Hakata Old Town Selection – Experience
2021.07.28
Try It Out to Experience Hakata’s History, Tradition and Culture
The quaint historical streets are the best location for wandering the town in kimono or by rickshaw. A hands-on experience at a venerable temple or a lantern shop with more than a hundred years of history will be also special. Here is the lineup of original programmes in which you can feel the taste of history, tradition and culture that have been handed over for a long period of time. The experience you encounter in the Hakata Old Town will be a lifetime memory.
*Temporary closure, change of opening hours, and unavailability of products are expected due to COVID-19. Contact each destinations in advance to make sure if the service is available.
◎Lantern Painting Workshop
Kadota Chochin Lantern Shop
Making chochin lanterns colouring seasonal events
Since its establishment in 1895, Kadota Chochin Lantern Shop has dealt with paper lanterns indispensable to Hakata’s culture and events such as Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival, Hakata Dontaku Festival’s parades, and the beautiful large lantern of Kushida Shrine. To make chochin lanterns to be commoner as it is getting less familiar to people’s lives, the shop began the painting experience programme in which you can write characters and draw a picture on a lantern as you like. As for the self-standing type, you can easily bring it back home and enjoy its gentle light. Happi coats are available for dress-up photo. It will be a perfect stop to create memories of Hakata.
❖Kadota Chochin Lantern Shop
Address：11-8, Kamikawabatamachi, Hakata Ku, Fukuoka City, 812-0026
TEL：092-271-5766
Official website: https://kadota-chouchin.com/
For the availability of language services other than Japanese please contact the shop directly.
◎Zazen
Myorakuji Temple
Inner tranquility — seated meditation at an old temple
Myorakuji is a temple of Rinzai sect’s Daitokuji school of Japanese Zen Buddhism. Constructed in 1316, the temple is also known as a place of origin of Uiro sweets. Zen teaches you should adapt to nature and zazen meditation is a measure to calm your mind. Monks do austere training to reach satori, ‘identifying the self.’ Myorakuji Temple opens its door to the public for zazen experience. Even beginners are able to join as the head monk kindly teaches how to practice. Getting away from the bustle of everyday life, why don’t you try out a spiritual journey by practicing zazen at a serene Zen temple?
❖ Myorakuji Temple
Address：13-6 Gokushomachi Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, 812-0037
Open: 4:00pm on Saturdays
Capacity：10 people（Minimum Number of Participants：1 person~）
Participants age: Ten years and over
Tour organiser web site: https://suito.inboundhub.jp/ja/experiences/22
For the availability of language services other than Japanese please contact the tour organiser.
◎Strolling around the Hakata Old Town in Kimono
Peace Island
Wandering the quaint streets in traditional dress
Wear kimono and amble down the streets with temples, feeling the history and culture of Hakata. One of the best features of Peace Island’s rental kimono service is that you can pick up from the list of coordinated kimono by colours and patterns on the site and wear it just following the guidance on video. The service is available at accommodation facilities, WeBase Hakata and Hearts Bus Station Hakata.
“You can try on cool and stylish kimono easily and quickly and stroll around the enjoyable Hakata Old Town with history and culture. There are many photogenic spots. It would be great that visitors encounter unknown beautiful features of the town and post them on.” says the representative Ito.
❖ Peace Island LLC
Address：2-4-41-416 Momochi Sawara-ku, Fukuoka City, 814-0006
TEL：092−407−1110
Official web site：https://www.peaceisland.art/https-www-peaceisland-art
＜Available at:＞
・WeBase Hakata
Address：5-9 Tenyamachi Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, 812-0025
TEL：092-292-2322
・HEARTS BUS STATION HAKATA
Address：4-14-13 Hakataeki Mae Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City,812-0011
TEL：092-477-9706
For the availability of language services other than Japanese please contact the shop directly.
◎Rickshaw Tour Hakata Jinrikiya
Touring the Hakata Old Town by a Traditional Rickshaw
It has been 25 years since this rickshaw tour started to make visitors’ travel to Fukuoka more enjoyable with their heartfelt hospitality. Smart drivers will surely offer you a unique experience with the professional guide and smooth drive, taking you to attractive locations that you cannot find on guidebooks or online information thanks to their local knowledge.
The courses are wide-ranged from taking a time to visit temples and shrines to 15-minute trial ride. You can pick up a tour to meet your needs. Customized tours and romantic night tours are also recommended. There are locations, stories, and views that only rickshaw can offer.
❖Hakata Jinrikiya
Base: 6-10 Reisen-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City（In front of Hakata Machiya Folk Museum）
TEL：092-263-5720
Mobile：090-8836-9724
Official website：https://www.jinrikiya.com/
For the availability of language services other than Japanese please contact the operator directly.
◎Kimono Wearing – Encountering Old Hakata
Kofu Kofu
Stylish Kimono Standing out against the Background of the Historical Town
Hakata is the town with streets lining venerable shrines and temples, and various festivals and events are held all year around. It would be a great experience to stroll down the streets in kimono. At Kofu Kofu located close to Kushida Shrine, rental service of kimono and yukata is available. There is vintage kimono for sale as well.
For rental kimono, as a complete set is ready there is nothing you have to bring with you. For those who bring with kimono, fitting service is available. The lady owner says “Hakata is a town where you feel like strolling around in kimono. You can enjoy Japanese sweets in kimono as well; the shop has a zenzai (red bean soup) cafe called Shichifuku Chaya on the ground floor.
❖Kofu Kofu Enishi
Address：7-3 Reisemmachi Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, 812-0039
TEL：092-261-2587
Official website： https://www.kofukofu-enishi.com/
※Rental kimono and yukata may not be unavailable due to the size and other reasons.
For the availability of language services other than Japanese please contact the shop directly.
◎Geisha Performance
Hakata Traditional Performing Arts Centre
Up-close Experience of Traditional Arts by Hakata Geisha
Hakata Traditional Preforming Arts Centre located in front of Kushida Shrine is a new tourist destination where you can experience first-hand local traditional culture. To let more people know about appeals of Hakata’s traditional performances such as Japanese dance, folk dance, Hakata Koma (top-spinning performance) and Hakata Niwaka (stand-up comedy), the centre has been opened in 2017.
The centre is usually used as a practice floor for Hakata Geisha (or Geigi) who beautifully entertains guests during meals. Their show held two to four times per month is full of tourists and the locals serving as a great opportunity for them to easily enjoy the traditional arts. Their songs and dances are followed by elementary games unique to this kind of occasion and photo time with Geisha. In Hakata, a place known as home to performing art, experience first-hand talents and hospitality of Geisha that are rare to see in daily lives.
❖Hakata Traditional Performing Arts Centre
Address：2-20 Reisemmachi Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, 812-0039
TEL：092-441-1118（Hakata Traditional Performing Arts Promotion Association）
Official website： https://hakata-geinou.jp/
For the availability of language services other than Japanese please contact the centre directly.
◎Guided Walking Tour
Hakata Guide Association
Getting to Know More about Hakata Guided by Local Experts
Hakata Guide Association, a group of guides who have mastered knowledge of local history and hospitality, provides guided tours to introduce historical and cultural heritages such as temples and shrines and other spots in details for visitors to enjoy the town more. The walking tour visits attractive locations and introduces the background stories only known by the local guide.
You can choose a tour from the three regular courses or a free course to visit particular spots of your choice. A guide says “Our activity shares interesting stories of history and culture of the town with visitors. We hope it will make contributions to revitalise the local area and create friendlier environment for people to visit and easily get around.”
❖Course Information
https://hakatanomiryoku.com/walk2#course_area
❖Hakata Guide Association
Inquiries: Hakata Guide Association Secretariat (at Hakata Ward Office Planning Promotion Section)
TEL: 092-419-1012（9:00am-6:00pm, weekdays）
Official web site: https://hakatanomiryoku.com/guide
For the availability of language services other than Japanese please contact the operator directly.
◎Hakata Walking Tour by Volunteer Guide
Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau
Getting Deep into the Town with Local Guides
Unique volunteers guide you with warm hospitality to fascinating features of Fukuoka/Hakata difficult to understand only on guidebooks. Walking down the streets with a guide will be a good opportunity to discover allures of Fukuoka/Hakata.
In addition to regular courses such as the Temples and Shrines Tour, customized course to meet your requests is available. Besides, while the Free & Fixed Tour is conducted by the same schedule every day for free with no reservation required, there is the Event Tour guiding you to deeper sites of the town that are not on guidebooks calls for participants.
“We will keep promoting the attractive the Hakata Old Town. And we hope to upgrade our service and hospitality through serving many visitors and the locals” says a guide.
❖Fukuoka City Tour Guide Volunteers
Inquiries: Fukuoka City Tour Guide Volunteers Association Located in Fukuoka Conventions & Visitors Bureau)
TEL: 092-733-5050（9:30am-5:00pm, weekdays）
E-mail: [email protected]
Official web site: https://www.welcome-fukuoka.or.jp/kankouannai/
For the availability of language services other than Japanese please contact the operator directly.
◎Traditional Craft Painting
Hakata Machiya Folk Museum
Encounter and Experience Hakata’s Authentic Crafts
Hakata Machiya Folk Museum stands on a tranquil street across Kushida Shrine, the guardian deity of the city. Introducing a wide range of items related to Hakata merchants’ lifestyle and culture of the Meiji, Taisho ad Showa eras, the museum provides visitors with an opportunity to feel and enjoy the history, festivals, and traditions of Hakata.
The museum consists of three buildings; the merchant house building, relocated and reconstructed house of the mid Meiji era, known as the city’s tangible cultural property; the souvenir shop building with a rich line-up from traditional crafts to local confectionaries and Hakata Dontaku Festival goods; and the exhibition building where historical and cultural items are on display and craftsmen demonstrate how to make their works.
Hands-on experience of painting is available at the exhibition building with Hakata Doll, Hakata Hariko Doll, Hakata Koma Top or Hakata Magemono Wooden Boxes on a day-by-day basis. Craftsmen will demonstrate and instruct you how to make. At the merchant house building you can see how Hakata-ori Textile is made and even try your hand at the craft, which is available every day. Why don’t you visit to create unique memories?
Online demonstration by craftsmen is planned. Contact the museum for more details.
❖Hakata Machiya Folk Museum
Address：6-10 Reisemmachi Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, 812-0039
TEL：092-281-7761
Official website：http://www.hakatamachiya.com/
For the availability of language services other than Japanese please contact the museum directly.