Hakata Old Town Walking Tour Tracing the True History of Fukuoka

Our guide Miyoko was on time, kind and knowledgable about the area she showed us. She answered questions we had and we greatly enjoyed our excursion.

I had a wonderful experience in getting to know more about historical places in Hakata, Fukuoka. The tour was exciting because of how nice the tour guide was and they also explain really carefully about the place we were visiting. It was relaxing, peaceful, and definitely worth it!

I was initially worried about whether the tour would be too tiring, but everything was very well-paced, and I felt comfortable the entire time. The guide and staff were extremely attentive, always making sure we were doing well and adjusting the pace when needed. The tour covered a lot of interesting places without feeling rushed. I particularly enjoyed the chance to sit down and enjoy a cup of YAME tea with traditional sweets—it was a relaxing and authentic experience. This tour is great for seniors who want to explore Hakata’s history without too much walking. I would love to join again in the future!

The tour started quite nicely, we met up in the station. And walked a short distance to a torii gate. The weather was perfect today, so just walking outside was a huge plus. The guide explained some things about the gate, but it was just a bit interesting. My favorite part of the tour was the “hell room” where you walk through pitch darkness searching the walls for a metal ring. There is a depiction of all the “hells” on the wall before entering. This reminded me of a manga I read when I was younger called “Yu Yu Hakusho”. It was quite interesting to see the connection. For the tea tasting, the shop itself was nice enough, but I felt awkward sitting there in silence waiting for the tea. When it arrived, we had three cups of the same tea all at different temperatures. They are said to be different each time, but I honestly couldn’t tell the difference. Also, the tea was too earthy for my tastes. At least there was a snack served with the second cup. We walked some more and then entered a building to watch a video on Hakata traditions. It was interesting to lift the log that is used to carry the floats, and there were some traditional buildings in the area that were neat to explore. Overall, a very informative trip, and it's nice you don’t need to spend time on transport.

My favorite part was experiencing Yame Tea. The teahouse was very elegant and quiet, the rice desserts were very delicious, and the tea had a refreshing fragrance and was sweet, so unique! I also enjoyed visiting the " hell" a lot. In the temple, there's a completely dark route which represented hell, and you have to walk very slowly and carefully with your body moving against the wall until you find a metal ring representing the enlightenment from buddism. Then you keep walking and find light. A bit scary but very innovative! I feel very impressive about the tour guide and tour leader. They are so nice, considerate, caring, knowledgeable and warm-hearted. I learned a lot of history especially details of the story from them which I would never find anywhere else. In summary, a wonderful experience once in a life! Highly recommended!

The weather was perfect for a walk through local history. We were an intimate group of only 4 so the pace was easy to keep us together and hear what the well-informed local guide had to say. The translator was personable and could rephrase things when necessary for us to understand more clearly. It was a great overview with some details explained which allowed us to consider where we might like to go back to explore later on our own. We could not have found some of these gems on our own so I'm glad to have done this tour. Thank you!

This tour was absolutely amazing! Both the guide and the translator were very attentive and knowledgeable, making the experience even more enjoyable. I learned so much about the history and culture of Hakata, and my family and I had a wonderful time. The introduction to the Yamakasa festival was fascinating, and seeing the wooden Buddha statues was truly breathtaking. We also had the chance to taste YAME tea and traditional sweets, which was a delightful experience. If I have the chance, I would love to join this tour again! Highly recommended!

I was very satisfied with the tour. The short walking distance made it comfortable, and the guide’s explanations enriched the visit to places like Jōten-ji and Tōchō-ji, providing cultural and historical context. The tea house experience was relaxing, with delicate Kabusecha paired with wagashi. The Hakata Machiya Folk Museum offered a great introduction to local traditions, and Kushida Shrine’s Kazari Yamakasa display was impressive. Overall, it was an enjoyable and insightful tour. The guide’s explanations were excellent, and the mix of history and hands-on activities made for a well-rounded experience. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Hakata’s culture.

The history of the temple is very specific, the timing is very reasonable, not slow, the weather is nice, not cold and not hot, the walk is comfortable among the temple and shrine, all kinds of cherry blossoms are also in bloom, it is beautiful. The tea is also delicious and allows you to experience the pouring of tea, which goes perfectly with the dessert. It's also good to see the video recording of Hakata's history and get to know its features. In short, it's a great travel experience!

I had an amazing experience joining this tour ! I learnt about the history of Hakata old town and found out many interesting facts that I wouldn’t have known. The friendly tour guide explained information about the temples and shrine and answered my questions. I felt that the tour was very localized and heart warming. The tea session prepared was also an amazing experience. I truly had fun touring around the old town.