O-chika Map
“O-Chika Map” are a pair of female influencers who travel throughout Kyushu with a focus on Fukuoka and other countries with an eye towards discovering the best travel spots, restaurants, and hotels to share with their followers. Working together with restaurants, businesses, local governments, and even airports, they work to promote the areas and products they are entrusted with. Through these efforts they contribute to the revitalization of local communities.

Trying on a kimono at “Hakata Machiya Furusatokan”

The first stop on the pair’s trip is the “Hakata Machiya Furusatokan Folk Museum”. Located in the tasteful Reisenmachi area of Hakata, it is here that one can get to the heart of the traditional urban culture of Fukuoka. 

In the middle of the “Hakata Machiya Furusatokan” one will find “Hakata Walin”. “Hakata Walin” is a kimono try-on and rental store that opened here in 2024, and would be the perfect place to start this girls’ trip!

“Hakata Walin” has plenty of plans to choose from, and will help you select a rental dress based on the sense and scene of what you want to wear. Among the plans they offer are a plan for those who want a more authentic dress try-on and a plan meant for those who want a dress that will be easier to move around in outdoors. 

After selecting your kimono you then get to put it on. There are even hair-set options available, and one can ask the staff for advice in choosing the optimal hair style for their chosen dress. “Hakata Machiya Furusatokan” is primarily a building that displays the culture of Hakata from the Meiji and Taisho eras, Together with your kimono rental why not see the history of this storied city for yourself? 

Address: Hakata Machiya Furusatokan Machiya Building 2F, Reisenmachi 6-10, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 
TEL: 050-5482-3493 (For reservations only)
Hours: 10:00 ~ 17:30 (closed on Monday・Thursday), Phone Calls: 10:00 ~ 14:00
Website: https://walin.jp/shop/hakata/

A rickshaw tour of Fukuoka’s Old Town

After putting on their kimonos at “Hakata Walin”, the pair decide to take a tour of the historical area of the city by rickshaw! 

That day, they decide to employ the services of “Hakata Jinriki-ya”, a rickshaw business that has been in service in the area for almost 30 years. Outside of providing tour guide services, the business also assists in photo taking for events and even nighttime cruises of the area.

The business offers three plans as well as a test plan, and the amount of time taken and places visited differ depending on which plan you choose.

Looking at their schedule, O-Chika Map decide on the “[Ume] Yamakasa Course”. Taking 60 minutes, this plan takes passengers on a tour of the route taken in one of Fukuoka’s most famous festivals, the Hakata Gion Yamakasa, passing through the “Hakata Machiya Furusatokan”, Kushida Shrine (viewing the display Yamakasa there), Tochoji Temple, the Hakata Thousand Year Gate, Jotenji Temple (Japanese-style dry garden), and the exterior of Shofukuji Temple. 

As some of the courses offered pass through areas not often visited even by locals, the rickshaw has become popular with not only tourists but Hakata residents as well. 

The two members of O-Chika Map, who are based in Fukuoka, were also very satisfied with the tour, saying, “I didn't know that such a valuable experience was available in Fukuoka City, so I was able to enjoy it as if I were a tourist,” and “I'm very happy to be able to tour the city with historical explanations of the area!”

“Hakata Jinrikiya” allows guests to experience the history of Fukuoka in a whole new way, and comes highly recommended to both residents and visitors. 

Address: Hakata Furusatokan Reisenmachi 6-10, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 
TEL: 092-263-5720
Hours: 9:00 ~ 16:00
Website: https://www.jinrikiya.com

Taste the flavor of Fukuoka in a historical neighborhood “Koryori-ya Sono Hen”

After getting a tour of the neighborhood by rickshaw, the pair then head to the Reisenmachi area to grab a bite to eat. They settle on the Japanese eatery, “Koryoriya Sono Hen”. 

“Koryoriya Sono Hen” is a restaurant that seeks to strike a balance between the more formal dining environment of a more formal Japanese dining establishment and Izayaka. Utilizing ingredients from Fukuoka and Kyushu, the food they serve is slightly different from the norm. 

Their lunch menu is unique in that it consists of 12 different individual bowls of food. One chooses their main dish from a choice of a seafood or roast beef rice bowl before receiving a salad, soup, and 12 different small dishes. Looking at the array of dishes laid out before you is just part of the fun of eating here.

The selection of small dishes is always changing and focuses on healthy Japanese fare. When asked about the concept behind their lunch menu, “Koyrori Sono Hen” explain that “We want our diners to enjoy a wide variety of flavors.” For those seeking something slightly different from the norm, why not pay this restaurant a visit?

Address: 2F 8-21 Reisenmachi Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 
TEL: 092-261-2322
Hours: 11:00 ~ 15:00/17:00 ~ 1:00 (AM)
Website: https://koryouriya-sonohen.owst.jp/ 

One of Japan’s Three Great Hachimangu Shrines! Take a commemorative photo at Hakozaki Shrine

After enjoying their lunch, the pair then journey to the perfect spot for a commemorative photo. Their destination? Hakozaki Shrine! 

Hakozaki Shrine is known for enshrining a god responsible for bringing luck in victory and banishing evil, and on the shrine precincts there are four nationally designated cultural treasures, and two that are additionally designated by the prefectural government. The shrine even has a restaurant and café right on its premises. 

Hakozaki Shrine also has a display of charms that are known as “Hakozaki Ohajiki”. These charms have a deep connection with Hakozaki Shrine and are said to bring good luck, with many made by a renowned Hakata Doll maker currently on display. One of Hakata’s three major festivals “Hojoya” takes place as Hakozaki Shrine, and many Ohajiki reflect this connection.

Hakozaki Shrine is also filled with awesome photo-taking opportunities!
 

Surrounded by nature and filled with stately buildings, a sense of tranquility permeates the air at Hakozaki Shrine. Why not snap the perfect commemorative photo while you’re at it?

Address: 1-22-1 Hakozaki, Higashi ward, Fukuoka
TEL: 092-641-7431
Shrine admission: 6:00 ~ 19:00
Website: https://www.hakozakigu.or.jp/

Hakata-ori,
a traditional handicraft with a modern twist

After returning the rental kimono, the pair visit “Hakata Riverain Mall” to conclude their trip. The mall is filled with a unique fusion of cultural and commercial facilities, and in the midst of this combination they decide to visit the store “HAKATA JAPAN”.

“HAKATA JAPAN” is a brand that offers modern ideas on how to utilize Hakata-ori textiles. Started in 1997 by the famed Hakata-ori maker “Oshiumi Textiles”, the store combines traditional craftsmanship with modern applications to create hitherto unseen new ways to enjoy the fabric. 

In order to help the enduring appeal of Hakata-ori endure through to modern generations, the store sells a wide variety of products. 

Hakata-ori has a long history of being used in traditional kimono obi, or sashes, and even today each one is carefully made by hand by craftspeople. Earlier today when they visited “Hakata Walin”, the pair both selected Hakata-ori obi for their rental kimonos. Hakata-ori made by craftsman are beloved by the people of Fukuoka up to this very day.

Many craftspeople are involved in the creation of the products “HAKATA JAPAN” handles, and they offer products that can be used in everyday life while still maintaining a sense of Fukuoka's history and pride in its crafts.

As a reminder of the rich history you have encountered on your trip, why not purchase a Hakata-ori souvenir recommended by “HAKATA JAPAN”?

Address: Hakata Riverain B2F, 3-1 Shimokawabatamachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
Phone: 092-263-1112
Hours: 10:00 ~ 19:00
Website: https://www.hakatajapan.jp/

In conclusion

How was that for a girls’ day out? While the city is known for its cuisine and shopping opportunities, the city is filled with a rich history and many places you can experience this first hand. As an added plus, the ease of access makes getting between all these places a cinch! It’s appropriate and fitting to the spirit of Fukuoka that it’s long and rich history can easily be experienced, even on a tight schedule!

We hope you will elect to experience some of this traditional culture for yourself when you come to Fukuoka.