sightseeing buses leave from Tenjin Bus Center and from Hakata Kotsu Bus Center. Very few tours are given in English, so ask at your hotel or the tourist information office for the recommended ones. A four-hour tour costs approximately ¥2,400.

The Fukuoka International Association has an English-speaking staff, and English-language newspapers and periodicals are available for visitors to read.Fukuoka Station Information offers information on travel, sightseeing, and accommodations.