One of the biggest cities in Japan, Fukuoka is the economic, cultural and administrative hub of the south most Kyushu Island and is also a well developed, progressive city. Situated at the Hakata Bay, this city is divided in 2 sections by River Naka. As a well equipped town, Fukuoka came to prominence back in the 17th century and post the blending with Hakata back in 1889, it had become a prominent cultural center. In the recent times, this city has some of the best art galleries, theatres, refined museums along with several festivals and sporting events such as the popular Hakata Gion Yamakasa, that is a two week long affair and the celebration has been there for the last 700 years taking place in customary races, vibrant parades, and costumes along with musicals. And if you want to visit this city within your budget, you can book your cheap flights to Fukuoka from faregeek.com and save big.
Other than the tourist sites, Fukuoka has some of the best shopping scopes, such as the Canal City Hakata, which is a city inside a city that also has a water running across a network of restaurants, hotels, cinemas, theatre and arcades. So once you book your cheap flights to Fukuoka you can then decide the places you want to explore. Discussed below are the best 5 tourist sites.
Fukuoka Castle
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4806.html
Also calledMaizuru Castle, the Fukuoka Castle is a great example of a 17th century luxurious hill top residence that was used to be the choice of the elite class in the country. Whilst the big remnant structure happens to be a little fraction of the original castle’s once huge complex – it is said to have span across a 47,000 square meters. The main highlights of a visit to this castle comprises of a several original castle gates, towers and turrets inside the vast castle grounds along with the remnants of an even ancient guesthouse that once got used for the visiting diplomats, something which is one of its kinds in Japan.
Kyūshū National Museum
www.kyuhaku.com
Founded back in 2005, the Kyūshū National Museum had already made it to news headlines for not just of its excellent structural design, but also for being the first new national museum in Japan. Established for exhibiting a huge publicly-owned collection of art along with other relevant, ancient artefacts that are linked to the rich history of the island, this can be best described as a state-of-the-art facility that can accommodate the tourists and visitors. The main highlights here comprise of the displays of ancient relics that have been sourced out of the excavations and also the exhibits that traces the significance of the island as a trading zone located in between Japan the close by Korea and China. In addition to that, there are several other national treasures that have been put on display, comprising of the 15th century art done by Masanobu Kano, an eminent Japanese artists with several historically relevant manuscripts and documents. You can also make the most of your savings that you made by opting in for cheap flights to Fukuoka and walk in to a restaurant, cafe a shop that’s present here.
Sumiyoshi-jinja Shrine
http://www.hellojapan.asia/en/travel-guide/sumiyoshijinja-shrine.html
One of the ancient sites, the Sumiyoshi-jinja Shrine is a counterpart to Osaka that has been attributed to the protected deities of seafarers. It is the last of this kind of series that the sailors used to have a glimpse of before venturing out to the sea. This shrine is stunning mostly because of its Main Hall, that has been recreated in its recent classical pattern, back in 1623 in addition to several crucial national treasures, of which the most noted is the historic sword along with a copper axe, in addition to ancient documents and manuscripts that dates back to the Middle Ages. Right from the shrine, that is encompassed by a huge grove of Japanese camphor and cedar trees you can get a fabulous view of River Naka.
Hakata Machiya Folk Museum
www.hakatamachiya.com/english
Located in one of the few existing buildings in the city belonging to the Meiji era that ranged from the late 19th to the beginning 20th century, there stands the Hakata Machiya Folk Museum which is a must visit. Other than the several displays of local crafts, this amazing tourist attraction provides the travelers a wonderful insight inside the Japanese tradition and culture. Other than watching the artisans at work, the tourists also have the choice to opt in for a firsthand experience of amazing art forms for instance origami and calligraphy. In addition to that, this is a great place for your kids as they get to dress in the traditional Japanese attires and wear masks and take part in multiple ceremonies, like that of serving tea. Furthermore, this house also has several displays associated with some of the major festivals of Hakata along with a mock-up of home of a traditional merchant family.
Kushida-jinja Shrine
http://www.hellojapan.asia/en/travel-guide/kushidajinja-shrine.html
One of the best Shinto shrines in Japan is the Kushida-jinja that got founded back in 757 AD and it comprises of several features, comprising of exclusive carvings of Chinese zodiac along with the gingko tree that is more than 1,000 years old. This shrine is also popular for hosting the Hakata Gion Yamakasa every July, which is a popular two-week festival that concentrates on prayers for the good health and prosperity that comprises of a race including teams that carrues forward wooded floats right from the temple to multiple locations in and around the city. The other temple that you can also visit is the Shōfuku-ji Temple, which is one of the ancient Zen temples in Japan that was founded back in 1195 as well as the Tochoji Temple that was founded back in AD 806 and that is prominent for comprising the biggest wooden statue in entire Japan.
Don’t think much! If this city intrigues you, then book your cheap flights to Fukuoka from faregeek.com and say yes to a memorable stay and exciting vacation here.
