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Trivia & Fun Facts About Fukuoka Prefecture, the Culinary Capital

Fukuoka Prefecture is full of attractive food-related spots, from Hakata ramen and spicy cod roe (karashi mentaiko) to its yatai street-food stall culture.

Beyond food, it’s also home to plenty of must-see sightseeing spots, such as PayPay Dome, the home stadium of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Mojiko Retro, and Miyajidake Shrine.

In this article, we’ll share trivia and fun facts about Fukuoka Prefecture.

Some of these are “of course” moments locals will recognize, but they may be surprising to people from other prefectures.

Let this article be your gateway to discovering even more of Fukuoka’s charm!

[City of Food] Trivia & Fun Facts About Fukuoka Prefecture (11–20)

In Hakata Dontaku, the word “dontaku” means Sunday or a holiday.

In Hakata Dontaku, the word “dontaku” means Sunday or a holiday.

When it comes to festivals that represent Fukuoka Prefecture, Hakata Dontaku comes to mind.

Held every year on May 3rd and 4th, Hakata Dontaku features people parading through the streets of Hakata in whatever costumes they like, beating rice paddles as they go.

It’s a large-scale festival with over 30,000 participants alone, and since it takes place during Golden Week, it’s even said to be the number-one festival in Japan.

The word “Dontaku” comes from the Dutch “Zondag,” meaning Sunday or holiday.

In the past in Japan, many companies and schools worked or held classes only on Saturday mornings.

Since the afternoon was off, this was called “han-don” (half day off on Saturday).

As this custom spread nationwide, in Hakata it even became the name of the festival.

In conclusion

We’ve shared some trivia and fun facts about Fukuoka Prefecture—what did you think? As you’d expect from a city famous for its delicious food, there were lots of food-related tidbits! If you’re considering a trip to Fukuoka, be sure to visit the spots mentioned among the trivia we introduced.