What to do and see in Hakata, Kyushu: The Best Things to do

Held annually between July 1st and 15th, this is one of Hakata's signature festivals, along with Hakata Dontaku. There are various opinions concerning its origin, but many believe it started in 1241 when the monk Shoichi Kokushi sprinkled holy water to get rid of diseases. For this festival, floats similar to portable shrines called yamakasa are built up high with countless banners and dolls. For safety, the shoulder-carried floats called kaki yamakasa used for transporting people are three meters high. On the first day, cordoning ropes are dropped (a cleansing event in the style of the region) and the ritual of inviting deities into the yamakasa begins. On the 10th, the floats finally start their parade called the nagare kaki, and the festival really heats up.

Due to its geographical and historical characteristics, Fukuoka City has served as a gateway to continental Asian culture since ancient times. Today it has assumed a new role, that of a key interactive city for Asia. Fukuoka Asian Art Museum opened in 1999, as a part of the city’s progressive strategy for interaction with different Asian cultures. The Fukuoka Asian Art Museum is the only museum in the world that systematically collects and exhibits Asian modern and contemporary art. The works in the collection of the museum are not imitation of Western art or repetitions of traditional works. Instead they seek to overcome the existing framework of art, being made by artists living in ‘contemporary’ Asia. These artists attempt to acutely express their message in and about this changing world of Asia. FAAM's exhibitions of Asian modern and contemporary art are rich in depth and quality, and wide in scope. They present the originality and charm of Asian art in a way that cannot be experienced in any other museum in the world. The museum has also been functioning as a place for people to become familiar with Asian arts and culture through the artistic creations and researches of the invitees of the Residence Program. It is an interactive museum - the place of meeting, understanding each other and creating together.

A 1,000-year-old gingko tree shades this shrine, which was built in 757, and serves as the starting point for a famous annual summer race. The Hakata Historical Museum is also on the shrine grounds.