Canal City located conveniently in Fukuoka City is one of our go to places especially on our walking tours of the City. Apart from the usual shops and excellent shopping experience the area has 2 things that makes it an interesting and unforgettable experience.
The first is the fountain display performed every hour. It really is a show stopper! Everyone will stop what they are doing and take a few minutes of of their day to see a unique and extremely pleasurable experience. I have included a video below for you to check out.
The other amazing experience and it is a culinary one, is to go to the top floor, called Ramen Stadium, to partake in Fukuoka`s speciality, that being Tonkotsu Ramen. For those in the know, Tonkotsu, is a type of soup that is produced from boiling pork bones at a very low temperature for a long period of time. The taste is very intense and is regarded as the 5th flavor, that being Umami. It is the go to Ramen in these parts of Japan.
There are many vendors available, so you will be able to choose which Ramen and which shop takes your fancy. Our private tours usually end up here at lunchtime and I can tell you that there haven`t been any disappointed customer so far.
Even if you don`t partake in any of our tours I would still recommend that you come here and check out the hype for yourself.
Check out Canal City below on a map:
Please click on the photos below to enlarge:
Very picturesque
Lots of Ramen bowls
The fountain area
Just some of the ramen options
Japanese Decor
Well signed for tourists
Plenty of other food options
An iconic image in Fukuoka
Ramen regions of Japan
Many Ramen options here
You won't be disappointed
Please click on the videos below to see more about the hourly fountain display and the Ramen Stadium.
Without a doubt the best and most popular Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture is the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine located approx. 30 minutes from central Fukuoka City.
The Shrine is dedicated to the God of Learning and as such is busy all through the year with many student visitors coming here to pray for upcoming success in their educational endeavors, especially during examination time at various periods during the year.
The building was larger than I expected. At first they have a viewing window where you can see the manufacturing process of the noodle component of the product. Ichiran`s soup recipe and process is a very heavily guarded secret so this portion of the process is not on the agenda unfortunately. Next, you can walk at your own speed through the Museum part of the Building which shows the history of the company, various aspects about the product and quite a few instructional and interactive exhibits which is very popular with the younger customers. There isn`t a huge amount of English subtitles but the design and the displays are all very explanatory and easy to follow.
Finally, the main part of the tour is the tasting and ordering of you favorite Ramen. I am sure that even an average ramen fan won`t be disappointed with the taste as there are many choices of Ramen open to the public thru a vending machine which starts the ordering process. The staff members are all friendly and are extremely polite to their international customers. and more than willing to flash you a smile and a wave at the end of the stay on their premises.
Of course on the way out there is also a Gift Shop of sorts that you can fill up on Instant Ramen which always is a popular gift for family and friends back home who haven`t had the pleasure of trying the genuine product.
Overall I had a great hour at the factory. I learnt a lot, will return to try another Ramen type and throughly recommend any Ramen Lover to come and see the entire process for themselves.
Please check out the Ichiran Ramen Factory on a map:
Please click on the photos below to enlarge:
The noodle production line
This Ramen is Fukuoka based.
Museum exhibits
Always busy!
Walk through a Bamboo Grove
Famous visitors
Ichiran Signage
You will order from the vending machine
You can purchased ramen to take home too!
Click on the videos below to see more about the Ichiran Ramen Factory in Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture.
