01AIR
Fukuoka Airport
- Best for
- Domestic and international terminals with different ground transport connections.
- Your clue
- The subway station is at the domestic terminal; use the airport shuttle from international.
City guide FUK
Fukuoka
A compact gateway where the airport, Hakata and Tenjin are linked by subway.
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JMA · 7 DAY WEATHER
Weather in Fukuoka
If the current forecast does not appear, open the official JMA forecast.
CITY 04 · ARRIVAL DECISIONS
The city is compact, but the international terminal, Hakata and Tenjin play different roles.
Choose a district, identify the transport system, then confirm the arrival corridor. This is decision context—not a fixed fare, timetable or live route.
Official sources checked
02HAKATA
Hakata
- Best for
- Shinkansen, JR Kyushu, subway, highway buses and business hotels.
- Your clue
- Hakata is the main JR station; “Fukuoka Station” usually refers to Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin).
03TENJIN
Tenjin
- Best for
- Shopping, buses, nightlife and Nishitetsu trains toward Dazaifu and southern Fukuoka.
- Your clue
- Subway Tenjin, Tenjin-minami and Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) are connected but separate.
04OLD-WATER
Hakata Old Town / waterfront
- Best for
- Temples, Nakasu-Kawabata, port and seaside destinations.
- Your clue
- Subway, bus and ferry choices depend on whether you are going inland or to the coast.
02 · SYSTEMS
One city, separate operators and gates.
Match the company, station name and destination together.
Fukuoka City Subway
The Airport Line links the domestic terminal, Hakata and Tenjin. The Nanakuma Line reaches Hakata from Tenjin-minami.
Open official sourceJR Kyushu and Shinkansen
Use Hakata for regional and long-distance rail; subway gates are on a different level.
Open official sourceNishitetsu trains and buses
Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) is the rail gateway for Dazaifu and southern areas; buses cover much of the city.
Open official sourcePort and ferry services
Hakata Port and waterfront routes are separate from the airport and JR station.
Open official source03 · ARRIVAL CORRIDORS
Enter the city from your first gateway.
Start with the first choice and next check instead of relying on a fixed journey time.
International terminal → subway
- Take the free airport shuttle to the domestic terminal.
- Enter the subway only after confirming Hakata or Tenjin as the first city base.
Airport → Hakata
- Use the Airport Line from the domestic terminal.
- At Hakata, follow signs for Shinkansen, JR local, bus terminal or your station exit.
Hakata ↔ Tenjin
- Airport Line links Hakata with Tenjin; Nanakuma Line links Hakata with Tenjin-minami.
- Choose the station closest to your exact building, not “Tenjin” as one point.
05 · HOW THE CITY BECAME ITSELF
Japan’s closeness to Asia is visible here
Fukuoka and Hakata developed facing the sea routes to the Korean Peninsula and China. International exchange is an old layer of the city, not a recent branding idea.
- 1st c.
A gold seal records an early connection
The gold seal associated with the King of Na and Han China is one marker of the region’s early international contact and Hakata Bay’s long role as a gateway.
- 12th c.
Merchants build a port city
As private trade expanded, Hakata’s merchants prospered and Japan’s first artificial harbour was built. Commerce helped shape an urban identity distinct from the later castle town of Fukuoka.
- 1601–1607
Fukuoka grows beside older Hakata
The Kuroda family built Fukuoka Castle and a castle town immediately west of the older merchant port. The two neighbouring urban traditions—Hakata’s commerce and Fukuoka’s administration—became the core of the modern city.
- 1945–1947
Hakata Port carries postwar return and departure
About 1.39 million Japanese civilians and former military personnel returned from overseas through Hakata Port. About 500,000 Korean and Chinese people also departed Japan here; the official memorial acknowledges movement in both directions and the suffering caused by Japan’s war.
LOCALIP · TEMPORARY
Dates, changes and cancellations
Time-bearing information comes from Localip. Use the organiser’s official page for road restrictions and temporary transport.
No verified temporary update is published for this area
Fukuoka City on Localip No record does not mean that an event or service is operating normally. Check official information before leaving.
06
Read the city before you travel
- The subway station is at the domestic terminal.
- Use the airport shuttle between international and domestic terminals.
- Hakata and Tenjin are different city centres.
07
Main gateways
08
Lines to understand
09
Show this at the station
この行き先へ行きたいです。どの電車に乗ればいいですか？
I want to go to this destination. Which train should I take?