We just spent 3 months in Fukuoka, and we're planning to make this city a ‘base camp’ that we can return to often.
Fukuoka is underrated for digital nomads. It has all the things that make Japan amazing: it’s safe, clean, has great food, excellent public transport and nature nearby. But what sets it apart is livability.
Fukuoka is more affordable than Tokyo, has a warmer climate, a relaxed vibe, and is attracting a younger crowd escaping the rat race.
That makes it perfect for digital nomads—there’s a growing international community, a strong small business scene, and plenty of spots to work, eat, and explore.
Here are all our favourite spots.
Where to stay in Fukuoka
There are two main areas of Fukuoka you must know:
- Hakata - the historical centre of the city, and now the business district. Fukuoka's main train station (including Shinkansen) is located here, and there is plenty of shopping, restaurants and hotels.
- Tenjin - The hipster neighbourhood. It's packed with bars, cafes and trendy vintage clothing shops as well as high-class department stores.
Think of these as the two central areas of Fukuoka - the "downtown" where stuff happens.
You might not want to live there, though. Here are some nicer residential areas:
- Daimyo - Perfectly located between the vibrant Tenjin and the peaceful Ohori Park to the west. You get the best of both worlds. A lot of wealthy people live in this area, but you can still find affordable apartments.
- Momochihama - Just a few subway stops to the west. This area has Fukuoka Tower and the closest swimmable beach to the city center. Probably the only place in Fukuoka where I felt at least a bit of 'beach culture' like you might find in Sydney or California. If you love the seaside but want to remain close to the city, this is the area for you.
- Itoshima - Ok, this is no longer Fukuoka, but it's only 45 minutes by train from Fukuoka's centre. Itoshima is surrounded by beautiful mountains and beaches. It's where people move if they don't need to work in the city. Many older and semi-retired foreigners we met choose to live here, or those with remote jobs and young kids.
Some other nice areas close to the centre are Ropponmatsu and Yakuin - we know lots of people who live around there. They are youthful areas with easy access to the city centre.
If you want a traditional Japanese feel, then look around the historical central area called Gion. This is where many Shinto festivals happen.
But really it's hard to go wrong in Fukuoka - there are no bad areas, just less accessible ones.
The Orange Subway Line
Most areas listed above are on the Airport subway line AKA the orange line AKA the Kūkō line, which runs from Meinohama to Fukuoka Airport.
Most people want to live along this subway line.
Just go to Google Maps, click on "Layers" and enable "Transit" to see the subway lines.
Airbnb
The thing about Airbnb in Japan, is that it's very highly regulated. You often need something like a hotel licence (look up 'Minpaku law').
Regular people (without a licence) can have an Airbnb, but it can only be booked for a maximum of 180 days per year. This means they usually block out days when you cannot book the Airbnb (usually weekends).
So it's hard to find Airbnbs where you can stay for more than 5 days. For digital nomads you want more like 90 days, so finding something available for such a long time is rare.
I recommend booking your Airbnb as far in advance as possible. Maybe 4-6 months in advance would be best.
Hotels
Hotels in Japan charge per-person! You will pay a lot more for 2 adults than 1 adult.
Most hotels will not have a kitchen or washing machine. For this reason, we prefer to stay in Airbnbs (even though they are harder to find).
It's possible to find apartment-hotels but they are rare, so again, make sure you book well in advance.
Co-living / sharing
You might have heard of websites like Oakhouse and Sakurahouse that manage coliving in Tokyo and Osaka. Well, these sites don't really list anything in Fukuoka.
One of the disadvantages of being a smaller city is that these foreigner-friendly accommodations have not reached here. Your best bet is to ask on various Facebook groups for foreigners.
You can also join the Japan Digital Nomad Association Discord channel and ask there.
Co-working spaces & cafes in Fukuoka
Fukuoka has plenty of places to work from.
- There are many cafes that are quite obviously intended for work & study.
- There are also dedicated co-working offices where you pay by the hour or the day. Most will have a day rate between ¥1500 and ¥3000.
- There are also some free co-working spaces funded by various organizations for various reasons.
Dot
Free co-working space
This place has two areas really - a regular cafe at the front, and a free co-working space at the back. The only condition of entry is that you buy a drink from the cafe.
Artist Cafe
Free co-working space
This is located in an old school right next to Ohori Park. It's a converted classroom so it has that nostalgic feeling. It's now a facility for artists and creatives. You can also see people working and studying here all day. Just buy a drink for entry.
Garraway F / Toyota Kyushu Lounge
Free co-working space
Located right in the central business district of Fukuoka. This one is a bit weird because they intend it to be 'a space for collaboration' and ask you not to treat it as a regular co-working space. We felt a bit awkward going there, but many of our Japanese friends work there with no issues, so maybe if you know Japanese it's ok.
Engineer Cafe
Free co-working space
Another free space with some strings attached. It is supposedly intended for engineers, architects and the like. What about software engineering? What about digital designers? I'm not sure, and they don't ask for proof anyway.
Bunkitsu
Paid Co-working space
This is a book cafe - a place where you pay to read all day, but many people come here to work on their laptops. You pay for 2 hours or a full day rate. Coffee and tea is free.
It's very stylish - feels like a nice library. The perfect atmosphere to work.
Diagonal Run
Paid Co-working space
I think this is the cheapest co-working space in the city and it's location is very central. It is in the same building complex as Awabar (where the nomad meetup happens) and Startup Cafe (where you can get help with opening a Japanese business).
International Community and Events
Fukuoka has a tight-knit international community. There aren't many foreigners who live here, so everyone knows each other.
It also has a growing digital nomad scene, mostly thanks to Colive Fukuoka.
CoLive Fukuoka (once a year)
The largest digital nomad gathering in Asia!
A bunch of digital nomads come together for an entire month of hanging out, going on excursions, cultural experiences, and talks from industry leaders.
We will be attending Colive Fukuoka 2025 - hope to see you there!
Use my link for 10% off - Get tickets
Nomads Meet Fukuoka - Every Wednesday
A weekly nomad meetup hosted by our friend @erina345 at Awabar, in the heart of Tenjin.
You can always meet interesting people here, whether they are just passing through or have lived in Fukuoka for a long time.
Hakata Mingle
A weekly language exchange event hosted by our friend @Ryota.
Fukuoka Now
An English language magazine about Fukuoka. You can get all your travel guides and city info here. The founder (Nick) is an expat from Canada who started the magazine back in 1998.
Sports & Outdoors
Here are some places that are specifically bilingual or foreigner-friendly.
Crossfit Hakata
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of CrossFit, but it's a great sport to do in foreign countries, for three reasons:
- CrossFit classes will always use English terms for the exercises and equipment. So it's easy to follow the class even in a different language.
- CrossFitters don't like to miss workouts, so they often drop in to other CrossFit gyms while on vacation. It's normal. So the coaches will be used to teaching foreigners.
- Group fitness classes are one of the easiest ways to make friends in a new country. If you're into being active, then you could meet like-minded people here.
CrossFit Hakata is a family-owned gym. They are an international couple so their English is great.
Yoga Space Fukuoka - English Yoga classes
Their studio is in Meinohama, just 20 minutes by subway from Hakata. They also run Yoga in the park on Sundays (summer months).
Business Support
There are some organisations you should know if you are considering staying Fukuoka for a longer time and setting up a business.
Startup Cafe & Fukuoka Growth Next (FGN)
Startup cafe is not a cafe! They provide free consultation on starting a business in Fukuoka and getting a Startup visa or Business Manager Visa.
It can be any type of business. I have a videographer friend who came here for assistance with opening his company. It was completely free and he even got some discounts on the various business registration fees.
I also know a game developer who got a consultation here - they invited him for drinks afterwards, where they provided much more informal advice.
If I decide to settle down in Fukuoka, I will likely come here for assistance with relocating my current business (as a content creator) to Japan.
By the way, this place is right next to Awabar - the location of the weekly nomad meetup I listed above.
Manabu Hubs
A startup incubator run by Pablo Riveros. Connecting entrepreneurs in Japan, Taiwan and Australia.
Places to visit
This isn't a travel guide so I won't go into detail. There is plenty of info out there. These are just my favourite spots.
Itoshima
Just 45 45-minute train ride from Hakata. As mentioned above, a lot of expats choose to live here.
The most popular spots are the Totoro forest and the Sakurai Futamigaura Shinto shrine, with Torii gates in the water.
Dazaifu
Visit the Dazaifu Tenmagu Shinto shrine - a huge shrine complex with Japanese gardens, forests and 1,000+ year old Camphor trees.
You can also hike to the nearby Kamado shrine. Fans of the anime "Demon Slayer" will recognise the name of the main character, Tanjiro Kamado.
This is no coincidence - the series creator is from Fukuoka and was inspired by the local shrines and nature. You might also want to see the "Demon Slayer boulder" near Kitakyushu and visit one of the many Wisteria gardens dotted about.
Umi no nakamichi seaside park
- Umi no Nakamichi
A huge seaside park where you can spend the entire day. The best way to explore it is to hire a bicycle from near the train station.
Nokonoshima Island
Probably our favourite place near Fukuoka. You get here by Ferry from Meinohama.
The must-visit spot is the flower garden on the north part of the island. The trees and landscape planning reminds me of a Super Mario map or some retro Nintendo game - everything is so perfect.
Kushida Shrine
Probably Fukuoka's main Shinto shrine, right in the centre of Gion, tucked behind the Canal City shopping centre. This is where many of the Shinto festivals start or end, and where the parade floats are kept.
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