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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Fukutsu
福津
Half-day trip from Fukuoka for the beach and birdwatching, or skip if you have fewer than 3 days in Kyushu.
Fukutsu is a coastal town 30 minutes by train from Fukuoka, known for Fukuma Beach (called 'Kyushu's Shonan') and black-faced spoonbill sightings. The town itself is quiet; most visitors come for a few hours of beach or birdwatching, then return to Fukuoka.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 福津
- Best months
- May–Sep for beach; Nov–Feb for spoonbills
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowded beach, hot)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥5,000–8,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥8,000–15,000 excl. bed · High ¥15,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥300–500 |
| Seafood bowl (kaisen-don) | ¥1,500–2,500 |
| Beer (can at konbini) | ¥250–350 |
| Bicycle rental (half day) | ¥500 |
| JR Hakata → Fukuma one-way | ¥480 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FUK · Fukuoka Airport
- 30 min by taxi or 45 min by train via Hakata
Typical fares
- JR Hakata → Fukuma
- about ¥480, 30 min (check)
- Taxi Fukuma Station → Fukuma Beach
- ¥1,000–1,500
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk or rent a bicycle from Fukuma Station. Local buses run to Tsuyazaki.
See and do
Known for
- Fukuma Beach
- Black-faced spoonbill (winter)
- Tsuyazaki fishing port
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fukuoka | JR Kagoshima Main Line from Fukuma to Hakata, about 30 min | 40 min |
| Kitakyushu | JR Kagoshima Main Line to Kokura, about 40 min | 50 min |
| Dazaifu | JR to Hakata, then Nishitetsu to Dazaifu, about 1 h | 1 h 15 min |
| Kurume | JR Kagoshima Main Line to Kurume, about 50 min | 1 h |
Sleep
- Near Fukuma Station
- Convenient for trains; limited options.
- Tsuyazaki area
- Closer to the beach and fishing port; guesthouses and minshuku.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Where is the beach? | 海はどこですか？umi wa doko desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Fukuma Beach has no lifeguards: check conditions before swimming.
- Restaurants near the beach close early (by 18:00) outside summer.
- Spoonbills gather at the tidal flats near Tsuyazaki; bring binoculars.
Quiet coastal town; standard precautions apply. No nightlife risks.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Fukutsu yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Fukuma Beach
- Black-faced spoonbill (winter)
- Tsuyazaki fishing port
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Fukutsu Tourist Association (Japanese): fukutsukankou.com/
- Wikivoyage: Fukutsu, revision 5209662 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5209662
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/fukutsu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.