Audio tour · Japan
Fukuoka
A self guided audio tour of Fukuoka.
Downloadon the App Store
The app is on the App Store
A self guided audio tour of Fukuoka.
Fukuoka has the easy confidence of a city that does not need to announce itself. The canal district of Nakasu glows at night beside the Naka River, and the street food stalls called yatai set up along the water each evening with a casual warmth that feels like the heart of the place. Further out, temple precincts and forested hills give the city a quiet depth that stays with you.
In the app, 38 stops in Fukuoka are narrated aloud, about 1h 5m of listening across 6 walking routes, in 13 languages, offline once downloaded. Choose a route or build your own, then walk while a calm voice tells you the story of each stop. The app also maps 42 Instagram photo spots, social media photo locations with directions to where you stand for the shot.
The opening lines of a few narrations, straight from the tour.
"Look up."
"You are standing in what was once the largest castle on the island of Kyushu."
"This shrine is built above the grave of one man, Sugawara no Michizane, and is dedicated to his memory."
"You are on a narrow island in the middle of Fukuoka, hemmed in by the Naka River on one side and the Hakata River on the other."
"You are walking past a really big complex."
"The tall, shimmering spire above you is the tallest seaside tower in Japan, rising two hundred thirty-four meters over the Momochihama waterfront."
Curated orders through the city. Or build your own and press Play All.
A leisurely circuit from Fukuoka Castle's stone ramparts around the famous moat lake to the art museum and botanical garden.
Wander the plum-blossom shrine of Tenman-gu then follow the covered approach to Kyushu's landmark museum and ancient Kanzeon-ji.
Cross the lantern-lit Nakasu island then trace Hakata's oldest streets through canal-side shopping, medieval temples, and harbour convention halls.
Start beneath the mirrored spire of Fukuoka Tower and walk the seafront past a university campus to the stone remnants left by the medieval Mongol invasions.
Begin at the grand seafront shrine of Hakozaki then wind through university neighbourhoods to discover a quiet mosque tucked among student life.
Step back two thousand years across a trio of Yayoi period archaeological sites where rice cultivation first took hold in Japan, ending at the Kyushu Institute of Design.
Every stop is narrated. Walk them in any order, or follow a route. Open a category to see what is inside.