{"id":180013,"date":"2026-09-29T15:01:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T06:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/?p=180013&lang=en"},"modified":"2026-09-29T15:09:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T06:09:38","slug":"fukuoka-off-the-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/en\/fukuoka-off-the-map\/","title":{"rendered":"Fukuoka, Off the Map"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n\n\n

Four local picks from people who actually live here<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At our COLIVE Fukuoka panel, \u201cWhy We Came, Why We Stayed, and What Comes Next,\u201d<\/strong> we talked about what it means to build a life in Fukuoka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no shortage of information about where to eat, drink and explore here. So instead of another \u201cbest of Fukuoka\u201d list, we asked each member of the panel to recommend one personal favorite: somewhere they genuinely like, and somewhere you might not discover on your first visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nick Szasz<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CEO & Publisher, Fukuoka Now<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

Nick\u2019s pick: Oshi no Chiitama<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cI love this place because it feels very Itoshima. It\u2019s run by the same family behind Mataichi no Shio, and they\u2019ve taken something as simple as salt noodles and made it completely their own. The soup is delicate but full of flavor, the ingredients are mostly local, and there\u2019s a real sense that every detail has been thought through. I\u2019ve taken quite a few people here, and it always feels like I\u2019m letting them in on something special.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Why go:<\/strong> It\u2019s ramen, but you won\u2019t feel guilty after.
Where:<\/strong> A few minutes on foot from Chikuzen-Maebaru Station in Itoshima.
More:<\/strong> mataichi.info\/oshinochiitama<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect with Nick:<\/strong> @nickszasz | Fukuoka Now<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Douglas Weber<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Founder & CEO, Weber Workshops<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

Doug\u2019s pick: Fuglen Keyaki Dori<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cGreat neighborhood, great coffee, world-class cocktails. Brings all the class of Oslo and coolness of Tokyo to one of the most understated but lovely neighborhoods of Fukuoka.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Why go:<\/strong> Great coffee, great cocktails.
Where:<\/strong> Akasaka
More:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.fuglen.live\/Fuglen-Keyaki-Dori<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect with Douglas:<\/strong> @weberworkshops | Weber Workshops<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Micaela Braithwaite<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Content Creator & Japan Travel Storyteller<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

Micaela\u2019s pick: NICO APPARTEMENT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cIn the trendy neighborhood of Daimyo, Nico Appartement provides a grungy, gritty back corner to enjoy \u2018French bistro\u2019-style game meat dishes and wines from across the country. It\u2019s hidden in a side alley, tucked away from the main road, but still in the center of the energetic nightlife. You can book your course online, and then just show up. Just bring a curious palate, no Japanese required. Side note: wear clothes you don\u2019t mind getting a bit smelly \u2014 the smoke can accumulate.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Why go:<\/strong> Game meat from around Japan, wine and local vibes.
Where:<\/strong> Daimyo \/ Tenjin \/ Akasaka
More:<\/strong> https:\/\/nicoappartement.owst.jp<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect with Micaela:<\/strong> Instagram: @mikaeradesu | Kyushu Ultimate<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jean-Pierre Villeneuve<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Founder & CEO, New Town Technologies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

JP\u2019s pick: Kawaya Kego<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cCrispy chicken-skin yakitori, cooked and marinated for days to achieve perfection on a stick. The best thing that has ever gone with a beer or highball. And if you need a good nijikai, Ninoni is across the street. For anyone who wants real Hakata food but shies away from seafood or motsu, it can\u2019t be beat.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Why go:<\/strong> Tasty beyond belief. True izakaya experience.
Where:<\/strong> Kego, with other locations around Fukuoka.
More:<\/strong> Google Maps<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect with JP:<\/strong> New Town Technologies<\/a> | LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Find more Fukuoka<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fukuoka Now has been covering the city for international residents and visitors since 1998<\/strong>, with local news, events, food, culture, travel ideas and practical information in English and Japanese. Explore more Fukuoka \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay in the know.<\/strong> Subscribe to Fukuoka Now\u2019s indispensable biweekly newsletter for local news, events and useful updates from around Fukuoka. Subscribe \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just the events.<\/strong> Bookmark our handpicked, constantly updated event listings and make the most of your time in Fukuoka. Browse events \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the archive.<\/strong> Curious what life in Fukuoka looked like from 1999 to 2022? Browse our archive of Fukuoka Now<\/em>, the print magazine we published for Fukuoka\u2019s international community for more than two decades. Browse the archive \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

About the panel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Why We Came, Why We Stayed, and What Comes Next<\/a><\/strong>
COLIVE Fukuoka 2026<\/a>
Produced by Fukuoka Now<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s no shortage of information about where to eat, drink and explore here. So instead of another \u201cbest of Fukuoka\u201d list, we asked each member of the panel to recommend one personal favorite: somewhere they genuinely like, and somewhere you might not discover on your first visit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":180015,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/?p=180013&lang=en","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[355],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-180013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-drink","location-fukuoka-city","location-itoshima","en-US"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/oshinochiita.jpg?fit=1400%2C1050&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180013"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":180024,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180013\/revisions\/180024"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/180015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}