Hi! I’m Yu Noda, founder of Made in Nippon.
Fukuoka is a little different from places like Tokyo or Kyoto.
It doesn’t have a famous temple around every corner or a huge list of attractions everyone tells you that you “have to see.”
And honestly? That’s exactly why I love it.
Fukuoka is a city you experience through its people, food, areas and everyday life—and I think the best way to discover it is simply to walk around with someone who knows and loves the city.
That’s what this tour is about.
We’ll explore some of Fukuoka’s important places, from old Hakata temples and shrines to traditional shopping streets, Fukuoka Castle and the beautiful Ohori Park.
But the places themselves are only part of the experience.
We want to show you what’s behind them.
Why are shrines and temples sometimes right next to each other? Why do Japanese people bow twice and clap twice at a shrine? What was Hakata like hundreds of years ago? Why is Fukuoka so obsessed with food? And what is everyday life actually like for people living here?
We’ll talk about history, Buddhism, Shinto, local traditions and Japanese culture—but don’t worry, this isn’t a history lecture!
Ask us anything.
Food, work, relationships, religion, anime, nightlife, Japanese manners, where locals actually eat ramen, or why there are vending machines absolutely everywhere. Random questions are very welcome.
For us, those conversations are often the best part of the tour.
If you're interested, we can also incorporate cultural experiences along the way, giving you a more hands-on introduction to Japanese traditions and the way people here think and live.
And yes—we take photos too!
Our guides are also photographers, so throughout the experience we’ll naturally capture photos of you exploring Fukuoka. Put your phone away for a while, enjoy the city, and let us help you keep the memories.
The itinerary is flexible because Fukuoka is much more fun when you don’t treat it like a checklist.
We might start around Hakata and explore Tocho-ji Temple, Kushida Shrine and the old streets nearby, wander through Kawabata Shopping Arcade, make our way towards Fukuoka Castle and Ohori Park, and eventually finish around Tenjin.
But that’s just an example.
If we find something interesting, let’s stop. If you’re obsessed with food, let’s talk about food. If you want more history, we’ve got plenty of stories. And if there’s somewhere we think you’d love, we might just take a little detour.
At the end of the tour, we don’t want you to feel like you simply checked Fukuoka off your Japan itinerary.
We want you to feel like you actually spent a few hours here.
Eating, talking, laughing, learning and exploring with a local friend.
And hopefully, when someone asks you about your trip to Japan, Fukuoka will be one of those places you didn’t expect to love—but did.
Hope to see you here!
Yu & the Made in Nippon team
