If you go a little further, you will find the Yoshizuka Little Asia Market, a fusion of a retro Showa Period shopping street and Asian food and culture.

Why not start at Hakozaki Shrine and go for a walk to discover the diverse charms of Hakozaki and Yoshizuka?

Hakozaki Shrine
Ancient shrine where famous warlords prayed for victory

The shrine is a three-minute walk from Hakozaki-Miyamae Station (Exit 1) on the City Subway Hakozaki Line. Hakozaki Shrine, located at the end of a wide path leading from Hakozaki Beach, is one of the three major Hachimangu shrines in Japan, along with Usa and Iwashimizu Shrines.

As the god of victory and luck, the shrine has been worshipped by famous warlords such as Ashikaga Takauji and Toyotomi Hideyoshi since ancient times. Today, the shrine is also known as a place where many athletes, including the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, visit to pray for victory.

Both the main shrine and worship hall have magnificent cypress bark roofs.

On the gateway is an enlarged copy of the imperial treasure, the handwriting by an ancient emperor, meaning ”not to force an opponent to surrender by force of arms, but to lead with the power of virtue.”

Many other important cultural assets designated by the state and prefecture remain, including a stone lantern said to have been dedicated by Sen no Rikyu and an anchor stone from a Mongolian warship at the invasion in the 13th century.

❖Hakozaki Shrine
Address: 1-22-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City
TEL: 092-641-7431
Open: 6:00-19:00 (Goshuin stamp 9:00-16:30)
Open all-year-round
https://www.hakozakigu.or.jp/

Hanayama
Restaurant retaining the atmosphere of a food stall

Established in 1953, Hanayama is a yakitori and ramen restaurant located right in front of Hakozaki Shrine on its approach.

When it was first established, it was a single stall seating about 20 people, but was later expanded to a large stall seating 60. Since September 2018, it has been operating as a restaurant that has retained its original stall appearance.

In addition to the standard yakitori menu using homemade natural salt, the restaurant also boasts fresh seafood skewers and special smoked skewers that the owner has spent many years developing. You can enjoy the shop’s unique yakitori menu while appreciating the scenery of Hakozaki Shrine and the seasonal landscape.

❖Hanayama
Address: 1-44-17 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City
TEL: 092-631-1408
Open: 12:00-24:00 (Last order 23:00)
Closed on Mondays
https://yatai-hanayama.co.jp/

Pain Stock Hakozaki Main Shop
Popular bakery with many fans coming from all over the country

Despite its location being not in the city centre, Pain Stock has made a name for itself not only locally but also among bread lovers nationwide. Many bakers have come from the shop and it is a driving force in Fukuoka’s bread industry.

The secret of its popularity is the unique bread-making process that owner-chef Tetsuo Hirayama has developed through working at famous local and Tokyo bakeries and training in France. One of his most popular products is Mentai France. The crispy outside and moist inside of the bucket is filled with homemade mentaiko (spicy cod roe) cream, and once you try, you’ll become addicted to it.

The breads at Pain Stock, which “uses only safe ingredients, mainly domestic wheat, and takes time to ferment”, have high moisture retention properties and as the name suggests, are suitable for storage (frozen recommended), so you can buy in bulk without worry.

❖Pain Stock Hakozaki Main Shop
Address: 6-7-6 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City
Open: 10:00-18:00
Closed on Mondays and the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays
https://painstock.theshop.jp/

Tenjo Sajiki
Western restaurant in an atmosphere of Taisho period

This is an Italian food izakaya in a 150-year-old merchant house built at the end of the Edo period, with 60 table seats on the ground and second floors, as well as counter seating on the ground floor with a fine bartending service, and private rooms perfect for anniversaries and other occasions.

The two mainstay menus are cheese fondue (from 700 yen), which combines several types of cheese to suit Japanese tastes, and fresh, fruity draft wine (800 yen per glass).

In addition, you can enjoy the chef’s Western-style dishes that incorporate Italian cuisine with Japanese elements, such as a soft, melt-in-your-mouth omelet topped with mentaiko sauce (880 yen), pasta, pizza and more. A full lineup of drinks, including original cocktails and highballs with a choice of whisky from a total of 15 different brands, is so attractive.

❖Tenjo Sajiki
Address: 5-35-15 Maedashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City
TEL: 092-651-1688
Open 16:00-24:00, Wednesdays 15:00-24:00, Sundays 14:00-23:00(Last order 22:00)
Closed on Tuesdays
https://www.tenjousajiki.com/

Hakozaki Kyutaro Syoten
Tea room in daytime, bar at night

The bar in an old house is located a minute’s walk from Hakozaki Shrine. More than 10 varieties of craft beers from Japan and abroad are available on draft, and you can enjoy comparison sets and all-you-can-drink.

The restaurant boasts innovative and original dishes with a blend of Japanese and Western flavours. Among the most popular dishes is porcini oden, and the cheese risotto made with leftover porcini sauce is exceptional.

During the day, the restaurant can be used as a tea house where lunch and sweet dishes are served. Mochi (rice cakes) inspired by the Mongolian attack in the 13th century are a speciality of this restaurant, and can be taken home. Craft beer is served throughout the day, so it is also recommended for a lunchtime drink.

❖Hakozaki Kyutaro Syoten
Address: 1-44-20 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City
TEL: 092-292-9669
Open:
Tea house 11:30-17:00 (Last order 16:30, for lunch 14:00)
Restaurant Sunday to Thursday 17:30-22:30 (Last order for food 21:30, drinks 22:00), Friday, Saturday, and the day before holiday 17:30-23:30 (Last order for food 22:30, drinks 23:00)
Closed on Monday (It holiday falls upon on Monday or Tuesday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be closed respectively.)
https://www.q-taro.jp/

Hakozaki so so
A unique multi-purpose space and popular a popular curry dish

On the second floor of a building across the street from Hakozakigu Shrine, lined with popular restaurants, this multi-purpose space serving as a café, event, and guest house is located.

The cafe’s popular menu is “Hakozaki so so Curry”, which consists of two to three kinds of curry and plenty of vegetables on one plate. The cafe also serves tea from Taiwan, China and Japan.

The event space can be used for various events such as exhibitions, live music concerts, and parties, and can also be rented.

❖Hakozaki so so
Address: 5-35-14 Maedashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City
Open: Check the Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/hakozaki_soso/

Nagata Bakery
Gentle taste presented by a retro Showa-style bakery

This bakery is located near Hakozaki Shrine in a renovated 70-year-old private house.

The breads here are handmade by artisans at the store every day before the sun rises, both for the dough and the ingredients. From an-pain (red bean paste inside), melon pain (sweet bun), cream buns, and milk buns to whole-grain buckets and noix and raison bread, the products have a “nostalgic and gentle taste” under the motto of “bread that is not special, but is always there to fill your heart and stomach a little.

There is also an eat-in space on the second floor, where a free cup of original coffee blend roasted by Gcoffee from Onojo City is available.

❖Nagata Bakery
Address: 1-44-20 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City
TEL: 092-643-8680
Opening hours: 8:00-18:00
Closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays (Check Instagram)
https://pannagata-hakozaki.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hakozaki8739nagata/

Yoshizuka Little Asia Market
A shopping street where atmospheres of the Showa period and Asian culture coexist

The market is located a 4-minute walk from JR Yoshizuka Station, next to Hakozaki. Yoshizuka is said to have a large number of foreign residents. The Yoshizuka Shopping Arcade was established in December 2020 to improve the livability of foreign residents and to revitalize the district, which was becoming a “shuttered” shopping street.

In this nostalgic shopping street that retains the atmosphere of the Showa period (1926-1989), about 40 stores, including more than 10 multinational stores offering authentic Asian cuisine, are lined.

A 2-meter-long golden Buddha from Myanmar and a stone statue of Ganesha, a Hindu god from India, welcome people together. This is a spot where visitors can enjoy Asian food and culture as if they were on a trip.

❖Yoshizuka Little Asia Market
Office Address: 1-20-3 Yoshizuka, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City
TEL：092-409-3209
Open: see the individual shop’s website.
https://yoshiduka-yla.com/