Fukuoka Digital Nomad Guide - Tips & Local Information
FOOD AND DRINK
| Topic |
Details |
| 🍷 Wine Bars |
Wine Bar Cave de Reflet or Wine Shop Nico |
| 📱 Best Food Delivery App |
UberEats or Wolt |
| 🍽️ Best Local Dish to Try |
Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen (Ichiran or Ippudo HQ) |
| 🍱 Vegan/Vegetarian Options |
Rotus (Vegan Ramen) or Revo Vegan Japanese Food |
| 🍫 Best Dessert Spots |
鈴懸 (Suzukake) Honten for traditional wagashi sweets |
| 🛒 Affordable Shopping Spots |
Don Quijote (Tenjin/Nakasu) or Lopia (Grocery) |
| 🛒 E-commerce/Online Store |
Amazon Japan, Rakuten, or Mercari |
| 🛒 Grocery Delivery |
Aeon Net Super or Green Beans (by AEON) |
| 🍸 Bar/Nightlife Area |
Oyafuko-dori (Tenjin) and Nakasu |
| 🍲 Street Food Stalls |
Yatai (Food stalls) in Nakasu or Tenjin (Try stal 'Mamichan') |
| 🍕 Popular International Cuisine |
Pizzeria Da Gaetano (Itoshima/City) or Chingu (Korean) |
| 🍻 Local Brewery |
Fukuoka Craft Brewing (Daimyo) |
ESSENTIALS
| Topic |
Details |
| 💻 Internet Speed |
Average 150 Mbps; widely available fiber optics and 5G |
| 💸 Currency & Banking |
1 JPY ≈ 0.0067 USD, 1 USD ≈ 150 JPY |
| 🚰 Tap Water |
Drinkable and high quality |
| 🔌 Power |
100V, 60Hz, 🔌 Type A/B sockets (flat two-pin) |
| 📶 SIM Card |
Sakura Mobile (Travel), Mobal (Long-term), or Ubigi (eSIM) |
| 💳 Banking for Expats |
Sony Bank (English friendly), Wise, or Japan Post Bank (JP Bank) |
| 🛌 Accommodation |
Monthly Mansions, Airbnb, or Fukuoka Properties for long-term leases |
| 💳 Cashless Friendly |
Largely yes; Suica/Hayakaken cards, PayPay, and credit cards in malls |
| 🏠 Short Term Rentals |
Airbnb (Tenjin area), Oakhouse (Coliving), Zabu Fukuoka |
| 🛏️ Budget Accommodation |
Fukuoka Hana Hostel (approx. 3,500 JPY/night), WeBase Hakata |
| 🏙️ Best Area to Stay for Tourists |
Hakata (Transit hub) or Nakasu (Nightlife and food stalls) |
| 🏙️ Best Area to Stay for Digital Nomads |
Tenjin (Business/Work cafes) or Akasaka (Quiet but central) |
| 🏙️ City |
Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan |
| 👥 Population |
1,600,000 |
WORKING AND NETWORKING
| Topic |
Details |
| 🏢 Best Coworking Space |
The Company (Tenjin/Hakata locations) - approx. 20,350 JPY/month |
| ☕ Best Cafe for Work |
Manneken Pis (Tenjin) or Manu Coffee (Roasters location) |
| 💼 Networking Events |
Engineer Cafe (Fukuoka Akarenga Cultural Center) - Tech-focused meetups |
| 🥂 Social Events for Expats |
Fukuoka Now community events or Internations Fukuoka chapters |
TRANSPORTATION
| Topic |
Details |
| 🚕 Best Taxi/Ride App |
GO Taxi or DiDi (Uber exists but mostly for premium cars) |
| 🚲 Bike/Scooter Rental |
Charichari (Red shared bikes) - 6 JPY per minute |
| 🏖️ Best Beach Nearby |
Momochihama Beach (Central) or Itoshima (45 mins west) |
| ✈️ Top Regional Airline |
StarFlyer or Fuji Dream Airlines |
| ✈️ Top International Airline |
Japan Airlines (JAL) or All Nippon Airways (ANA) |
| 🛣️ Highway Access |
Kyushu Expressway connecting to Kumamoto, Saga, and Nagasaki |
| 🚉 Main Train/Transit Hub |
JR Hakata Station (Shinkansen terminal) |
| 🚍 Public Transport Passes |
Hayakaken (IC Card) or Fukuoka City Subway 1-Day Pass (640 JPY) |
| ✈️ Regional Travel |
JR Kyushu Sonic Express (to Oita) or Nishitetsu Bus Network |
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
| Topic |
Details |
| 🏥 Best Hospital |
Kyushu University Hospital (Maidashi) - English available |
| 🧘 Yoga & Wellness Centers |
Yoga Breeze (Tenjin) or Hot Yoga Studio LAVO |
| 🏋️ Gyms & Fitness Centers |
Anytime Fitness (Multiple locations) or Gold's Gym Hakata |
| 🧺 Laundry Services |
Wash & Fold (Tenjin) or local Coin Laundry shops |
CULTURE AND ATTRACTIONS
| Topic |
Details |
| 🎟️ Must-See Landmarks |
Fukuoka Tower and Kushida Shrine |
| 🏛️ Museums & Art Venues |
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum or Fukuoka Art Museum (Ohori Park) |
| 🏰 Historical Sites |
Fukuoka Castle Ruins (Maizuru Park) |
| 🕍 Religious Sites |
Tochoji Temple (Giant Wooden Buddha) |
| 🎉 Annual Events |
Hakata Gion Yamakasa (July) or Hakata Dontaku (May) |
| 🎨 Cultural Districts |
Kawabata Shotengai (Traditional shopping arcade) |
| 🎭 Theater Venues |
Hakata座 (Hakata-za) for Kabuki and musicals |
| 🛍️ Local Markets |
Yanagibashi Rengo Market (The Kitchen of Hakata) |
| 🎼 Music Scene |
Zepp Fukuoka or Billboard Live Yokohama/Fukuoka |
| 🎨 Street Art |
Daimyo District backstreets |
| 🧑🍳 Cooking Classes |
Mizutaki cooking classes at local culinary studios |
| 👩🎨 Art Galleries |
Mitsubishi Artium (Tenjin) |
| 🕰️ Historic Buildings |
Kihinkan Public Hall (Meiji-era architecture) |
| 🏴 Local Heritage |
Hakata Ningyo (clay dolls) and Hakata-ori textiles |
NATURE AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
| Topic |
Details |
| 🌅 Nearby Nature Escapes |
Ohori Park (City center lake Park) |
| 🏞️ National Parks Nearby |
Saikai National Park (reachable via ferry/drive) |
| 🚲 Cycling/Walking Paths |
Uminonakamichi Seaside Park trails |
| 🌄 Scenic Viewpoints |
Mt. Abura (Aburayama) Observatory for night views |
| 🦉 Birdwatching Locations |
Imazu Tidal Flat |
| 🔥 Bonfire-Friendly Spots |
Nokonoshima Island Camp Ground |
OTHER SERVICES AND AMENITIES
| Topic |
Details |
| 📦 Parcel Delivery Service |
Yamato Transport (Kuroneko) or Sagawa Express |
| 🛠️ Tech Repair Services |
Apple Tenjin or Bic Camera Tech Support |
| 🏓 Table Tennis Spots |
Fukuoka City Gymnasium (Public use tables) |
| 🧑🏫 Language Classes |
Genki Japanese and Culture School (GenkiJACS) |
| 📚 Libraries & Study Spots |
Fukuoka City Public Library (Momochi) |
| 🏘️ Community Centers |
Fukuoka City International Center |
| 🕹️ Gaming Lounges |
G-Stage Tenjin |
| 🎰 Casino & Gaming Halls |
Round1 Hakata (Pachinko/Arcades - Casino gambling is illegal) |
BUSINESS
| Topic |
Details |
| 🏢 Studio Purchase Price (City Center) |
Approx. 800,000 JPY per m² (e.g., 25 m² = 20,000,000 JPY) |
| 🏢 Studio Purchase Price (Outside City) |
Approx. 500,000 JPY per m² (e.g., 25 m² = 12,500,000 JPY) |
| 🏠 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) |
Approx. 950,000 JPY per m² (e.g., 40 m² = 38,000,000 JPY) |
| 🏠 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) |
Approx. 600,000 JPY per m² (e.g., 40 m² = 24,000,000 JPY) |
| 🏡 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) |
Approx. 1,100,000 JPY per m² (e.g., 65 m² = 71,500,000 JPY) |
| 🏡 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) |
Approx. 700,000 JPY per m² (e.g., 65 m² = 45,500,000 JPY) |
| 💼 Corporate Tax |
Effective rate approx. 30.62% (combined national and local) |
| 💵 Dividend Withholding Tax |
20.42% (standard for non-residents) |
| 🏦 Tax System |
Residency-based; worldwide income for permanent residents |
| 📈 Highest Income Tax Bracket |
45% (plus 10% local inhabitant tax) |
| 🧾 VAT |
10% (standard Consumption Tax) |
| 🌐 Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules |
Yes, applicable to Japanese residents with foreign holdings |
| 🏠 Property Tax |
1.4% Fixed Asset Tax annually |
| 🏠 Property Transaction Tax |
Registration Tax (up to 2%) and Real Estate Acquisition Tax (3-4%) |
| 💻 Attractive Tax System for Digital Nomads |
New 6-month Digital Nomad Visa (specific eligibility applies) |
🧭 CONTINUE EXPLORING FUKUOKA