Fukuoka City Center = only Tenjin & Hakata !?
「提供：福岡市」Picture, source: Fukuoka City
I write this article because I am alway very surprise when some foreign customers that don't know well Fukuoka yet, think that if apartments are not located in Tenjin or Hakata, it is too far from the city center. (What !??)
It seems that there is a kind of misunderstanding on what "the city center" is. In a city of 1.5 millions inhabitants, considering that the city center is only in 3 subway station area is a little bit curious.
The center of Tenjin or Hakata are not residential areas, but mainly offices and shops. Usual people do not live there. There is so many other much more convenient area to live in Fukuoka...
I had customers searching for a room with the criteria "in Tenjin or Hakata", like often. Apartments available at that time were only apartments in Tojin Machi, between the Ohori Parc and Nishijin area.
At first they were quite reticent to live there, and contracted for few month. Then they discover this fantastic area that is Nishijin, and they love it! You have plenty of restaurants, shops, supermarkets, the beaches with barbecues are also easily accessible. Would like to do exercice after a hard day of work ? you could go to run to the Ohori Parc, or maybe you might prefer to run along the Momochi beaches...
This area as nothing to do with Tenjin/Hakata. If you have the opportunity, go for a promenade in the full of charms nishijin streets, you could appreciate the local atmophere, could buy fruits and vegetables for nothing to people. Those kind of places are, in my point of vue, more authentic than cold and sober business areas not destinated to reside in.
I feel sorry for people that exclude those types of local city centers, because they clearly miss something, and I sincerely think that living in those types of area could have brought them a richer experience of what Fukuoka and his inhabitants really is.
写真「提供：福岡市」Picture, source Fukuoka City
H.