On Night Life in Fukuoka, Japan

A small group of women were dressed in traditional Japanese clothing in Fukuoka, Japan.

Mark and I are in Japan for the next few days. We traveled from Tokyo to Fukuoka via high speed rail. It took us six hours, with the trains running over 160 mph.

Fukuoka is a dense city criss-crossed by canals. Street food vendors park their wooden carts alongside the water at night, serving up barbeque and noodles. The carts are packed up again during the day, so the city looks different during daylight hours.

From what we can tell, there are a kajillion restaurants and bars here, all vying for business. Sidewalks are lit up with neon signs, menus and glass displays of the food. Restaurants tend to specialize, so you go to places that serve up mainly ramen or barbeque or sushi or other cuisines.


Along one of the larger canals, street vendors barbeque food to order.


Each wooden cart folds up during the daytime.


Fresh seafood is displayed in glass cases at the bar.

One of the many great things about Japan is how safe it is here. You can stumble around drunk as skunks, lost down a dark ally, without fearing a thing. Perhaps I'm naive, but I feel as if nothing ever bad happens in Japan.


There is a large red light district here in Fukuoka.

New York Portraits is on vacation in various parts of Japan. I'll be returning to NYC on August 31.

Related posts: Get Your Street Sweets here, Street Eats, Midtown and Buenos Noches from Mexico.