Uminonakamichi Seaside Park

You could easily spend a whole day, or more than one, exploring Fukuoka’s Uminonakamichi Seaside Park. With flower gardens and cherry trees, playgrounds and sports fields, a water park, an aquarium, and a zoo, there’s something for everyone here. Most travelers visit the park independently to see it at their own pace, but private tours can also take you here on request.

• There’s an entry fee to the park, and individual attractions within the park usually often have their own entry fees.

• Pack your own picnic if you want to spend awhile in the park, as there are limited places to buy food and drink.

• Bicycles can be rented at the entrance by the half or full day. Cycle paths through the park are marked with blue paint.

The park is across Hakata Bay from central Fukuoka, so you can get there by ferry from Momochi Seaside Park. However, ferries only run about every 2 hours, so catching a train may be more convenient. From Hakata Station, take the JR Kagoshima line to Kashii Station, then switch to the JR Kashii line and head to Uminonakamichi Station. Buses within the park connect some of its main attractions.

The park is open every day from morning until early evening, with slightly reduced hours between November and February; it’s closed on December 31st and January 1st, and the first Monday and Tuesday of February. Individual attractions within the park keep similar hours. The park is especially beautiful in the spring when the cherry trees are in blossom, and in the summertime, when the flower gardens are colorful.

Travelers looking for other kid-friendly attractions in Fukuoka should check out Canal City Hakata, in the central city. An artificial canal runs through the middle of the large shopping and entertainment complex, and a fountain in the middle puts on a show every 30 minutes, from morning to night. Also check out Ramen Stadium, featuring noodle dishes from all over the country.