9 days in fukuoka (and a side trip to yufuin's ghibli village!)

On December 18th, we kicked off our Fukuoka trip with a ramen tour in Hakata City. First, we hit up Hakata Issou, a spot close to our hotel, for a hot bowl of tonkotsu ramen. I loaded mine with fresh garlic – highly recommend! The bowl was quite small, so we were still hungry. Next, we headed to 'Ramen Street' at AMU Plaza Hakata City for ShinShin Hakata Ramen. There was a 15-minute queue, and while it's a popular chain, I personally preferred Issou's broth. It's a fun way to compare the local ramen styles!

Even though Christmas will be over by the time this is published, you have to know about 'Christmas Advent' – Fukuoka has the largest Christmas market in Japan! We visited the one at Hakata Station. It's so romantic with all the illuminations. You can buy food and eat under the Christmas tree and stars, and there's even a section just for buying ornaments. We planned to hit up different markets over the next few days.

Today, December 19th, we took a short 45-minute train trip to Dazaifu. It was raining when we arrived, but that didn't stop our snack mission! First, Tenzan for their delicious Strawberry Daifuku Monaka – you can watch them slather on matcha paste and mochi. Then, Yasutake for Umegae Mochi, a Dazaifu specialty, served piping hot. Fukuya offered comforting Mentaiko Ochazuke, perfect for the cold. We even stopped at Starbucks for a snow globe espresso cup. Finally, we made it to Dazaifu Tenmangu, our original plan, though I admit we spent more time snacking! On the way back, I had to stop at Miffy Bakery for exclusive merchandise and Matcha Sweets Tokoro Sawa for premium matcha gelato. It was a great time in Dazaifu, despite the rain and all the snacks!

We tried to make a reservation at Nikuichi, a yakiniku restaurant, but couldn't, so we hoped the queue would be short. They told everyone it was a 1-hour wait, but we only waited 20 minutes, enjoying hot barley tea. We went 'HAM' on ordering food at 7:30 PM, and the waitress even came twice to confirm! This was one of our favorite meals in Fukuoka – good price for quality, comfortable seating, and not smoky. The Steak Tartare was a highlight!

On December 20th, we started the day with a seafood bowl breakfast at Uokiya. They open at 11:30 AM, and I got there 15 minutes early to secure my spot for the famous sweet shrimp bowl, which has limited quantities. It was a work of art and very satisfying! After breakfast, we walked over to the Kushida Shrine next door, enjoying the good weather.

After the shrine, we made our way to Ohori Park. We stopped at &LOCALS Ohori Park Shop, a cafe by the pond that also sells local Kyushu produce. I had a matcha latte, hojicha, and a dashi omelet set, which came with a careful explanation of the food. It felt like being in Canada but with cuter cafes! After a walk around the windy park, we stopped by To chocolate for a chocolate canelé. Then, it was time for cafe hopping: NO COFFEE, with its minimalist concrete interior, and nearby shops like The Standard Manual. We also visited HIGHTIDE, a Fukuoka-based stationary store, but found the Tokyo branch nicer.

Tonight, December 20th, we tried 'miso motsunabe,' a beef intestines hot pot, which is very famous in Fukuoka. Even though we don't usually like innards, I wanted to try this local specialty. It tasted good, but it was really greasy and made me feel bloated afterwards. Not my favorite, but an experience!

On December 21st, a snowy day, we headed to Yufuin by train. We picked up our Kyushu 3 Day Rail Pass and decided to leave most of our luggage in lockers overnight – best decision ever! After warming up with coffee at White Glass Coffee, we boarded the Yufuin No Mori train. It's like a celebrity arriving, with everyone wanting photos! You need a seat reservation. We enjoyed beef and mentaiko ekiben, got a commemorative train stamp, and had Yufuin cider in the dining car. The snowy landscape was a treat, and the staff even pointed out sights like a waterfall. Kids can dress up as captains, too!

After arriving in Yufuin, we walked 15 minutes to our onsen ryokan, Kanfuutei. I was glad we only brought one carry-on! As soon as we arrived, I jumped into the onsen. I had hoped for dinner at the ryokan, but they couldn't provide it, so we had a convenience store omakase dinner from Chef Lawson and Chef 711 – Kyushu-inspired ramen, fried chicken, and oyakodon. The next morning, December 22nd, we had breakfast, grilling horse mackerel over charcoal. I was conflicted about this hotel; I booked it for a private onsen and walking distance to tourist spots, but the hot water was very patchy. I wouldn't stay here again, despite good Google reviews.

On December 22nd, we walked to Yufuin Floral Village, about 10 minutes from our ryokan. This village, inspired by England's Cotswolds, is probably the most popular attraction and full of Ghibli merchandise. Google reviews say it's cute but compact, and some find it overrated. But then it started snowing, and it became a magical snow globe! This was one of my favorite moments in Fukuoka. I recommend coming for a picture, just be patient, but I didn't buy anything.

After the Floral Village, we sought warmth at Bread, Espresso & Yufuin. We loved their 'Mu' steamed cube bread and warm, custardy French toast – better than the Kyoto location because it's served hot! Then, it was Miffy Mori no Bakery for Miffy-themed bread and merchandise, and Yufuin Kinsho Croquettes for a beef potato onion croquette. We also visited SNOOPY Chaya Yufuinten, a huge souvenir shop, but didn't like their pudding soft serve. Next, we explored COMICO ART MUSEUM YUFUIN, a modern art museum designed by Kengo Kuma, featuring Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami. Our last stop before heading back to Hakata was Ordinary Day Coffee, the cutest cafe near the station, with a Korean aesthetic, where I enjoyed tiramisu.

Tonight, December 21st, we hit up another Christmas Market in Tenjin before it closed. I loved the lights and traditional holiday decor. I ordered a hot chocolate to get a collectible mug, which they gave me in a plastic bag to take home. Then, we checked into our next hotel, Tokyu Stay Fukuoka Tenjin. The room had a Japanese toilet, washer/dryer, microwave, kettle, and pant press. The bedroom was modern with ambient lighting, a coffee table, and a desk, offering a city view.

On December 23rd, we started the day with breakfast at Bills Fukuoka – unbelievably, there was no queue! I had the full Aussie breakfast and, because we were in the area, also ordered their famous ricotta hotcakes for dessert. Afterward, we headed to Ishimura Manseido, a traditional sweets shop, to try their unique TSURUnoKOnoKO, a marshmallow and custard parfait with vanilla ice cream curls.

Today, December 23rd, was all about cafe hopping and shopping in the Tenjin area, especially Daimyo, which is full of vintage stores! I started at Juliet's Letters, a European-style stationary store, then made a mandatory stop at 3COINS. At Fukuoka Parco, I browsed vintage stores and spotted a fleece cardigan at gelato pique. For a quick lunch, Soup Stock Tokyo was perfect. In Daimyo, we found Little Stand, a takeout coffee shop, where I tried their Bari chai and BARI pudding. Right across was Flamingo, a popular vintage store where I found a corduroy jacket. We stumbled upon Borderline Records, an incredible used record store with cheap jazz vinyl. We also visited White atelier by CONVERSE and Flying Tiger Copenhagen.

For dinner, December 23rd, I found Hajime, an eel restaurant specializing in conger eel (anago) through local research, aiming for less touristy spots. I couldn't decide between grilled or steamed, so they let me have one piece of each – the anago was fluffier and lighter than traditional unagi. I highly recommend it! Afterward, we found Bar Contrast, a speakeasy hidden behind a wall. We tried their matcha milk and whisky cocktail and, our favorite, the sencha gin and tonic, paired with traditional Japanese sweets.

On December 24th, we started with breakfast at Itookashi, having a seafood bowl and grilled mackerel. Then, we moved to our last hotel, THE HOTELS HAKATA Harushige, a new boutique hotel with calming interiors. We spent the day checking out homeware shops in Yakuin: H.L.D., ACTUS Fukuoka Store, NONE TOO SOON LIFE & OBJECT, and the largest, B・B・B POTTERS, which felt like the 'William Sonoma' of Fukuoka. We also found Tram, a general store with curated home goods. For a late lunch, we tried The Basket, a tiny burger joint. We stopped at Coffee County, a 'coffee geek' favorite, for a Geisha drip and chocolate cake. After browsing Honey Coffee and Madu, and a dollar store spree at DAISO, we had dinner at Ganso Hakata Mentaiju. I tried mentaiko tsukenmen for the first time – the soup base was surprisingly delicious, and I recommend going in the evening to avoid the 1.5-hour daytime queue.

On Christmas Day, December 25th, we started with breakfast at our hotel, which offered cute bentos (though too much rice for me). Then, we visited KURASUKOTO, the cafe I most wanted to see in Fukuoka, with vintage-inspired interiors. It's a bakery, bookstore, and cafe, offering delicate desserts like lemon cream gratin and a pudding + custard donut set (though the donut was a bit oily). Upstairs, there's a shop with charming objects. We also picked up our pre-ordered KFC Christmas set, a tradition in Japan! Later, we went to ORTO CAFE, a bakery cafe with an attractive dark green house, for chocolate cake and a latte. For our Christmas dinner, we booked an omakase at Sushi Koutoku, a small 6-seat restaurant run by a master chef. We tried unique dishes like shirako (fish sperm) and female crab, and my favorite, toro (fatty tuna). The chef even explained each fish with a book!

On our last morning, December 26th, before heading back to Hong Kong, I found Shirogane Sabo, a cute pancake spot that opens at 8 AM. You can dine amongst books and trees on the first floor. I wanted to try both sweet and savory, so I ordered the sausage & bacon/eggs pancake. I was surprised that syrup cost extra! It was a fun way to end our trip, proving there's plenty to do in Fukuoka for 9 days.