Planet-ta-kun’s Observations of New Japan
In this column, our original company character ‘Planet-ta-kun’ will travel to tourist spots in Japan that are popular with overseas visitors and will introduce some topics related to the charms and inbound expenditure of these places.
Fukuoka, which has been open to Asia since olden times, has ended up being a center of international trade thanks to the merchants who have always operated there. Located at the mouth of the harbour, Hakata Port was the most visited port by international cruise ships within Japan for both 2014 and 2015 and is becoming increasingly popular. This time we will introduce Mr. Hirai, Managing director of Masaya, Ltd. a company which is using our Planet Service and we will also report on the inbound trends in Fukuoka.
Fukuoka - Hakata area and Dazaifu -
Fukuoka is one of the closest prefectures to continental Asia. International exchange has always been a vibrant part of the local culture. According to Hakata Port, in 2015 the number of cruise ships more than doubled and there was a record high of approximately 1,607,000 passengers!
Motsu Nabe / Hot pot stew
This is what most people think of as Fukuoka cuisine! It comes with plenty of chives.
Ramen
There are also shops that have opened overseas.
Nokonoshima
It’s a popular place with people who enjoy organizing their own trips (also known as: FIT or Foreign Independent Tours). In spring and autumn there are flower fields. In summer you can enjoy swimming in the ocean.
Hakata Port
On the day we visited, there was a 4000-person passenger ship in the port! It took 2 - 3 hours for everyone to disembark!
Kushida Shrine
Many Asian tourists visit on bus tours! You can get fortune slips in multiple languages!
Fukuoka Castle Ruins
It's part of a course that visitors on cruise ships from Shanghai
travel on. In spring it's a great spot for cherry blossoms.
Canal City Hakata
A shopping mall in central Hakata. It’s a popular shopping spot with Chinese group tours. They mostly come for the drug stores and clothing shops. There are also a wide range of tax-free stores which sell everything from household appliances to daily necessities, cosmetics, medicine and souvenirs.
Dazaifu Tenmangu
This is is the head of around 12,000 Tenmangu shrines nationwide are dedicated to Tenjin (Sugawara no Michizane). It’s often visited by Chinese tourists on group tours and has become a popular spot for photos. There are lots of Korean tourists too.
The figures regarding numbers of disembarking passengers at Hakata Port is an overview based off preliminary data from the Fukuoka City
Port and Airport Authority (February 12, 2016). Furthermore, since thedata was obtained during interviews with the operators, there is a
possibility of future amendments. All trademarks in this article are the property of their respective owners.
