Hakata Ward

The dense downtown ward of Hakata sprawls from the harbor toward bamboo-forested hills. It's known for modern malls and traditional craft stores on Kawabata Shopping Arcade. Busy noodle shops serve Hakata-style pork ramen, and after-work crowds fill casual bars near Hakata Station. Hakataza Theatre stages kabuki, while 12th-century Shofukuji Temple is Japan's oldest Zen Buddhist site, with a landscaped garden.