The Best Fukuoka Summer Activities and Events

If you are looking for something to do in Fukuoka this summer, there is sure to be a matsuri (festival) or hanabi (firework viewing) that will provide plenty of excitement. Or, if all else fails, why not visit one of Fukuoka’s many summer hot spots. 

Fukuoka Summer

Summers in Fukuoka are filled with fireworks, festivals, beer gardens, food stalls, and enough events to keep you out of the house even during the most humid of days. The summer’s average temperature is 29.5 degrees Celsius (85.2 degrees Fahrenheit) with an average low temperature of 22.3°C (72.1°F). The rainy season generally runs between June and early July, with typhoon season hitting late September and running through October. Except for the sticky humid months of July and August, you will find the summer weather in Fukuoka to be ideal, avoiding the extremities of 35°Celsius (95° F), or worse, a New York-style heat wave.

Uminonakamichi Seaside Park and Fukuoka Beaches

Uminonakamichi Seaside Park is an extensive space with many attractions. There is a rose festival held here every year beginning in early summer and into autumn. The park has camping facilities, a zoo, an amusement park called Wonder World, an aquarium called Marine World, and the largest resort pool complex in western Japan, called Sunshine Pool. Uminonakamichi Seaside Park covers an area of approximately four kilometers (almost 2.5 miles), but the park has cycling trails and you can rent bicycles for the day. Or, for a small fee you can also hop on the park’s train,which takes you to various locations within the campus. If you like beachside activities, another place to check out is Momochi Seaside Park.

If the humidity becomes too much to bear, Fukuoka is home to many shores and beaches to cool off in. If you have the urge, take a ferry to Nokonoshima Island located in the middle of Hakata Bay. It is only 12 kilometers (almost 7.45 miles) around and popular for its beaches, view of Fukuoka, and the variety of flowers that blossom on the island. Some other well-known beaches to put on your “cool off list” are Katsuma Beach, Shikanoshima Beach, Nokonoshima Beach, Keya Beach, and the popular Momochi Seaside Park.

Hakata Gion Yamakasa

The Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival begins July 1st and runs until the 15th. Men carrying large extrovertly decorated floats called yamakasa, some weighing over a ton, run through the streets of Hakata. During the festival days, the yamakasa are displayed at various locations around Hakata. Just before 5:00 am on the festival’s final day, the one-ton yamakasa begins its journey atop the shoulders of the dedicated and focused men of Hakata as they run full speed through the city streets. Two of the yamakasa are on display year-round. One is located at Kushida Shrine and the other is located at Kawabata Zenzai Hiroba in the Kawabata Shopping Arcade.Both are very close to one another, so you don’t have to worry about missing one.

Yatai Stalls in Nakasu along Naka River

Yatai are tiny outdoor food stalls that line the streets of Fukuoka cooking up traditional Japanese food and Fukuoka specialties. The stalls open usually just after dusk, have 1 to 2 chefs, and can fit maybe 6 to 10 customers at a time. Thanks to the Yatai food stalls and the variety of its dishes, in 2013 CNN Travel ranked Fukuoka as one of the ten greatest street food cities in Asia. Yatai provides a great opportunity to eat, drink, and talk with the local residents of Fukuoka. Posted up along the river on Nakasu Island, it is a great place to enjoy some late night Japanese soul food while taking in the reflecting lights off the Naka River.

Mitama Festival at Gokoku Shrine

Mitama Festival is an obon festival at Gokoku Shrine. Obon is a traditional Japanese festival where locals honor their ancestors and celebrate the return of these spirits from the dead. The Mitama Festival specifically honors those that have died during Japanese wars. Gokoku Shrine is beautifully decorated with more than 6,000 lanterns and the air is filled with the booming sound of taiko drums. Locals and visitors walk in yukata and taste various foods from the many yatai food stalls lined throughout the shrine.

Nishinihon Ohori Festival

Every year on August 1st, thousands of Japanese gather around to witness the Nishinihon Ohori Fireworks Festival at Ohori Park. Over 6,000 fireworks are blasted into the atmosphere lighting up the sky with an assortment of colors, patterns, and explosions. The park is full of vendors, food stalls, and games for the children. Do not forget your yukata or jinbei, as it is common to see Japanese in this traditional clothing during fireworks and festivals. Be sure to get there early to find a comfortable view because the festival averages half a million spectators each year.

Fukuoka Higashi-ku Fireworks

Every year on the first Saturday of September over 7,000 fireworks are shot from the offshore of Kashiihama Beach. The area welcomes close to a hundred thousand visitors and the streets are lined with plenty of yatai food stalls, games stands for children, and excitement for everyone. Witnessing the lights from the fireworks reflecting off the buildings and water surrounding Kashiihama Beach is an experience you will not want to miss.

Fun in the Fukuoka Sun

         Fukuoka is an exciting place to be during the summer months. People travel from all over the world to witness its firework displays, eat at its yatai food stalls, and take part in its many festivals. It always seems like something is going on in Fukuoka, even when nothing is going on in Fukuoka. There are plenty of parks, beer gardens, shopping centers, and museums to visit even when there is no scheduled event or festival. What a better way to beat the high humidity of late July and early August, or the June rainy season then going out and taking advantage of an air-conditioned shopping center or museum? Whichever you decide, it is sure to be a unique and exciting experience.