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- For first-time visitors to Tenjin
For first-time visitors to Tenjin
Basic Information of Tenjin
Transportation
Money Exchange Facilities
ATM
Annual Climate
Local Specialties and Souvenirs 
Everybody in Kyushu knows the Tenjin area for its busy downtown. Tenjin is in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka prefecture, which is popular among tourists and known as a gate to Asia. It boasts nice climates, great access to transportation and accommodation. Here you can enjoy Japanese cuisines, shopping and playing at entertainment spots. There are also ample services and facilities for tourists from abroad. This website introduces to you such charms of Tenjin! You can check the recommended spots of dining and shopping, information on money exchanges, accommodations, transportations, to say nothing of weather reports. Your trip will surely be much easier and fun with the help of this website!
Basic Information of Tenjin
Fukuoka City, Fukuoka prefecture has a population of about 1.41 million people. The central area of the city, including Tenjin, makes one of the largest commercial districts of Japan. Compared with Tokyo, Tenjin is much closer to Korean peninsula and China with a distance of approx. 540 kilometers from Seoul in Korea and 870 kilometers from China. The area has thus prospered as a key junction between Japan and the other regions of Asia since ancient times. Japanese Yen is the only valid currency here but many shops and stores accept major credit cards such as VISA and Masters and more and more facilities have started to accept Ginren (UnionPay) card in China.
Transportation
Living up to the reputation as the gate of Asia, Fukuoka Airport is well serviced with many international carriers. The airport has a great accessibility to Tenjin; about 11 minutes by Fukuoka City Subway. Not many other airports in the world are so close to the city center as Fukuoka Airport. If you want to travel a short distance in the city, Nishitetsu Bus or taxi is convenient. For a rather longer travel, Nishitetsu Train, Nishitetsu Highway Bus, JR or Fukuoka City Subway is recommended. JR Kyushu Shinkansen is scheduled to be available, with the entire line opening in the spring of 2011 and it would make it much easier for you to travel from Tenjin to other places in Kyushu.
Money Exchange Facilities
If you want to exchange your money to Japanese Yen in Tenjin, banks are most convenient. Most banks offer the service basically from 9:00 to 15:00, but the Tenjin branch of Fukuoka Bank offers the service from 9:00 to 17:00 at the Foreign Currency Exchange Shop. Exchange service is also available at or near the following facilities; Fukuoka Airport, Hakata Port International Terminal and JR Hakata station. Remember that a service charge is required at any of these facilities.
Annual Climate
Fukuoka prefecture, where Tenjin is located, has a relatively warm climate among other places in Japan. Spring, from March to May, is the most pleasant season. It is the best season to get around for sightseeing. In June comes a rainy season, which is known as Tsuyu in Japanese and lasts for a few weeks. It is recommended to carry a foldable umbrella in this season. In July and August, it gets quite hot and humid but most commercial facilities have air conditioners and they become pleasant shelters. In autumn, from September to November, as there is a considerable temperature gap between day and night, it is recommended to carry a thick outer wear. In winter, from December to February, it becomes cold enough for snowfall and you need a thick coat.
Local Specialties and Souvenirs
Mentaiko (marinated pollock roe)
Mentaiko is cod ovum marinated in chili pepper sauce. It is popular for the spicy taste and distinct granular texture. People of Fukuoka daily enjoy it, and it goes especially well with hot rice, the staple food of Japan. It is also very popular as a souvenir. If you wish to buy it in Tenjin, go to the basement floors of those department stores and you will find many special shops of mentaiko. You should also try pasta dishes with mentaiko and mentaiko snacks.
Motsu-nabe
Motsu-nabe is a hot pot (nabe) style dish of pork or beef offal (motsu) boiled in soup with cabbage and garlic chive. Soup comes in basic two kinds; smooth soy sauce or rich miso. People usually add rice or noodles to the leftover soup to finish it off. It is popular as a nutritious dish.
Mizutaki
Mizutaki is a hot pot style dish with a lot of chicken meat, popular as a healthy dish. You can enjoy cabbage, carrots, radish and mushrooms boiled in the chicken broth with rich flavor. Those ingredients are usually eaten with citrus vinegar sauce (ponzu) or citrus pepper paste that give them a refreshing taste. People usually add rice and egg in the leftover soup to finish it off.
Hakata Ramen
Hakata ramen is noodles served in a rich soup of pork bone broth. It is common to add slices of barbequed pork and green onions on top. It is a special local custom of Fukuoka to order a refill of noodles to eat with a leftover soup. Try those famous noodle shops in Tenjin and find your favorite!
Keiran Somen
Keiran Somen is a traditional Japanese-style confectionary brought in from Portugal about 350 years ago. This confection is characterized by a bright yellow color and a beautiful thin noodle shape, made by pouring egg yolk into boiled crystal sugar syrup. Its delicate sweetness and soft texture that melts in the mouth are fantastic. Keiran Somen is served well with tea and has been very popular in Fukuoka.
Hakata Torimon
This most famous sweets in Fukuoka has achieved the gold medal of Monde Selection for 8 consecutive years since 2001. White bean jam with cream and butter is wrapped in a milky flavored bun. A great mixture of Japanese traditional taste with the western. The slightly wet texture of the bun and the melting soft bean jam make a perfect combination! This sweet cake is recommended for tourists from overseas.
Goma Saba (blue mackerel)
This is one of the special local cuisines of Fukuoka. The raw meat of blue mackerel is dressed with soy sauce, roasted sesame, wasabi paste and seaweed. Even those who are not especially fond of fish can enjoy this cuisine with flavorous sesame cleaning away the fishy odor of mackerel. Besides enjoying it raw, it is also recommended to put it on hot rice and add hot water or green tea.
Hakata Doll
Hakata Doll is a very famous traditional folk craft that everybody in Fukuoka knows. Unglazed potteries are color painted to make Hakata dolls. Many of the figures of dolls are themed on traditional art of Japan such as Noh play, Kabuki play or Ukiyoe (woodblock prints). Dolls are carefully crafted, from all parts of a face to the tips of fingers and gain a great reputation as one of the most beautiful traditional art works of the world.
Hakata Ori (woven textile)
About 770 years ago, textiles imported from China were rearranged with a Japanese twist to make this traditional folk craft of Fukuoka. Fine patterns originally taken from Buddhist culture and silky texture are the great features of this folk craft. It has traditionally been used for kimono (Japanese dress) and obi (belt). Recently, you can find clothes, bags and purses made with Hakata Ori. Some of those Hakata Ori goods are offered at reasonable prices. It is definitely worth checking.
Hakata Niwaka
Hakata Niwaka is a humorous traditional performance art of Fukuoka. Performers wear funny half masks and make jokes about the rumors and news of the town in Hakata dialect. You can see this performance art only at the festivals held in Fukuoka; Hakata Dontaku festival of May, or Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival of July. Check the information of these festivals beforehand and visit the sites if you don't want to miss it.
Events
We keep updating this website with the latest information on movies, music, plays, art, department stores and other commercial facilities! Just visit here for any entertainment information in Tenjin. You can search the site by keywords. Visit our website and get all the information you need before you go to an event!
Restaurants; Tenjin Site's recommendation
Motsunabe
Fukuoka is a battleground for motsunabe restaurants, with some well known motsunabe restaurants attracting TV celebrities and many izakaya (pub restaurants) trying to make a new and original recipe. Motsunabe is a nutritious hot pot cuisine with pork offal, Chinese chive and garlic. It is a perfect dish when you are exhausted from the summer heat or when you want to have something warm in the winter. Cabbage is also used in motsunabe and it is said to be good for your stomach. Don't forget to add rice or noodles in the leftover soup to finish off your motsunabe.
Long Standing Restaurants in Tenjin
Some long standing restaurants in Tenjin have seen many changes in the town through their long history in the business and had a great impact on the food culture of Fukuoka. Here we introduce 8 restaurants with history of over 40 years, where you can find something new in the good old atmosphere created by their long and deep tradition.
Recommended Hotels
Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel
This hotel is conveniently located in the same building as Nishitetsu Fukuoka Tenjin Station and Tenjin Bus Center. There are 173 rooms in total, including both western and Japanese-style room, available in single, double and twin. The restaurant and bar on the top floor command a panoramic view of Fukuoka city. Come up here at night and you can enjoy a romantic night view filled with the lights and illuminations of the city. The hotel is also adjacent to the fashion building Solaria Plaza, which completes with stores, an aesthetic salon, a fitness club and a movie theater.
Nishitetsu Grand Hotel
This prestigious hotel has a long tradition and deserves its reputation as a "reception room of Fukuoka". It is located along Tenjin Nishi-dori, the main street in Tenjin, within 3 minutes walk from Tenjin Subway Station. It is also conveniently located in the vicinity of the shopping area, with department stores, fashion boutiques and cafes, all within a walking distance. The hotel has 280 rooms in total. There are non-smoking rooms and all rooms have free internet access. The hotel also completes with other attractive facilities including indoor pool and hot spa.
Nishitetsu Inn
This hotel, located in the center of Tenjin, offers 24-hour front desk service and you don't need to worry about coming back to the hotel late at night. 161 single rooms are available at the comparatively reasonable charges, starting from 6,500 yen. Complimentary breakfast is popular among guests. There is a women-priority floor, making it more relaxing and worry-free for a single female guest. The hotel is conveniently located just 6 minutes walk from Tenjin Subway Station and it is a perfect place for shopping, eating and going to various events. The affiliated hotels are also available in the areas adjacent to Tenjin; near Hakata Station and in Nakasu.
MAMA & PAPA Map
(PDF:1,2MB)
What is MAMA & PAPA Map?
This map is full of helpful information for parents with kids, including the locations of nursing rooms and baby diaper stands available in Tenjin. Let's check the map and enjoy shopping with your kids with more ease and fun!
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