Life in Fukuoka "English"

【Nishitetsu Bus New Route Service Begins】

Starting in two days, Wednesday, April 1, a new express bus service connecting the Fukuoka Airport International Terminal and Tenjin in Fukuoka will begin, operating non-stop between the two locations.
The newly established route is the “Express Tenjin–Fukuoka Airport Line.” It connects the Nishitetsu Tenjin Highway Bus Terminal directly with the Fukuoka Airport International Terminal.

The travel time is approximately 30 to 40 minutes, with 17 round trips per day.
The fare is 500 yen if paying in cash, or 480 yen when using a transportation IC card.

Discounts for cashless payments will also be introduced on some existing routes, particularly those frequently used by inbound travelers.
On routes between Hakata Station and the Fukuoka Airport International Terminal, as well as between Hakata Station and the Dazaifu area, passengers will receive a 20-yen discount when using a transportation IC card.

In addition, the open-top double-decker sightseeing bus, the “FUKUOKA OPEN TOP BUS,” which tours major sightseeing spots in Fukuoka City, has launched a new “Dazaifu Course” connecting Tenjin and Dazaifu.
This is a 60-minute route linking the Tenjin Highway Bus Terminal and the Dazaifu area.

The highlight of this course is the moment when the bus passes close to Fukuoka Airport on the Fukuoka Urban Expressway. From the open-top bus, passengers can experience the excitement of airplanes taking off and landing just overhead. The route then continues past the historic scenery around the Dazaifu Government Office Ruins before arriving at Dazaifu Station.

Also worth noting is the bus’s wrapping design, which incorporates elements of Japanese and Fukuoka culture, such as cherry blossoms, plum blossoms, and Hakata-ori patterns.
The fare is 2,000 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for children. Multilingual audio guides in English, Korean, and Chinese are available on all routes.

Be sure to take advantage of these services and head out to discover the many attractions of Fukuoka!

 

 

【Fukuoka City Information】

Consultation Services for Foreign Residents

Are you having any difficulties or questions as you start your new life?
At the Fukuoka City Foreign Residents General Consultation Support Center, you can receive guidance and information on a wide range of daily life matters, including residence procedures, employment, medical care, welfare, childbirth and childcare, and children’s education. If you’re not sure where to ask, they will help connect you to the appropriate service.

The phone number is (0120-66-1799).
Reception hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and the service is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and during the New Year holidays.
Support is available in 24 languages.

If you would like to confirm procedures related to Fukuoka City—such as National Health Insurance, garbage disposal, or taxes—you can call the interpretation center and be connected to your local ward office for consultation.

The phone number is (092-753-6113).
Hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the service is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and during the New Year holidays.
Support is available in 23 languages.

In addition, when looking for medical institutions, speaking with a doctor at a hospital, or receiving medication at a hospital or pharmacy, you can use telephone interpretation services through the Fukuoka City Medical Interpreting Call Center.
Requests can be made not only by foreign residents but also by hospitals and pharmacies.

The phone number is (092-733-5429).
This service is available 24 hours a day, every day, and supports 20 languages.

【Guest Interview】
➖Christian➖
An Australian making videos based out of Fukuoka, Japan!

https://www.youtube.com/@hangswithchristian

instagram:@hangswithchristian

【FUKUOKA FLOWER SHOW】

Starting this coming Sunday, Fukuoka City will host FUKUOKA FLOWER SHOW 2026, a five-day festival of flowers and greenery where visitors can enjoy flowers with all five senses under the theme “City of Flowers, Fukuoka.”

Held at the Fukuoka City Botanical Garden, the event will feature an international-level garden competition with top gardeners from Japan and around the world. There will also be large-scale flower exhibitions showcasing blooms from across the globe, along with a variety of stage programs and daily events. In addition, visitors can purchase flower seedlings and gardening supplies, and popular restaurants from around Fukuoka will gather to create a special garden restaurant, where guests can enjoy lunch, light meals, and even afternoon tea in a beautiful flower-filled setting.

Inside the greenhouse, a special exhibition called the “Fukuoka Orchid Exhibition” will also be held, offering visitors a chance to admire the delicate and fascinating world of orchids in the unique environment of the botanical garden. During the event period, areas around Tenjin and Hakata will also be decorated with flowers under the theme “Flowers in Fashion,” creating a citywide atmosphere where visitors can enjoy strolling through flower-filled streets.

Once again, the event runs for five days, from Sunday, March 22 to Thursday, March 26, at the Fukuoka City Botanical Garden.

Be sure to stop by and experience FUKUOKA FLOWER SHOW 2026, a festival of flowers and greenery that can be enjoyed with all five senses.

 

 

【Fukuoka City International Foundation】

Free Legal Consultation and Psychological Counseling

At the Fukuoka City International Foundation, located in the Fukuoka International Center, free legal consultations and psychological counseling services are available for foreign residents living in Fukuoka.

Legal consultations are held on the first Saturday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and on the third Wednesday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Each consultation lasts 45 minutes and is available by appointment only. Licensed lawyers from the Fukuoka Bar Association provide the consultations.

If you need an interpreter, please let the staff know when making your reservation.

Psychological counseling is available every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, provided by a Japanese clinical psychologist, and sessions can be conducted in English or Japanese.

Please make a reservation if you wish to use this service.

 All consultations are strictly confidential, so you can feel safe discussing your concerns.

For inquiries or reservations, the office is open weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The telephone number is (0120-66-1799).

 

 

Consultation on Immigration, Residency, and Nationality for Foreign Residents

Do you have questions about visa status, residency periods, or nationality procedures?

The Fukuoka City International Foundation offers free consultations for foreign residents living in Fukuoka.

These consultations are held on the second Sunday of each month from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., where a gyoseishoshi, or administrative scrivener, will answer your questions.

If you would like to receive a consultation, please complete your registration by 3:30 p.m.

Consultations in English, Chinese, and Japanese are available without an appointment.

If you would like assistance in another language, please contact the foundation at least two weeks in advance.

All consultations are confidential, so please feel free to use this service with peace of mind.

For more information, please call (0120-66-1799).

Calls will be taken from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

【LOVE FM FESTIVAL】

Music, gourmet food, workshops and interactive radio experiences! Sounds like a great time and you can enjoy all of it at a global and fun festival unique to LOVE FM,  the LOVE FM FESTIVAL, also known as “Love Fes”. This year, the festival will be held over two days next week, on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21.
The venue is the Fureai Plaza on the west side of Fukuoka City Hall and admission is free, so why not come and experience this global and exciting festival that only LOVE FM can bring you?

This year’s theme is “REUNION.”
Listeners, our DJs, programs, artists, and the entire city-everything and everyone is connected. It is the first Love Fes in two years. LOVE FM proudly presents live performances by talented artists, and the food booths will feature carefully selected curry shops from Fukuoka, Kyushu, and even from around the world.

In addition, on Thursday, March 19, the day before the festival, we will broadcast a special program packed with information to help you enjoy the festival 100 times more. From 3 p.m. for four hours, we’ll share the latest Love Fes updates, introduce the booths, and even give you a preview of the performing artists — so don’t miss it!

On March 20 and 21, let’s enjoy this “reunion” together — connecting through music, voices, and smiles.
We’ll be waiting for you at the venue!

 

 

【Fukuoka City Information】

 Over-sized Garbage Disposal

It's moving season now that spring is here. That means that this time tends to be when we see a lot more oversized garbage and so I've got some information on how to dispose of oversized garbage. 

 The first way to do it is by applying for pickup with the Oversized Garbage Disposal Call Center. First, contact them by phone or by internet, or even through the Official Fukuoka City Line Account, to put in your application and then purchase the appropriate oversized garbage disposal ticket at the convenience store or other shops.

If you apply via LINE, you can also make your payment online.
Spring is a busy season for moving, and reservations may fill up quickly. Please apply early to ensure you can secure your preferred date. 

You must put out the garbage by 8:30am on the collection day in the designated spot.

The phone number for the Oversized Garbage Disposal Call Center is 092-731-1153.

If you apply via the internet or Line, you can do so at your convenience, 24 hours a day.

For more information, please check the Fukuoka City official website. 

For TV's, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, clothes dryers and air conditioners, according to the home appliance recycling law, there are specific guidelines for disposal. You cannot put them out as over-sized garbage or in the city garbage bags. 

You can have the old appliance removed by the firm installing the new one or you can contact the store where you originally bought the appliance. If you can't remember where you bought it, you can also contact the Yamada Denki in your city about disposal. Recycling fees as well as fees for collection and transport will be required.

Citizen's Natural Disaster Prevention Day

To continue, I have one more announcement. Fukuoka City has designated March 20 as "Citizens' Disaster Prevention Day" to keep the experience of the March 20, 2005 Fukuoka Prefecture Seiho-oki Earthquake from being forgotten.

In recent years, major disasters such as earthquakes and heavy rain have occurred in many areas. We never know when a disaster will strike. In order for each of us to take appropriate actions when a disaster strikes, it is important to be prepared on a daily basis.

Please check the Fukuoka City website for hazard maps and information on disaster prevention, and again prepare and confirm what to take with you when you evacuate.
Let's take this "Citizens' Disaster Prevention Day" as an opportunity to think about disaster prevention for the safety of yourself, your family, and your community.

【Spring Timetable Revisions for Nishitetsu Trains and the Fukuoka City Subway】

From Saturday the 14th of this month, a new service on the Nishitetsu Tenjin–Omuta Line will begin operating. It's a new paid reserved-seat train called the “N-Liner,” which guarantees a seat during the weekday evening rush hour.

The “N-Liner” will run once on weekday evenings. Passengers can board only at two stations: departing from Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station at 7:11 p.m., or from Yakuin Station at 7:14 p.m. From Nishitetsu Futsukaichi Station to Omuta Station, the seven stations along the route are for drop-off only. The train has a capacity of 200 passengers.

To use the service, passengers must complete a reservation and cashless payment in advance through Nishitetsu’s official LINE account, which guarantees a seat. Seats are not assigned; after boarding, passengers may choose any available eligible seat.

The fare is the regular ticket price plus an additional 400 yen. Payment is cashless, and no physical ticket is issued.

In addition, to ease congestion during the morning commuting and school rush hours, the Nishitetsu Tenjin–Omuta Line will increase services. On weekdays, additional local trains bound for Fukuoka (Tenjin) will operate between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., and additional express trains bound for Dazaifu will run between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. On the Kaizuka Line, more trains will run on weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., making travel more convenient.

The Fukuoka City Subway will also increase services starting Monday, March 16. On the Airport Line, additional trains will operate during the morning rush hour between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on the section between Meinohama and Fukuoka Airport.

For more details, please check each operator’s official website.

 

 

【Fukuoka City Information】

Avoiding the Rush When Moving House

March and April are busy months for moving house and as a result, the consultation desks at your local ward offices may be quite crowded. The period between March 23rd and  April 10th are especially busy with wait times of 2 to 3 hours, so if you can, try to avoid that period.

 However, that's not always possible,and if you find that you're too busy on weekdays to submit the notification of your move to the ward office, then you'll be glad to know that on Sunday the 29th of March and Sunday the 5th  of April, Fukuoka City ward offices and their branches will be temporarily opened from 9am to 1pm to take paperwork in regards to moving in or out of the city.  

There is also a convenient online service available to make reservations with the ward office to take care of moving procedures. Reservations can even be done via a smartphone but must be made by 8:30 am, 5 business days before your desired date. You just need to send the date you want to go in, and information about your address change. With this system, an appointment can be easily arranged and the process at the consultation desk will take less time. 

If you are moving out of Fukuoka City, you do not have to go to the ward office to report your move-out. You can do so by mail or online if you have your My Number Card. However, please note that if you're moving out of the country, you can't submit your notification online, so please be aware of that.
If you are moving within Fukuoka city you do not need the notification of the move out of your previous residence, you just need to submit notification that you have moved into your new residence. 

If you have any questions, you can check with the ward office using a telephone interpreter.
The telephone number is 092-753-6113.
Tell them what ward you are living in and that you would like to discuss moving procedures.

One more process that you should remember when moving is making sure you call to have your water turned on or turned off. You will need to have the notification of your move for this. Please call at least 4 business days before you move to arrange this. The phone number for that is (092-532-1010). Phone calls will be accepted in languages other than Japanese. This process can also be done online.  Please check the Fukuoka City official website for more information.