LastUpDate: July 4, 2013

Hakata Culture vol.77


Fukuoka: An Accessible City

The Fukuoka Method: Fukuoka: An Accessible City image

Fukuoka's appeal lies in its compact size, and one telling feature of this is its excellent transportation access. For instance, the airport is located close to the city center. In most Japanese cities, airports and ports are situated a considerable distance from where people live and work. The bigger the city, the farther away the airport and port seem to be. In Fukuoka, however, you can reach the port and the airport in no time at all.


Fukuoka Airport is approximately 10 minutes from Tenjin by subway, and less than five minutes from Hakata Station. A city with an airport as convenient as Fukuoka's is a rarity in Japan, not to mention the world. As for Hakata Port, it is only a 10-minute bus ride from Tenjin―you can even walk there if you like. In Fukuoka, the airport and the port are not only frequented by travelers; some people like to go there to enjoy free time with friends and family.


One new destination that is gaining popularity is Beer Air, a seasonal beer garden that recently opened at Fukuoka Airport. Many people stop by after work to enjoy beer while they watch the planes take off and land. At Bayside Place Hakata, a commercial plaza connected to the Hakata Wharf Passenger Terminal, you can enjoy beer with fugu (blowfish) at the Summer Fugu Hut. With a diverse schedule of events, Bayside Place is always bustling with people. Having a genuine international port located conveniently near the city center is another one of Fukuoka's attractive features.


Fukuoka Airport provides air links to several Asian countries, but this spring it added its first direct flight to Europe. Regular passenger ships connect Hakata Port to Pusan, South Korea, and there are also cruise ships that sail to ports of call around East Asia. In this way, Fukuoka's airport and port are not only highly accessible, they bring the city closer to the rest of the world.



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海も空も近い街・福岡

 コンパクトな街のサイズが魅力の福岡。それを物語る特徴のひとつに、交通機関のアクセスの良さがあります。例えば港や空港の近さです。日本の多くの街では日常生活の身近なところに港や空港はなく、そこへ行くにもかなりの時間がかかります。大きな都市になればなるほど、海や空から遠ざかってしまうのです。ところが、福岡ではごく短時間で港や空港へ行くことができます。

 福岡空港は地下鉄で天神から約10分、博多駅からは5分足らずです。こんなに市街地に近い空港は、日本全国はもちろん、世界を探してもあまりないでしょう。また博多港は天神からバスで10分ほど、散策気分で歩いても行けるぐらいの距離にあります。実際、単に飛行機や船を利用する人だけでなく、家族や友人とレジャーに訪れる人もいます。

 最近、人気を集めているのが季節限定で福岡空港にオープンしているビアテラス「ビアエア」。飛行機を眺めながらビールが楽しめるとあって、会社帰りの人たちが多く利用しています。また博多ふ頭旅客ターミナルと一体化した商業施設「ベイサイドプレイス博多」には、夏場限定で「ふく小屋」がオープンし、一味違ったビアガーデンが楽しめます。さまざまなイベントも行われていて、いつも多くの家族連れでにぎわっています。

 こんなに便利な立地なのに、本格的な国際港としての機能を備えていることも大きな魅力。福岡空港ではアジアを中心とした国際路線に加え、今年春からは初のヨーロッパ路線も就航しました。また博多港では韓国・釜山への定期便や、東アジアをめぐるクルーズ船が就航しています。福岡は港や空港へのアクセスの良さだけでなく、世界の各地とも身近につながっているのです。