Fukuoka travel guide — Fukuoka tourism and travel information

Welcome to Fukuoka Travel Guide, extensive source of tourist information and travel services offer related to Fukuoka and Japan. Book cheap hotels, cheap flights and get car rental. We also offer Fukuoka travel guide books and maps and atlases. Please visit Japan travel guide for more travel and tourism iformation and attractions in the Japan.

our Fukuoka travel guide — Fukuoka tourism and travel information content

Fukuoka travel and tourist guide
Fukuoka travel services
Fukuoka travel books
- Fukuoka travel guide books
- Fukuoka maps and atlases

latest Fukuoka and Japan discussion posts

Join our comprehensive travel discussion board! Share your Fukuoka and Japan travel experience! Our Ask and Answer forum is geographically divided, the team of editors world-wide is ready to answer your questions.

insert new comment or question »

Fukuoka travel guide

about Fukuoka

Fukuoka (福岡市; -shi) is the capital city of Fukuoka prefecture on the northern tip of the island of Kyushu in Japan.

It is the largest city in Kyūshū, followed closely by Kitakyushu. Kyūshū is the third largest island of Japan and most southerly of the main islands. It is considered the birthplace of Japanese civilization. The city is one of the main areas of the Fukuoka-Kitakyushu metropolitan area.

Fukuoka history

The Mongols attempted two unsuccessful invasions of Japan. The first invasion fleet was utterly destroyed by a typhoon (kamikaze) in 1281. The Mongolian fleets survived the typhoon the second time but the landed troops, starved because their provisions had been lost in the typhoon, were annihilated by Japanese infantry and samurai.

Fukuoka's Hakata bay is Japan's gateway to Korea and China. Gateways, of course, attract undesirables and having bored of terrorising the continent the great Mongol Kublai Khan of the Mongol Empire and after founding the Yuan Dynasty, Emperor of China, turned his attention to Zipangu. In 1268, Japan had to face an external pressure it had never experienced before. Few knew it might change the fate of the Hojos and the Kamakura Shogunate. Kublai Khan of Mongol, grandson of Genghis Khan, sent an envoy to Japan to make the Shogunate acknowledge Khan's suzerainty. The Kamakura Shogunate refused. Mongolia repeatedly sent envoys thereafter, each time urging the Shogunate accept their proposal but to no avail. In 1274, Mongol fleets with 900 ships and 33,000-strong troops invaded northern part of Kyushu island.

His first invasion was compromised by a combination of incompetence and storms but it was the second invasion, in 1281, destroyed by the famous "kamikaze" (or "wind of god") that marked the end of his Japanese ambitions. Fortunately, a typhoon hit the area in the middle of the battle and most of the ships were destroyed, forcing them to retreat. Kublai sent another envoy in 1279. Back at the time, Hojo Tokimune of the Hojo clan (1251-1284) was the Eighth Regent. Not only did he decline the offer, but executed (beheaded) the five Mongolian emissaries after summoning them to Kamakura.

After the first invasion of 1274, the Japanese samurai built a stone barrier of 20 kilometers long (Height about 2-3 metres; width at base about 3 metres. Built in 1276-1277; excavated in the 1930s.) bordering the coast of Hakata Bay of today's Fukuoka city. This stone barrier, on which the Japanese soldiers forcefully fought in resistance, effectively prevented the landing of the Yuan (Mongol) army on the shore of Hakata (now in Fukuoka city) during the second invasion of 1281.

Getting infuriated, Kublai made another attack on Fukuoka Prefecture in 1281 reinforcing the troops to 140,000 soldiers with 4,000 ships. The Japanese warriors were no match for Mongolians, and the Kublai fleets invaded up to Dazaifu (太宰府市; -shi), 15 kilometers south of Fukuoka city. By sheer luck, another typhoon struck the area again, and it gave a crushing blow to the Mongolian troops. (Hence the Japanese called the typhoon Kamikaze or Divine Winds, and many believed even in the Pacific War that Japan would win by the mercy of Kamikaze.) Under pressure from his Mongolian advisors Kublai attempted to conquer Japan, Myanmar, and Vietnam. All those attempts failed and the cost of these expeditions and the paper currency he created caused inflation.

First Invasion, November 1274

Mainly land battles fought on the coastal strip of today's Fukuoka city.

Second Invasion, June:August 1281

Mainly sea battles fought on the coastal waters of northern Kyushu.

Chikuzen

Fukuoka was formerly the residence of the powerful daimyo of Chikuzen, and played a conspicuous part in the medieval history of Japan; the renowned temple of Ieiyasu in the district was destroyed by fire during the revolution of 1868. (from 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica)

The modern city was formed on April 1, 1889 with the merger of the former cities of Hakata and Fukuoka. Historically, Hakata was the port and merchant district, and as such was more associated with the area's culture: it remains the main commercial area. On the other hand, the Fukuoka area was home to many samurai, and its name has been used since Kuroda Nagamasa, the first daimyo of Chikuzen, named it after his birthplace in Okayama Prefecture. Today, the old Fukuoka is the main shopping area called Tenjin.

When Hakata and Fukuoka decided to merge, a meeting was held to decide the name for the new city. Hakata was initially chosen, but a group of samurai crashed the meeting and forced those present to choose Fukuoka as the name for the merged cities. However, Hakata is still used to refer to the Hakata area of the city, and most famously to refer to the city's train station (Hakata Station).

Near cities to Fukuoka

Near webcams to Fukuoka

Fukuoka travel services

choose from our international travel services offer:

cheap flights to Fukuoka

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of four main cheap airline tickets and cheap flights online booking systems. We are happy to offer cheap airline tickets Fukuoka, cheap flights Fukuoka, also available cheap airline tickets to Japan and to the whole world. Up to date cheap flights Fukuoka deals also available.

cheap Fukuoka hotels

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of main cheap hotels and accommodation online booking systems. We are happy to offer cheap hotels in Fukuoka, Japan hotel guide and cheap hotels and accommodation in lot of other world-wide destinations. Up to date cheap Fukuoka hotel deals and discount accommodation tips also available.

cheap Fukuoka vacations

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of main cheap vacations online booking systems. We are happy to offer cheap vacations in Fukuoka, Japan vacation rentals and cheap vacations in lot of other destinations world-wide. Up to date Fukuoka vacation deals also available.

cheap car rentals in Fukuoka

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of main car rentals online booking systems. We are happy to offer car rentals in Fukuoka, car hire in Japan and cheap car rental in lot other world-wide destinations. Up to date cheap Fukuoka car hire deals also available.

Fukuoka travel insurance

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of Essential Travel Ltd., leading online travel insurance company, we can offer you health travel insurance for Fukuoka, accident health Fukuoka travel insurance, all using our online Fukuoka travel insurance form. We also offer travel insurance for other cities in Japan. This offer is available for UK residents only.

Fukuoka real estate

City Travel Guide comes with Fukuoka real estate guide with several tips on home valuation, realtors comparison, secrets on finding the "right" home, loans guide and other helpful real estate advices. Our partners also maintain Fukuoka property for sale and rental listings, real estate laws and reviews. We will try to help you with buying property in Japan, choosing real estate agents, property finders, relocation help, and information for English speakers wanting to buy real estate in Fukuoka.

Fukuoka travel books

Fukuoka travel guide books

Fukuoka maps and atlases

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fukuoka".

Europe

North America

South America

Asia

Australia

Africa

world city travel guides

Asia city travel guide

Japan city travel guide

Fukuoka, Japan travel guide