There are three expressways in Fukuoka Prefecture: the Fukuoka Urban Expressway, the Kitakyushu Urban Expressway, and the Kyushu Expressway. Driving is a popular way to get around, with the Fukuoka Urban Expressway used for traveling to Fukuoka City and its vicinity, the Kitakyushu Urban Expressway for travelling to the Kitakyushu City area, and the Kyushu Expressway for reaching areas outside of the aforementioned cities.
About the airports
Fukuoka Prefecture is home to Fukuoka Airport and Kitakyushu Airport. You can get to the expressways easily from both airports, so consider renting a car at the airport for sightseeing.
If you are heading to Fukuoka City, the Dazaifu area, the Yanagawa area, or elsewhere nearby, Fukuoka Airport is the best choice. Kitakyushu Airport is suitable if you’re going to Kitakyushu or the Chikuho area, as it is closer.
Sightseeing and activities
The Dazaifu area, located near central Fukuoka, is the most visited tourist location in Fukuoka Prefecture. It has been drawing more attention lately as the “Reiwa no Sato (Village of Reiwa)”. The naming of Reiwa, Japan’s current era name, has its origin in a poem read in the ancient capital of Dazaifu. It takes about 25 minutes to get there from Fukuoka Airport via the Urban Expressway.
If you want to enjoy a Japanese castle that remains intact to this day, together with buildings from the Meiji to early Showa eras, the Kitakyushu area should be on your itinerary. Traveling on the Kitakyushu Urban Expressway from Kitakyushu Airport will get you there in roughly 30 minutes.
If you want to enjoy the atmosphere of a castle town, the Yanagawa area located in the southwest of Fukuoka is the best place to go. Yanagawa, about an hour and 10 minutes away from Fukuoka Airport by the expressway, is also famous for its canals and waterways; it is often called “the Venice of Kyushu” or “the city of water”. Why not go for a river cruise along the canals of this picturesque town?
Local events
The Hakata Dontaku Port Festival in May, the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival in July, and the Hakozaki-gu Shrine Hojoya Festival in September are especially famous festivals.
During the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival, held from July 1 to 15, awe-inspiring decorative Yamakasa floats towering over 33 feet can be seen in Hakata and other central areas of Fukuoka City.