🇬🇧 Newcastle → 🇯🇵 Fukuoka · 2 weeks

Shin-Shin ramen in Tenjin: this is the ramen that Fukuoka locals choose for a benchmark — tonkotsu broth that's rich but not heavy, thin noodles cooked firm (kata), and a queue that moves fast. Go for lunch; the evening wait is longer.

Dazaifu Tenmangu at dawn: take the 40-minute train to Dazaifu early (the first train arrives before 7am) and walk the cedar-lined approach to the 1,100-year-old shrine in near-complete silence. The plum blossom season (February) is spectacular but it's worth visiting any time of year.

Nakasu Yatai after 9pm: the outdoor food stall city on the island between the Nakagawa and Naka rivers really comes alive after 9pm — choose a stall with a visible regular crowd, sit at the counter (there are usually 8-12 seats), and order ramen plus whatever the person next to you is eating.

Yanagibashi Rengo Market at 6am: the city's wholesale seafood market opens to the public early — buy a paper cup of mentaiko (spicy cod roe, Fukuoka's signature ingredient) from the stall at the entrance and eat it standing while watching the morning fish auction.