Fukuoka City
Kyushu National Museum
Opened in 2005 and located next to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, Kyushu National Museum houses a collection of artworks from around the country in its main exhibition hall, a cultural exchange exhibition, and special exhibitions.
Access: 5 minute walk from Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine; can be reached via highway bus from Hakata Bus Terminal, local city buses, or by train via Dazaifu Station (Nishitetsu).
Open: 09:30 – 17:00, except Mondays; check website for details on holidays
Admission: Cultural Exchange Exhibition: ¥700. Special Exhibitions have additional admissions.
Website: https://www.kyuhaku.jp/en/
Fukuoka City Museum
A history museum that displays the historical importance of Fukuoka throughout Japanese history. Good interactive exhibits and English support.
Access: 15 minute walk from Nishijin Station, accessible by local city buses
Open: 09:30 – 17:30, except Mondays; check website for details on holidays
Admission to exhibit: ¥200. Special Exhibitions may have additional admissions.
Website: http://museum.city.fukuoka.jp/en/
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
Displaying works by artists around Asia; collection consists primarily of oil paintings, sculptures, and contemporary creations. Adjacent gallery space often hosts temporary exhibitions.
Access: via Fukuoka City Subway Nakasu-Kawabata Station 2 minutes on foot (museum is located above the subway); local city buses
Open: 09:30 – 19:30. Closed Wednesdays and New Year Holiday.
Admission to main exhibit: Museum is free. Gallery is ¥200. Special Exhibitions may have additional admissions.
Fukuoka Art Museum
Located in central Ohori Park, the Fukuoka Art Museum displays a permanent collection of Japanese Buddhist artifacts as well as works by famed artists such as Warhol, Basquiat, and Kusama. Also features special exhibitions at the Collection Gallery.
Access: 10 minute walk from Fukuoka City Subway Kuko Line Ohorikoen Station (by exit 3 or 6); 10 minute walk from Nanakuma Line Ropponmatsu Station (by exit 2); local city buses
Open: 09:30 – 17:30. Closed Mondays and the New Year Holiday.
Admission to main exhibit: ¥200
Anpanman Children’s Museum in Mall
If you have young children who have grown up to love Anpanman, this is a fun little museum to give them an enjoyable time! With toys, games, activities, and mascots themed around the beloved Anpanman, you can stop off at this museum while you’re shopping in Fukuoka Riverain Mall.
Access: From the Fukuoka City Subway Nakasukawabata Station, take the Kawabata ticket gate and exit 6, and take elevator A or B to the 5th floor. By bus: platform 2 from Hakata Bus Terminal or take a bus from Tenjin Daiwa Shōken-mae, to Hakatagochō.
Open: 10:00 – 17:00
Admission: ¥1,800
Website: http://www.fukuoka-anpanman.jp/
Kitakyushu
Kitakyushu Museum of Natural and Human History
This museum exibits artefacts related to the natural history, human history, and the archaeology of the greater Kitakyushu area. There is a natural history zone discussing the Earth and life on it, and a human history zone which looks into the development of civilization and human life in Japan. Visit and meet the dinosaurs!
Access: A 2 minute-walk from Space World Station (JR Kagoshima Line), local buses.
Open: 09:00 – 17:00. Closed for the New Year Holiday and around the end of June each year.
Admission to main exhibit: ¥600
Website: http://www.kmnh.jp/english/ (English) http://www.kmnh.jp/ (Japanese)
Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art
With one main gallery and two side branches, the Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art aims to share the enjoyment of art and pass down cultural resources and heritage to the following generations. This museum exhibits both Japanese and foreign artworks, with artists such as Utagawa, Hokusai, Monet, Renoir, and Degas. The main museum is in Tobata, with a side exhibit in Kokura-kita Riverwalk and another on the third floor of COM CITY, Kurosaki.
Access: (Main gallery) From JR Tobata Station on the Kagoshima Line, take Nishitetsu bus 7M to Kitakyūshū Shiritsu Bijutsukan.
Open: 09:30 – 17:30. Closed Mondays and New Year Holiday.
Admission: ¥300
Website: http://kmma.jp/
Kyushu Railway History Museum
Exhibiting real retired vehicles as well as a functioning miniature traintrack, a driving simulation and more, this is a great museum for any train fan! You can even take a tour inside some of the old carriages. This museum is very attentive to Japan’s avid train following and provides plenty of information and even computers for you to use to learn more. They also hold the occasional model train class. Located in Mojiko, home of Mojiko Retro with its European-inspired architechture and recently renovated station building, this train is bound for being a great day out!
Access: 3 minutes on foot from JR Mojiko Station
Open: 09:00 – 17:00. Closed 2nd Wednesday of each month except July and August.
Admission: ¥300
Website: http://www.k-rhm.jp/
TOTO Museum
Want to pay thanks to and learn more about the fantastic porcelain throne? Plan a visit to the TOTO Museum! You can learn about the history, technology, and philosophy behind TOTO, see a range of their products, and explore the development of modern plumbing and environmental efforts. The building itself is also very beautiful!
Access: From JR Kokura Station, either take the bus or the monorail. For bus, take number 21, 22, 25, or 43 and alight at Kifunemachi Bus Stop. For monorail, it is a 10 minute walk from Kawaraguchi Mihagino Station.
Open: 10:00 – 17:00. Closed Monday, obon, New Year Holiday.
Admission: Free
Website: https://jp.toto.com/museum/en
Kitakyushu Manga Museum
Located inside of Fukuoka’s anime heartland Aru Aru City, the Kitakyushu Manga Museum offers various manga exhibits throughout the year showcasing the works of some of the biggest and most influential mangaka with ties to Kitakyushu City. Peruse large prints of manga pages and read about the inspirations, histories, and drawing processes of these talented artists. After you have finished the tour – or as a separate activity – next to the museum is an extensive manga library where you can read as much manga as you’d like! The museum’s informational plaques are Japanese only, and the majority of the manga in the library is also in Japanese. Even if you can’t read Japanese well, check it out and see if you find anything that catches your eye that you can read in English later!
Access: 2 minute walk from JR Kokura Station, North Exit. Follow the path to the entrance of Aru Aru City. 5F = Special Exhibition. 6F = Permanent Exhibition
Open: 11:00 – 19:00. Close Tuesdays, New Year Holiday
Admission to main exhibit: ¥480. Special Exhibits have a separate charge.
Website: http://www.ktqmm.jp/
Kurume City
Ishibashi Cultural Center
The Ishibashi Cultural Center is comprised of an art museum, a music hall, a library, and a carefully tended garden. It is a fantastic place to relax and spend some time appreciating beautifuil things. The facility was donated by Shojiro Ishibashi, the Kurume-born founder of Bridgestone Corporation. You can explore a Japanese garden and have lunch in the cafe overlooking a lake alive with Koi fish.
Access: 15 minute bus ride from JR Kurume Station or 5 minutes from Nishitetsu Kurume Staiton. Take bus number 1, 9, 20, 22 or 25. Alight at Bunka Center-mae.
Open: 10:00 – 17:00. Closed Mondays, New Year Holiday, and during exhibition preparation.
Admission:
Art Museum: Differs with exhibition
Shojiro Ishibashi Memorial Museum: ¥300
Chikuzen / Tachiarai Town
Tachiarai Airfield and Peace Memorial Museum
The site of a major air defense base in WWII, Tachiarai played a major part in defending Kyushu against British and American carrier attacks and B-29 raids. Tachiarai Peace Museum honors the local Kamikaze and air defense pilots. The museum has a number of unique artifacts, including original letters from Kamikazes and various bits of clothing and accessories. The museum also contains two incredibly rare aircraft, these being the world’s last Ki-27 and last Type 32 version of Japan’s Famous A6M Zero, and more interesting displays.
Access: 3 minutes on foot from Tachiarai Station.
Open: 09:00 – 17:00. Closed December 26-31.
Admission: ¥600
Website: http://tachiarai-heiwa.jp/
Yame City
Yame Traditional Craft Museum
Dedicated to the preservation of arts and crafts from the surrounding area, here you can see a large variety of native crafts including ornate Buddhist shrines, fletching for archery, indigo dyeing, puppetry, stonemasonry and more. The museum itself is also attached to a cultural center across the parking lot where you can buy local products and food and you can sign up for seasonal events such as Indigo Dyeing and, via lottery, a knife forging event. The knife forging event is held at Blacksmith`s shop a few miles away and least two ALTs have been selected to forge knives so far. Translation services are provided.
Access: There is a bus service from Hainuzuka Station to Yame City from the bus station across from the train station, but the bus route does not show on Google Maps. Alternatively, 12 minutes by taxi from Hainuzuka station or 1 hour by bus from Kurume Station (bus 30 or 31).
Open: 09:00 – 17:00. Closed Mondays.
Admission: Free