This Summer, Nokonoshima Is Hot!
Two cheerful openings, steps from the pier—NocoMart brings back daily convenience, and Mommy serves Hiroshima‑style okonomiyaki and Southeast Asian dishes.
A quick island escape
Forty minutes from Tenjin and just ten by ferry, Nokonoshima is an easy nature break. Seasonal flowers, BBQs, camping, and swimming draw visitors year‑round, while about 600 residents rely on the hourly, city‑run ferry from Meinohama. The island has long been more about local life and simple places to eat, but things are picking up.
Long‑awaited: NocoMart
After roughly eight years, the island finally has a shop again—NocoMart.
It sounds like a konbini (convenience store)—and it is, sort of—but with more charm. The shop is the brainchild of product planner Yuichi Asaba, the creative mind behind Kodomo Beer (Fukuoka Now magazine August 2005 cover). Opening at 8:00 a.m., this independent store uses the Yamazaki logistics network to stock onigiri, bread, and daily necessities. Look closer and you’ll also find baked treats from island café sööma, plus sweets, drinks, ice cream, and original items Asaba helped create. It’s part lifeline, part curated corner shop—and a welcome sight.
Right next door: Mommy
Just steps from NocoMart, café‑bar Mommy is run by Mayumi, part of an international family.
The headliner is Hiroshima‑style okonomiyaki. Also on the menu: hot dogs, Indonesian chicken curry (chicken rendang), and Southeast Asian side dishes made with island vegetables. On our visit we had green papaya salad, marinated zucchini, and the okonomiyaki—recipes Mayumi refined after time spent in Southeast Asia. Authentic, tasty, and easy on the wallet.
They’ve only just opened, so we’ll be back once they’ve settled in—weekdays look especially calm, with some outdoor seating and a turntable spinning vinyl. On weekends, they shift from restaurant to a family-friendly tachinomi after the island park closes and alongside their izakaya neighbor Hyotan they stay open until the last ferry departs at 11pm. Clock off a little early, catch the ferry, and let dinner on Nokonoshima be your mid‑week reset.
Getting there (at a glance)
From Tenjin: about 40 minutes by subway and bus
Ferry: Meinohama Ferry Terminal → Nokonoshima, about 10 minutes
Frequency: roughly hourly each way, 6:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
