Life in Fukuoka "English"

【Japanese Tea Experience】

Fukuoka has long welcomed cultures and traditions from across the sea and made them part of everyday life. Tea is one of those traditions with especially deep ties to Hakata.

This Sunday, October 25th, the Japanese Tea Experience will be held at Lion Square in Tenjin, Chuo Ward, giving visitors the chance to discover the appeal of Japanese tea while learning about its long connection with Hakata.

There will be plenty of ways to enjoy tea culture through all five senses. Visitors can sample tea for just 100 yen, try pairings of Japanese tea with traditional Hakata sweets, and even take part in a tea-tasting challenge where you try to identify different teas.

There will also be displays and sales of teaware and tea utensils, along with panel exhibitions introducing the history and culture of tea.

The event will be held from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m., and admission is free.

Why not enjoy a cup of tea while discovering the deep connection between Hakata and Japanese tea culture?

🔎https://tenjinsite.jp/topics/topics/74521

【Fukuoka City Information】

Fukuoka Kibo Junior High School Information Session 

Have you heard of Fukuoka Kibo Junior High School?

It is a public evening junior high school established by Fukuoka City for people who were unable to complete compulsory education for various reasons, or who were unable to attend classes because of long-term school absence or other circumstances.

People can enroll regardless of nationality.

Students study the same nine subjects as at regular daytime junior high schools. Those who are not confident in their Japanese can also receive Japanese-language support.

After completing the program, students receive a junior high school graduation qualification.

Classes are held on weekdays from 5:50 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. The school is located in Momochi, Sawara Ward. There are no tuition fees, and textbooks are provided free of charge.

If you would like to learn more, a school information session will be held on Sunday, November 29th, from 2:00 p.m.

However, please register with the school by phone or online by Friday, November 20th.

The telephone number is 092-400-0751. Again, that number is 092-400-0751.

The phone line is available on weekdays from 2:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

For online information, search for “Fukuoka Kibo Junior High School student recruitment.”

The recruitment page includes information in English, Chinese, Korean, Nepali, and Vietnamese.

Questions and consultations are also welcome. You can contact the school in your own language using the email address listed on the website.

🔎https://sites.google.com/fuku-c.ed.jp/fukuokakibou/admissions/info

【Hakata Tomyo Watching】

This weekend, on Saturday, October 17th, Hakata Tomyo Watching will be held for one night only. During the event, tens of thousands of handmade lanterns created by local residents will illuminate temples, shrines, historic sites, and narrow streets throughout Hakata.

The event is based on an old Hakata tradition called Sentomyo, in which lights are lit as prayers for good health, safety, and happiness for families. The event takes place across areas including Reisen, Ohama, Naraya, Gokusho, Hakata Riverain, Hakata Sennen-no-Mon, and the area around JR Hakata Station.

At each location, visitors can enjoy a variety of lantern art, including enormous ground designs measuring up to 80 metres across. As the candle flames inside the lanterns flicker in the breeze, the lights gently shimmer, creating a beautiful and peaceful atmosphere.

It is said that this kind of scenery, spread across an entire historic district for just one night, can only be experienced in Hakata in autumn.

Hakata Tomyo Watching will be held this Saturday, October 17th, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. And admission is free. For more information, check the official website before heading out.

【Information from the Fukuoka City International Foundation】

24th Japanese Speech Contest for Foreign Residents

The 24th Japanese Speech Contest for Foreign Residents will be held on Sunday, October 25th, from 1:00 p.m.

At this contest, foreign residents studying Japanese at classes and schools in the Fukuoka metropolitan area will give speeches in Japanese on a variety of topics, including their experiences of living in Fukuoka and their dreams for the future.

The venue is the Science Hall at the Fukuoka City Science Museum in Ropponmatsu, Chuo Ward. Admission is free, and no advance reservation is required, so please come along and listen to the results of all the hard work the participants have put into their Japanese studies.

For inquiries, please contact the Japanese Speech Contest Executive Committee at the Fukuoka City International Foundation.

The telephone number is (092-262-1744).

LINE Call Consultations

To continue, did you know that through the Fukuoka City International Foundation’s official LINE account, you can use the LINE Call function to make telephone inquiries about general daily-life consultations, reservations for free specialist consultations, and other services? 

Telephone interpretation is also available, allowing support in multiple languages.

You can also receive information about Foundation events and useful information for foreign residents, so please visit the Fukuoka City International Foundation website and add the official LINE account as a friend.

Please note that the Foundation does not respond to chat messages, so if you would like to make an inquiry in writing, please use the inquiry form on the Fukuoka City International Foundation website.

【TOUR de KYUSHU】

The international cycle road race TOUR de KYUSHU 2026 will be held again this year over four days, from Friday, October 9th through Monday, October 12th.

This is a road race officially sanctioned by the UCI, the Union Cycliste Internationale, with riders racing on public roads across Kyushu.

Going to watch is free. You can cheer on the riders from along the course, or visit the free finish area, where you can follow the race while enjoying booths, stage events, and local food and drinks.

And this year, for the first time, the Saga–Fukuoka Stage on Saturday, October 10th will finish in Tenjin, Fukuoka City.

The race will start in the morning from Hado Cape in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, before heading toward Fukuoka City  through areas including Itoshima.

In Fukuoka City, the riders will race through the city centre, passing areas around Kushida Shrine and Watanabe-dori, before finishing at around 1:00 p.m. near Tenjin Bridge on Meiji-dori.

And don’t worry if you are not an expert on cycle racing. You can simply head into Tenjin as you would for a day out, check the large screen to see where the race is, and then move to the roadside as the riders approach the city centre.

You can also enjoy the booths, stage events, and local food and drinks at the cheering area in Tenjin Central Park.

For one day, the familiar streets of Fukuoka will become the course for an international road race, turning the city into one big festival venue.

Why not head out and cheer on the riders?

🔎 https://tourdekyushu.asia/

【Fukuoka City Information】

Bicycle Rules and Etiquette

Many people regularly ride bicycles, but are you familiar with the rules and proper cycling etiquette in Japan?

As a general rule, bicycles should be ridden on the left side of the road. Pedestrians have priority on sidewalk, so if you ride on a sidewalk, please ride slowly on the side closest to the road.

Everyone who rides a bicycle is encouraged to wear a helmet and at night, you must use a bicycle light.

Riding with a passenger or riding side by side with another cyclist is prohibited. In addition, you must also not ride while holding an umbrella, using a mobile phone, or listening to headphones at a high volume. Cycling under the influence of alcohol is strictly prohibited as well.

These are traffic violations, and cyclists aged 16 or older may receive a fine under Japan’s bicycle traffic penalty system, commonly known as the “blue ticket” system.

And please make sure to park your bicycle in a designated bicycle parking area. Bicycles left on roads or in other undesignated places may obstruct pedestrians or cause inconvenience, and may be removed as illegally parked bicycles. In Fukuoka City, it costs 2,500 yen to have a removed bicycle returned. If it is not collected within a certain period, it will be disposed of. 

There are bicycle parking areas near shopping facilities and train stations where short-term parking may be free, so please make use of them.

Something else to be aware of is that anyone who rides a bicycle in Fukuoka City is required to have bicycle insurance. If you cause an accident while riding a bicycle, you may have to pay a large amount of compensation to the other person. Bicycle insurance can help cover expenses such as medical costs if you injure someone while cycling.

Please make sure you have bicycle insurance in case of an unexpected accident.

Bicycles are a convenient and environmentally friendly way to get around, so let’s all help keep the roads safe by following the rules and showing consideration for others.

🔎 https://www.city.fukuoka.lg.jp/shimin/seikatsuanzen/shisei/jitensya-kotsurule.html