Our second day in Fukuoka/Hakata City POURED! We considered making it a day out getting enriched by culture by visiting some museums, but decided that indulging in the nation’s most coveted pastime, shopping, would be a bit more fun. Especially if it means shopping Japanese style at Canal City.

Canal City is exactly that of its namesake…it’s a mega shopping complex that is more like a vertically planned city. It even has its own canals (they were a bit stinky…just like the real thing) weaving through the ground floor and synchronized fountain shows that are spectacular enough to even wow jaded New Yorkers like ourselves. We spent an entire day at Canal City, browsing at the boutiques and playing in the game arcades. We especially loved the kids floor, that had an awesome candy shop, tons of toy stores to entertain tots as well as adult sized kids like ourselves.

After spending about 4 hours browsing at Canal City, the rain finally let up and we made our way to a Yatai for dinner. Hakata/Fukuoka is known among the Japanese as the nation’s culinary center, which is what attracted us. They are especially known for their Yatais, food stalls, which serve quick delicious meals like Yakitori, sushi, and ramen, the latter being the regions specialty. The food stalls are tiny and draped with a curtain to block out the wind. Lanterns hanging outside the stalls advertise their specialty, but it’s pointless to the average non-Japanese reading gaijan. The major drag of yatais, right by Hakata Bay waterfront, are good but touristy and expensive. We ordered ramen and a dish of oden and yakitori. We met some a nice Japanese couple on holiday from neighboring Beppu, which is hot spring central. I remarked to the man, how sitting in the cramped quarters of the yatai in front of a busy kitchen was as hot as a Beppu onsen! Though delicious, our meal for two, turned out to be the most expensive street food we’d ever eaten! However, cheaper Yatai stalls are sprinkled throughout the city center, and many are even better than those by the waterfront. We hit one off the beaten yatai path after our day in Canal City and our bill was half that of more touristed stalls and our ramen, and was definitely better!

We definitely enjoyed eating and shopping our way through Fukuoka, but I wouldn’t say it’s a must-see unless you are a total ramen enthusiast or plan on spending time exploring the Kyushu region.