If you are looking to enjoy a European winter atmosphere this winter, Fukuoka Christmas Market has it all! Wooden huts are set up at Tenjin and Hakata, where you can get all the winter gourmet you crave for. To further raise the Christmas spirit, there are plenty of stage events too. Enjoy a romantic Christmas amidst a beautiful arrangement of sparkling illuminations at Hakata, the city of light!
Report by Isla Phillips for Fukuoka Now
Video & Editing by Joel Van Loon and Music by Brown Bag Luncheon
• 11/13 (Tue.) ~ 12/25 (Tue.)
• Weekdays 17:00~23:00, Sun. and hol. 12:00~23:00, Fri. and day before hol. 17:00~23:30, Sat. 12:00~23:30
• JR Hakata Ekimae Hiroba
• 1-1 Hakataeki-chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
• http://www.christmas-market.jp/
Christmas Market in Hakata 2018 – Report
‘Tis officially the season to be jolly and there is no better way to get into the festive spirit than visiting the Hakata Christmas Market. Ideally located right in the hubbub outside JR Hakata Station, the market’s incredible Christmas illuminations light up the night and welcome you into a quintessentially European Christmas market experience.
Here you can find unique Christmas gifts. There are adorable glass ornaments, such as miniature reindeer and Christmas trees, made by the famous Otaru glass workshop in Hokkaido. If you want your gift to be from further afield, why not buy a festive Russian doll, hand painted in Ukraine, or a cheerful piece of ceramic ware painted in Poland? You’ll even find German Räuchermann and Christmas Pyramids, made by Christian Ulbricht. A Räuchermann is a wooden figurine inside of which you put incense, this then has the delightful effect of making the figure appear to be smoking! Christmas Pyramids, another traditional German decoration, are carousels that are driven around by the warm air from lit candles. Both these charming ornaments come in a range of size and style, from funny reindeer to the more traditional nativity scenes.
Another great treasure to be found amongst the market’s stalls is the shop selling repurposed glass light-shades, super cool and quirky, and these would make a fantastic gift! If food gifts are more your style, why not buy some fine olive oil or perhaps some delicate macrons? You could really go the extra mile and buy your loved ones a present of the famous Theomurata chocolates in their beautiful colorful wrappings!
After you’ve done some Christmas shopping, you can stave off the crisp December cold with a mug of mulled wine and savor that sweet aroma of Christmas. You could also drink deliciously rich hot chocolate, which comes with a cube of ganache to melt into your hot cocoa. Either way, be sure to drink from this year’s commemorative mug, which you can take home after your trip. The mugs are now an established Fukuoka tradition, and this year’s Hakata mug features Gerbera flowers. Maybe you already have a collection of mugs from the annual market, if not – this year is the time to start. To complement your hot drink, indulge in a giant marshmallow (which is excellent when dipped into the hot chocolate) or a piece of German Stollen, the traditional German fruit bread full of aromatic spices, nuts, and fruit and coated in icing sugar.
If you are still hungry, beneath the twinkling Christmas lights, you can have your pick of a vast range of food, from chicken to giant sausages and, of course, a festive turkey leg! If you have a sweet tooth, this year’s market certainly won’t disappoint. If you want to be adventurous, you should try a “Schneeballen.” This is a Bavarian pastry delight, and its name translates as “Snowball.” Here in Hakata, you can experience this German festive indulgence with a Japanese twist by adding ice cream after smashing up your “Schneeballen” with a hammer at the stall! If you love chocolate, you must also make sure to visit the pop-up shop from Quon, a chocolatier from Aichi Prefecture who also has a shop in Kumamoto. Not only is the chocolate delicious but the business supports disabled people. Be sure to try a sample of some of their wide array of flavors, perhaps their best-selling “berry-berry” flavor.
Not just a place for food and presents, the market also features a main stage with numerous acts, who entertain the bustling market. You can sit and watch the acts while soaking up the magical atmosphere and getting excited for Christmas to arrive.
Overall, the Hakata Christmas Market is not to be missed. Open weekdays from 17:00 to 23:00 and from midday on weekends, you have no excuse not to visit!
Click here for more information about booths at both Hakata and Tenjin: http://www.fukuoka-now.com/en/christmas-market/
