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JapanJapanVisited May 2024 · 1 week

Fukuoka

An unremarkable start to Japan.

Great value
Average7.2
Accommodation7.2
Coworking7.8
Value7.3
Excitement6.5
Living costs, excl. rent~$1,217
Mild and dry
JFMAMJJASONDMild and dry: Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov
Nomad visaAvailable
Population1.5 million
Fly into

FUK

Japan's sixth-largest city, Fukuoka, is located on Kyushu's northern shore.

Historically significant as a former castle town, it offers ancient temples, modern shopping districts and immediate access to the coastline.

Worth it if you're nearby

Worth popping by for a couple of nights if already in Japan. Access to the nearby coastline and WeWork presence makes it an appealing destination for work.

At a glance

Accommodation

Good · #43 of 62

7.2/10

Based on my wider experiences in Japan, it's best to search for a hotel in major cities rather than relying on the limited stock on Airbnb, especially for short stays.

I could happily recommend the Hotel Oriental Express Fukuoka Nakasu Kawabata. Despite the lack of natural light in the room, it was a comfortable base for the week.

The price was very reasonable at around £45 a night, which includes access to the gym on the top floor. The ground floor lobby was also a perfectly adequate place to work late into the evening with complimentary coffee until 22:00. When searching for hotels in Japan, I would suggest having a browse on Agoda, where some of the best value deals can be found.

How it compares

Coworking

Good · #27 of 62

7.8/10

The city has two WeWork locations at the Gates shopping centre and also at Damiyo. Alongside these, there are various local coworking operators and numerous coffee shops open late into the evening.

How it comparesWhere to work

Value

Good · #48 of 62

7.3/10

Prices were in Fukuoka were on a par with the rest of the country, with eating out particularly good value.

How it comparesCosts breakdown

Excitement

Good · #35 of 62

6.5/10

Fukuoka doesn’t compare favourably in terms of excitement when set against larger cities like Osaka and Tokyo. In fact, there’s hardly anything noteworthy for conventional tourism that would justify adding it to your itinerary at the expense of other locations. As a place to work from however,

However, when visiting a new country and culture for the first time, there’s something intriguing about experiencing a typical Japanese city. It’s perhaps similar to how a Japanese person might feel about visiting an utterly unremarkable English city like Sheffield.

How it compares

Plan

Summary

Having spent a week in Busan on the other side of the Korean Strait, Fukuoka provided a convenient, if unconventional, starting point for my Japanese itinerary.

I had relatively low expectations from a city I had previously never heard of, but an abundance of cheap hotels and WeWork availability made it a viable starting point.

Like everywhere else in Japan currently, eating out is exceptionally good value; a portion of gyozas and a beer costs around £5 in a small restaurant.
Like everywhere else in Japan currently, eating out is exceptionally good value; a portion of gyozas and a beer costs around £5 in a small restaurant.

Cost of living

$1,217a month, before rent

Basic living costs, rent not included

Day-to-day spending for a month: two meals out and a coffee every day, three taxis and two nights out a week, a gym and a coworking desk. Add your rent on top.

Moderate
  • Meal in a casual restaurant$10
  • Speciality coffee$3.79
  • Pint of local beer$4.74
  • Cocktail$9.48
  • Taxi for 2 miles$9.48
  • Men's haircut$17
  • Women's haircut$43
  • Gym membership, monthly$54
  • Coworking, monthly$139

Prices as of Oct 2026. Confidence: medium (gym & coworking verified; other prices restated at 2026-10-07 exchange rates). Sources: numbeo.com, workin.space, japan-dev.com. Always check locally before planning around them.

Duration & season

I can't imagine theres many better times of year to visit than May. Daytime temperatures were in the mid-20s, never scorching, with a cool breeze in the evenings. The city is not immune to the wet season in June, which you may want to avoid, especially if planning to enjoy the coastline.

A couple of nights would be sufficient for exploring the city centre while on holiday. However, if you're not in a rush and focusing on work, there's no reason it couldn't be an adequate base for a few weeks.

By month

Typical temperatures and rainfall by month
MonthLow °CHigh °CRain mmNotes
January41056
February410107
March416143peak season
April1022123peak season
May1324200wet month · peak season
June2029324wet month
July2534165
August2634229wet month
September2333158
October1627129peak season
November921145peak season
December61251
Wettest months Peak season

Typical daytime highs and overnight lows, from the last two years of observations (Open-Meteo). Rain icons mark the wettest months.

Visitors a year
3.1M2024
Crowds
Medium
Peak season
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
Low season
Jan–Feb, Jun

Remote work visa

Digital nomad visa available

Japan has introduced a new digital nomad visa under its specified visa category, allowing remote workers to stay in Japan for up to 6 months.

Requirements include having an annual income over 10 million yen (around $65,000 USD), private health insurance, and being from an eligible country like the US, UK, EU, Australia, Singapore or South Korea.

Visa holders are not considered residents, cannot extend their stay beyond 6 months, cannot open bank accounts or access national healthcare system in Japan.

Read more about the visa

Working hours

Japan observes Japan Standard Time (JST), which is 9 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). However, the time difference reduces to 8 hours during the summer months as Japan does not observe daylight saving time.This large gap in time zones has advantages and disadvantages, but planning a trip during the summer would reduce the likelihood of having to work past midnight to maintain alignment with European schedules.

Live & work

Where to stay

The city is served by a decent metro service making it easy to get across the city but I would suggest staying within close proximity to one of these three.

Hakata Station

The Shinkansen station is a hive of activity during the day time and not a bad place to stay if just quickly visiting the city. Would prefer to be in one of the other two options listed for easier access to entertainment options in the evening.

Work from Co-working&Co-learning Space Q

Daimyo

Another busy hub for retail and entertainment, plenty of entertainment options and close to the second WeWork site. If in need of shopping a good place to head to. Good place to base yourself.

Work from WeWork Daimyo

Nakasu

Recommended

I stayed around this area and it was a great base for the week. Easy walking distance to both of the WeWork sites and a good range of food and drink options throughout the day and late into the evening.

Work from WeWork Gates Fukuoka

Where to work

The city has two WeWork locations at the Gates shopping centre and also at Damiyo. Alongside these, there are various local coworking operators and numerous coffee shops open late into the evening.

If you're only in town for a couple of nights, consider a more business-oriented hotel (of which there are plenty) that provides spaces to work. Alongside these there are a range of local coworking operators and there's plentiful coffee shops open later into the evening.

WeWork - Gates Fukuoka coworking space

WeWork - Gates Fukuoka

Good coffeeTop location

Out of the two WeWork sites in the city, this is your best bet if you are working later evenings.

Based on the top floor of the Gates shopping centre, there is a large open plan area for All Access members. Softbank also have an office on site which makes for an interesting observation if you're familiar with their involvement in the company.

The shopping centre has easy access to the metro station, with numerous supermarkets and restaurants in easy reach. The only downside is a lack of any natural light, but assuming you'll only be passing through, it is not of major concern.

The office stays open until 20:00 which makes it a better option than the nearby Daimyo site, which finishes at 18:00.

11F, 3 Chome-7-24 Nakasu, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, 810-0801

DirectionsWebsite

Food & drink

Coffee

Tokado Coffee

Large range of differing roasts specialising in drip coffees. In the basement of the Hakata Riverain Mall.

Rec Coffee Tenjinminami

Top rated

Comfortably the best coffee I had in the city. Friendly service and a range of beans to select from. Excellent Canelé also.

Food

Ichiran Souhonten

Specialising in rich and flavourful Tonkotsu Ramen, with individual counters on the ground floor. Usually a queue in the evenings so try and arrive early on.

Off the clock

Off work

Explore the Uminonakamichi Peninsula

Explore the Uminonakamichi Peninsula

Easily reachable by either a ferry boat or train, it's definitely worth an afternoon exploring this quiet stretch of land which wraps around the Hakata Bay. Uminokamichi Seaside Park is a large well landscaped public park bordering the sea and walking further west will take you towards Shika Island, home to several Shinto shrines and an observatory. Head towards Saitozaki or 志賀島 Ferry terminals.

Exercise

Walk

Maizuru Park

Easy walk from the city centre which takes you through the ruins of Fukuoka Castle.

Run

Shikanoshima Island Loop

If you get the ferry to Saitozaki terminal, it is about a near-perfect half marathon around the perimeter of the island. The route is flat with little traffic on the roads. I would recommend picking up some supplies from Otake.

People

Of all the places I visited in Japan, Fukuoka was comfortably the least populated with tourists. Despite being an unassuming city, there was still a fair number of people passing through, as it serves as a gateway to the southern parts of the country and also to Korea.

Notes

Positives

More of a manageable size than other large Japanese cities.

Whilst it's still a big city, you stand more chance of covering more of it over the course of a week compared to Tokyo or Osaka.

Not a major tourist destination.

If you're looking for somewhere less conventional to explore, it is certainly more off the beaten track.

Effective public transport.

The combination of three metro lines, Shinkansen and local train lines mean it's easy to get in around and out of the city.

It has WeWorks.

If you already have access, this makes for a hassle free working experience working from either of the two sites.

Negatives

By no means an exciting place.

Compared to the larger Japanese cities, it certainly lacked some of the buzz and excitement which you would be hoping for from a trip to Japan.

Tips

Busan in South Korea is reachable by ferry boat.

If you fancy an alternative to the flight, there is a ferry boat that will take you between the two cities. If I had a more relaxed time schedule, I would have opted for that.

Fukuoka felt like it had the highest density of 'hostess' bars.

Even compared to Osaka and Tokyo, I was astounded to witness the number of women with price cards around their neck advertising the 'Kyabakura' bars. As a foreigner, they are unlikely to engage you on the street, but it is initially quite astonishing to witness this well-entrenched part of Japanese culture playing out on the street. Before you ask, I didn't explore any but they endure to be fascinating concepts for someone from the West.

Planning a trip to Fukuoka?

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