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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Yame
八女
Half a day from Fukuoka: see the white-walled historic district, drink yamecha, and leave. Not a base.
Yame is a quiet tea town in southern Fukuoka Prefecture, known for Yamecha (one of Japan's largest tea regions) and the Yame-Fukushima Historic District of Edo–Taisho white-walled storehouses. Most visitors come from Fukuoka or Kurume for a half-day loop: the historic streets, a shrine in the mountains, and a cup of tea. One night is enough if you want to slow down.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 八女
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Jan–Feb (cold)
- Stay
- 0–1 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 ¥6,000–9,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–15,000 excl. bed · High ¥16,000+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Cup of yamecha at a tea house | ¥400–700 |
| Soba or udon bowl | ¥800–1,200 |
| Local beer (can) | ¥250–350 |
| Taxi from Yame Station to historic district | ¥1,000–1,500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FUK · Fukuoka Airport
- About 1 h by car or train via Kurume
Typical fares
- Fukuoka (Hakata) → Yame, JR
- about ¥1,200–1,500, 50 min (check)
- Taxi Yame Station → historic district
- ¥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 the historic district. For Yametsuhime Shrine and tea plantations, you need a car or taxi. Buses are infrequent.
See and do
Known for
- Yamecha (Yame tea)
- Yame-Fukushima Historic District
- Yametsuhime Shrine
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kurume | JR Kyushu from Yame Station, about 20 min | 30 min |
| Dazaifu | Car or taxi via Route 3, about 40 min | 50 min |
| Hita | Car via Route 442, about 40 min | 50 min |
Sleep
- Yame city centre
- Near the historic district; a few ryokan and minshuku.
- Kurume
- 20 min away by train; more hotels and restaurants.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうarigatō |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
| I would like yamecha, please | 八女茶をくださいyamecha o kudasai |
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
- Yamecha shops close early (around 17:00).
- Yametsuhime Shrine is up a mountain road: check access if you drive.
- No English signage at most sights; have a translation app ready.
Very safe. Roads are narrow in the historic district; watch for bicycles and small cars.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yame yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yamecha (Yame tea)
- Yame-Fukushima Historic District
- Yametsuhime Shrine
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Yame official travel guide: en.yame.travel/
- Wikivoyage: Yame, revision 5209669 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5209669
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/yame). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.