FUKUOKA, JAPAN: Canal City Hakata

FROMMER’S:

If you're ready for dining or shopping . . . [go] to Canal City Hakata, a virtual city-within-a-city complete with hotels, shops, restaurants, the Club Sega amusement arcade, and a 177m-long (590-ft.) canal that runs through its center.

LONELY PLANET:

Address:  Canal City-mae, Sumiyoshi

Phone:  282 2525

Website:  www.canalcity.co.jp

Transport:  underground rail: Nakasu-Kawabata
bus: to Canal City-mae

Rather strangely shaped, this six-building shopping mall and entertainment complex is sleek, modern, and streamlined. The central amphitheatre looks down onto an artificial canal with a fountain symphony. There are 13 cinema screens, a playhouse, two major hotels and innumerable boutiques, bars and bistros.

FUKUOKA/HAKATA TOURIST INFO:

This commercial complex is built around an artificial canal, consists of hotels, a theater, a movie theater, shops, restaurants, specialty stores and showrooms. The fountain show and other events are held everyday. You will never get bored with shopping, leisure and gourmet food! This is one of the most popular spots in Fukuoka among tourists from abroad.

+++ Shopping +++
Canal City Hakata is a commercial complex that houses Canal City Opa which consists of 140 specialty stores offering a wide range of items from clothing to sundries. Mega Store Building tenants a hot boutique ZARA and Mujirushi Ryohin. Here you can purchase not only food, clothing and sundries but also furniture and home electric appliances. You may spend more than one day to get around all the stores.

+++ Restaurants +++
There are various restaurants of Japanese, Western and Chinese cuisine, ranging from a fancy restaurant suitable for a special occasion to casual fast-food restaurant. In Canal Grand Plaza on the first basement floor are authentic restaurants and cafes with a relaxing atmosphere. Especially Yutori-no-Kukan, produced by Harumi Kurihara, a famous gastrologer, is a very popular restaurant among women. You cannot miss out the Ramen Stadium, which gathers many popular ramen shops across the country.

+++ Entertainment +++
Canal City Hakata houses a number of entertainment facilities, including Fukuoka City Theater that features musicals of famous Gekidan Shiki (Shiki Theatre Company), United Cinema comprising 13 movie screens and also Club SEGA, which is the game arcade with Casino style games and UFO catchers (claw machine).

Address
1-2, Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka

Access
By Subway: get off at Nakasu-Kawabata station (7 min. walk).
By Bus: take Nishitetsu bus and get off at Canal City Hakata-mae stop.
Parking(Pay): 1300 cars

TEL:  092-282-2525

URL:  http://www.canalcity.co.jp/

Credit Card Availability:  Varies by stores

Closing Days:  None

Open Hours
Shops: 10：00-21：00
Restaurants: 10：00-23：00
(Opening hours vary by stores).