Hakata: A Stroll Through the Old Downtown—Kushida Shrine and Yamakasa Festival Town with Canal City

This downtown stroll course through the historic Hakata district begins at Kushida Shrine (櫛田神社), the principal tutelary shrine where the spectacular Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival is dedicated. You'll be awestruck by the soaring decorative yamakasa floats—over 10 meters tall and breathtakingly ornate—displayed within the shrine grounds. At Hakata Machiya Furusato-kan, watch traditional Hakata textile weavers at work in a beautifully preserved Meiji-era townhouse. At Tōchō-ji Temple, founded by Kōbō Daishi, pay your respects to the Fukuoka Daibutsu—one of Japan's largest wooden Buddha statues—and admire the brilliant vermillion five-story pagoda. For lunch, savor street food and local charm as you stroll through Kawarabata Shopping Street, where the Hakata dialect echoes from every shop. The day concludes at Canal City Hakata, the "urban theater," where you can sample regional ramen at the Ramen Stadium, watch synchronized fountain shows to live music, and explore shops and boutiques. This course lets you experience the history and vibrant present of festival-town Hakata in a single day of walking.