Film Set Touring in Fukuoka: Movie “ Fukuoka” Filming Location Tour
Let’s go visit that one scene. ～ Super amazing actors! Visiting locations where the movie “Fukuoka” was filmed ～
After the premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, the movie “Fukuoka” was played in cinemas of various countries around the world before finally becoming the opening film of Focus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival in 2019. This time, let’s go on a trip to visit locations where the movie was filmed!
Summary
2 middle-aged men & 1 young girl who are dwelling on the past.
What comes to their minds while walking around the city?
▲From the movie “Fukuoka”
Je-moon, the owner of a second-hand bookstore in Korea, travelled to Fukuoka being invited by So-dam, a strange young girl who is a regular customer at his bookstore. Actually, a close friend in his college days, Hae-hyo was there in Fukuoka. They had ended up going separate ways after falling in love with the same girl.
This notable movie was filmed in Fukuoka, the town that is attached to director Zhang Lu, who is highly evaluated worldwide and is a popular face of Focus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival. The strange stories of the 3 characters are depicted by an amazing cast that is very successful in Korean movies and dramas.
Attention Points of the movie “Fukuoka”
No.1: Park So-dam, who starred in the Oscar-winning movie “Parasite” is playing the leading role!
The leading roles are Kwon Hae-hyo, who gained popularity as Deputy director Kim in “Winter Sonata”, and Yoon Je-moon who starred in a lot of famous works such as “Iris”, “Midas” and so on.
Park So-dam who plays a strange young girl, became known all over the world for starring as “Jessica” in the hot Korean movie “Parasite” which won 4 Oscars.
As Park So-dam gains attention from the popularity of “Parasite”, “Fukuoka” is also drawing attention as she also starred in this movie.
No.2: It is screening in film festivals all over the world!
It is screening in film festivals all over the world, starting from the Berlin International Film Festival, one of the biggest three film festivals in the world. In Japan, it was first played in Focus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival 2019 (September 2019) as an opening film and it was a great success, as the theater was full for many days in a row.
No.3: Filming was made possible with the cooperation of Fukuoka Film Commission and the ties with Focus on Asia International Film Festival!
The director had visited Fukuoka 5 times in total from “Focus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival” in 2007 and has been deepening exchange with people in Fukuoka city. The director took his time to stroll on foot around the city during his stay in Fukuoka. Shooting of the film was made possible as his bond with the film festival and Fukuoka Film Commission staffs were strengthened.
From the movie “Fukuoka”
Visiting the location sites of the movie “Fukuoka”
Location sites that we are going to feature for the film “Fukuoka” are mainly in Daimyo area which is popular for young people, and the Hakata area where the Hakata-like atmosphere still remains. Except for the opening scene at the second-hand bookstore, all scenes were filmed in Fukuoka City!
Especially, the back alleys of Daimyo area were highly praised as a location where “wherever you shoot, every shot can be picturesque”.
When director Zhang Lu visited Fukuoka in 2014, he was very delighted as he by chance spotted a signboard of a restaurant called “慶州” (Gyeongju), which is similar to the title of one of his works.
Don’t you also want to visit filming locations to once again experience the scenery seen by the eyes of the director and the cast?
Filming Location① Daimyo Area
▲From the movie “Fukuoka”
Daimyo area was developed as the castle town of “Fukuoka Castle”, which were built by the parent and child, Kuroda Kanbei & Kuroda Nagamasa who created the Fukuoka Domain. In the complicated alley, the town name at the time derived from the occupation still remains as the street name nowadays.
While keeping the remnants of the old days such as alleys that are said to be intentionally bent at right angles to defend the castle during the castle town area, shops and spots that are popular to young people and even foreign visitors like fashions, variety goods, restaurants and cafés, Izakaya and so on are also gathered.
It is an area where old history and new culture are mixed to create a unique atmosphere.
A lot of shootings were also done in Daimyo area. It is a place where you have to take to a walk on if you are to visit Fukuoka.
Filming Location② Irie Books
▲“Irie Books”, where the second-hand bookstore owned by Yuki is set *Image during filming
The second-hand bookstore owned by Yuki.
One step into the store, you will be surrounded by a pleasant tranquility and a mysterious feeling as if time has stopped. The bookshelves facing the road which can be seen from the large windows are also very impressive.
Filming Location③ Komaya (Japanese sweets shop)
The shop where Je-moon bought the sakura mochi. A long-established Japanese sweets shop that has been in business for about 90 years.
The long-established Japanese sweets shop that has been in business for about 90 years, where Je-moon bought the sakura mochi. People line up for the most popular “Mame-daifuku”, and the winter limited “Strawberry Daifuku” is popular as well.
It is said that not even just the cast, even the staffs come to buy their own after the shooting.
Filming Location④ KIDS CLUB
Answering to the director’s request, the master of “KIDS CLUB” portrayed himself in the movie. A place where time passes by very slowly.
“KIDS CLUB”, a scenery that you would want to take pictures without even thinking about it. This is the place where So-dam has her doll kept. Answering to the director’s request, the master portrayed himself in the movie.
The café bar on the 1st floor of an old apartment. It is also open for lunch.
Filming Location⑤ Jokyu Soy Sauce
This place does not come up in the movie, but being the director’s favorite place, it will be introduced!
The soy sauce store opened in Edo Period. With a beautiful courtyard at the back of the store and a storehouse that is still used as a brewery, it is a historic building.
This place does not come up in the movie, but it is introduced as a favorite place of the director♪
Filming Location⑥ Transmission tower of NTT
The radio tower in the movie that the main characters search to see “from where in the alley that it can be seen”.
It is portrayed as a symbol of communication in the movie.
Filming Location⑦ Hakata Specialty Umakamon Street
▲One scene at the Umakamon Street
The alley where Hae-hyo and Je-moon walked on.
Many restaurants that can be enjoyed at a reasonable price both day and night lining up along the street with a width of about 2 meters. This street is next to the Suikyo Temmangu Shrine and it is said to be the origin of the place name, which is “Tenjin”.
▲Filming at “Umakamon Street”
Suikyo Tenmangu Shrine
The name of Tenjin, the largest commercial district in Kyushu, derives from the name of god enshrined in this shrine.
It is the soul of Sugawara Michizane that is enshrined at Suikyo Tenmangu Shrine. At this shrine quietly nestled among the office buildings, the soul of Michizane has long been worshipped as the god of study.
⇒read more: Suikyo Tenmangu Shrine
Filming Location⑧ Mizuguruma-hashi (Water Wheel Bridge)
The V-shaped bridge with the distinctive electrical wires cutting through the space is where director Zhang Lu gives out directions.
This is where the scene of Je-moon and So-dam arriving in Fukuoka was shot. The V-shaped bridge with electrical wires cutting through the space is the director’s favorite.
Close to this bridge, there are Kushida Shrine, Kawabata Shopping Street, Canal City Hakata and so on. If you want to visit filming locations, be sure to visit this spot.
Kushida Shrine
This grand tutelary shrine of Hakata is widely known and people warmly refer to it as “Okushida-san.”
It is dedicated to the gods of Ohatanushi-no-mikoto, Amaterasu-omikami and Susanowo-no-mikoto. According to tradition, in 757, when Emperor Koken was in the reign and Tairano Kiyomori designated Hakata port as a base of Japan-China trade, the shrine was built on the emperor’s order to share a god with Kushida shrine of Ise province (the present Mie prefecture).
Kawabata Shopping Arcade
Hakata’s oldest shopping street has about 130 shops lining a 400-meter long arcade. This is the standard Hakata walking course, featuring gift shops selling traditional Hakata ningyo dolls and other items, shops specialized in Yamakasa goods, stores that offer products from the Genkai-nada sea, and ramen shops.
⇒read more: Kawabata Shopping Arcade
CANAL CITY HAKATA
This commercial complex is built around an artificial canal and consists of hotels, theater, movie theater, shops, restaurants, specialty stores and showrooms. Besides the fountain show and other events held every day, you will never have a chance of getting bored with shopping, gourmet and various other features here!
Filming Location⑨ Miyake Udon
▲Filming at “Miyake Udon”
The place where So-dam and Yuki met again. This long-established udon store appeared in the drama “Kodoku No Gurume”, where Hakata udon was introduced.
If you get hungry while visiting filming locations, be sure to enjoy the taste of Hakata udon.
The street where Miyake Udon is located (Old Higashimachi-suji) is also the main course of the festival in which Fukuoka/Hakata take its pride in, Hakata Gion Yamakasa, which will be held in July. As there are a lot of historic temples along the road, this is the area where you can taste the old Hakata atmosphere.
Tochoji Temple
This head temple of Shingon Buddhism Kyushu sect is given the special name Nangakuzan. It is dedicated to a famous monk called Kobo-Daishi (Kukai). According to tradition, Kobo-daishi set up this temple when he came back from China and prayed for the eastward dissemination of Tantric Buddhism. This is one of the oldest temples in Japan that Kobo-Daishi set up.
Shofukuji
Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism and its Sango (temple’s title) is Ankokuzan. The shrine was constructed by priest Eisai, and its first chief priest was Minamoto no Yoritomo. The ground was originally Hyakudo hall owned by Sohito who lived in Hakata. The words “扶桑最初禅窟(The First Zen Temple)” on the frame tablet hung at the entrance of the temple was handwritten by emperor Gotoba. The temple owns variously national designated cultural properties such as the statue of 6th Patriarch Daikan Zenji, and the precincts of the temple is designated as a national historic site for its distinctive arrangement of buildings for a typical Buddhist temple.
Myorakuji
This is the temple of Rinzai school Daitokuji sect Buddhism and is also referred to by the name of Sekijozan. It is located at the end of the narrow alley, which runs from north to south in the east of Tochoji Temple. Getsudo Soki, who was the fellow disciple of the priest Daio Kokushi, founded the temple in 1316. The second name derives from the bulwark against Mongolians. It was originally located in the Okinohama Area by Hakata Bay and was used as one of the bases for diplomatic activities where the envoys to China stayed.
Filming Location⑩ Tenjin Chuo(Central) Park
▲Filming at rows of cherry trees in Tenjin Chuo(Central) Park
At Tenjin Chuo Park located in the center of Tenjin, the scene where Hae-hyo and Je-moon making a bet using small change was shot.
This park is a popular spot where cherry blossoms can be enjoyed in the middle of the city. The adjoining ACROS Fukuoka has the outer wall of the building like a forest, and you can climb up to the top in the green during the day.
Filming Locations Map
This time, the handmade map made by the staffs of Fukuoka Film Commission is also posted!
★A favor from the staffs of Fukuoka Film Commission★
The shops that appeared in this movie are rooted in the area, and are quietly open.
When you visit these shops, please enjoy a relaxing time without breaking the usual atmosphere.
Furthermore, please note that some locations might not be accessible.
▲Filming Locations Maps of the movie “Fukuoka”
▲Filming Locations Maps of the movie “Fukuoka” Daimyo Edition
So, how was the tour to filming locations of the movie “Fukuoka”?
Please be sure to visit the filming locations, as very popular areas of Fukuoka City were included in the movie.
◎ Introduction Website of the movie “Fukuoka”
Movie “Fukuoka”
2019/Korea/86 min
Director: Zhang Lu
Cast: Kwon Hae-hyo/ Yun Je-moon/ Park So-dam/ Yamamoto Yuki
★Read More：Filmset Touring in Fukuoka: “Let Me Eat Your Pancreas” Filming Location Tour
