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After dark, this youthful, user-friendly metropolis reveals a cosmopolitan charm, peppered with the flavours of its east-Asian neighbours; Seoul and Shanghai are among the nearest. Its attractions are contemporary – art, architecture, shopping and cuisine are the prime drawcards.

In Japan, the city is famed for its ‘Hakata bijin’ (beautiful women), its much-loved baseball team and hearty Hakata rāmen (noodles).

Orientation

JR Hakata Station is surrounded by hotels, with the better selection on the Chikushi-guchi (gate) side. Three subway stops away, Fukuoka’s beating heart is the Tenjin district, where the boutiques, eateries and some good accommodation are found. Above ground, Tenjin follows Watanabe-dōri. Underground, the microcosm of Tenjin Chikagai, a sprawling shopping thoroughfare, runs parallel. Dim lighting and cast-ironwork ceilings set this apart from similar urban projects and it’s a cool refuge from the summer heat. Tenjin subway station, the Nishitetsu Tenjin bus centre and Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station, terminus of the private Nishitetsu Ōmuta line, are here.

West of Tenjin is trendy Daimyo, Fukuoka’s homage to Tokyo’s Omote-sandō Click here, minus the crowds. It’s easy to wander here and easier still to spend.

Crossed by a number of bridges, the smelly Naka-gawa and the now-indiscernible island of Nakasu – a mish-mash of strip clubs, hostess bars and yatai (food stalls) – separate Tenjin to the west, from Hakata to the east.

MAPS

Fukuoka International Association’s Rainbow Plaza (733-2220; www.rainbowfia.or.jp; 8F, IMS Bldg, 1-7-11 Tenjin, Tenjin; 10am-8pm) has a variety of maps. The tourist information desk at JR Hakata Station has a bilingual walking map of Fukuoka (¥30).

Information

BOOKSHOPS

Junkudō Fukuoka (738-3322; 1st-4th fl, Media Mall, Tenjin; 10am-8.30pm) Sells foreign paperbacks.

Kinokuniya (434-3100; 6th fl, Fukuoka Kōtsū Centre Bldg, Hakata-eki; 10am-9pm) Has a huge selection of Japanese- and English-language books, magazines and DVDs.

Maruzen (731-9000; 2nd-3rd fl, Fukuoka Bldg, Tenjin; 9.30am-10pm) Stocks foreign-language and language-learning books.

INTERNET ACCESS

Fukuoka is wired. Wi-fi hot spots are dotted around town. Most large cybercafés have reclining chairs, snack bars and some have showers. It’s not uncommon to crash for the night if you need to.

Cybac Café (739-1500; www.cybac.com, in Japanese; 2nd fl, Kawamura Bldg, 3-2-22 Tenjin; registration fee ¥300, per 1st 30min/subsequent 15min ¥300/100; 24hr) A 12-hour unlimited-access pack is ¥1980, available all day, every day.

FedEx Kinko’s Akasaka (724-7177; 1st fl, Akasaka Sangyo Bldg, 2-12-12 Daimyo; 24hr); Chikushi-guchi (414-3399; 2-5-28 Hakata-eki higashi; 24hr); Hakata-ekimae (473-2677; 2-19-24 Hakata-ekimae; 8am-10pm) Offers 10-minute access for ¥210.

Media Café Popeye (www.media-cafe.net, in Japanese) Hakata-ekimae (432-8788; 8th fl, Fukuoka Kōtsū Centre Bldg; 24hr); Nakasu (283-9393; 8th fl, Spoon Bldg, 5-1-7 Nakasu; 24hr); Tenjin (737-7744; 2nd fl, Nishitetsu Imaizumi Bldg, 1-12-23 Imaizumi; 24hr) Each has a free soft-drink bar, massage chairs and couples’ booths. Offers ¥230 for the first 30 minutes, ¥60 per subsequent 10 minutes.

MEDIA

Broadcasting from Tenjin, Love 76.1FM offers programming in 10 languages. Cross 78.7FM and Free Wave 77.7FM have bilingual DJs and entertainment news.

Fukuoka Now (www.fukuoka-now.com) An indispensable monthly English-language street mag with detailed city maps. It should be the first thing you source to find out what’s on.

MEDICAL SERVICES

International Clinic Tojin-machi (717-1000; http://internationalclinic.org; 1-4-6 Jigyo, Chūō-ku; Kūkō line 3 stops from Tenjin to Tōjin-machi, exit 1) Contact this fluent multilingual clinic for general medical services and emergencies. From the station walk up the stairs and continue in the same direction for two blocks.

MONEY

Post office and Seven Bank ATMs (found in 7-Eleven-branded convenience stores) are the easiest way to withdraw