Travel Guide Hakata-Fukuoka

It is the largest city in Kyūshū, with a population of over 1,500,000. The city was for a long time separated into two. Fukuoka was the residence of the lords, while Hakata was home to merchants and craftsmen. The two cities were unified in 1889. At present, and since 1975, the city is directly connected to Honshū by the Shinkansen. Located not far from Korea with the Tsushima Strait, Fukuoka was quickly influenced by China and Korea. Before the Nara era, a prosperous civilization already existed and Chinese merchants from the Hakata region sent manufactured goods to the emperors' courts. The Mongolian threat was then imminent: the ambassadors of Khubilay Khan were sent back and some were put to death. In retaliation, the Chinese emperor allied himself with the Koreans and decided to attack Japan by landing twice in Fukuoka Bay (1274 and 1281). But the storm forced them to flee. The Japanese then established a coastal rampart to prevent any attack. Indeed, the Mongols came back to launch an expedition of more than one hundred thousand men. These warriors collided with the ramparts and a typhoon decimated them. It is this typhoon which gave the name of kami-kaze (divine wind). In 1601, Ieyasu Tokugawa asked his vassal Nagamasa Kuroda to build a castle in Najima. The city then changed its name. Later on, Fukuoka became famous for its silk crafts and doll making. Connected to South Korea by daily ferries, the city is mainly known for its ramen (thick egg noodles in a broth) and its famous yatai, small street restaurants numbering more than 100 and scattered all over the city. Sports are also an essential part of its heritage, the Soft Bank Hawks baseball team being one of the most prestigious and successful in the Japanese league. One can appreciate the dynamism of this young and lively city, which contrasts with the calm of most Japanese cities at dusk. The Yamasaka Festival, held annually for two weeks in July, is one of the most spectacular in a large city.