KYUSHU: 20 days eating across Japan’s culinary capital (Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, Kagoshima)
This is a diary ‘travel film’ of our recent 20 day trip to the Kyushu region in Japan in May 2026. We spent 10 days in Fukuoka, 4 days in Kitakyushu (based in Kokura with day trips to Mojiko, Yahata and Shimonoseki) and 5 days in Kagoshima. Mainly eating 🙂
VIDEO CHAPTERS:
00:00 🍱FUKUOKA
00:09 🛫 Fukuoka: Day 1 – Tenjin (ramen lunch at Ganso Akanoren Setcha Ramen, exploring Tenjin/Daimyo, omakase dinner at Sushisho)
01:01 🍲 Fukuoka: Day 2 – Tenjin (Full Full bakery, ramen lunch at Shin-Shin, shopping in Tenjin, Tenjin Chikagai, young wagyu beef small intestine offal hotpot at Hakata Motsunabe Oyama One Building incl. horse sashimi otoro/akami, impromptu Bordeaux Wine Festival)
01:59 🐟 Fukuoka: Day 3 – South Central/Hakata (Yanagibashi Rengo Market, seafood lunch at Shokudo Mitsu, Sumiyoshi Shrine, Rakusuien garden, Canal City shopping centre, lunch at Yakiniku Sudou Haruyoshi, I’m donut?, explore neighbourhood, dinner at Cowsi Camp)
05:48 🍤 Fukuoka: Day 4 – Daimyo (lunch at Tempura Hirao Daimyo, explore Tenjin Chikagai and Shintencho, izakaya dinner at Daimyo Numbershot)
06:50 🍜 Fukuoka: Day 5 – Modern Hakata (ramen lunch at Hakata Issou Gion, Hakata Sennen-no-mon Gate, Tochoji Temple, ACROS Fukuoka, seafood dinner at Uocho)
08:13 🐍 Fukuoka: Day 6 – Old Hakata (historic 1873 eel restaurant at Hakata Meidai Yoshizuka Unagiya, Kushida Shrine, Tenjin/Shintencho shopping, Pain Stock Tenjin bakery, hakata-mae style sushi at Hakata Tatsumi)
10:31 🏙️ Fukuoka: Day 7 – Akasaka (omakase lunch at Kappo Sushi Hanaaza, exploring Akasaka/Daimyo, dinner at Yakiniku Takeda-ya)
12:26 🚣🏼 Fukuoka: Day 8 – Ohori Park/Castle Ruins (Ohori Park, lunch at Sanuki Udon Shinari, Fukuoka Castle Ruins, Korokan Ruins Museum, seafood dinner at Chikae Fukuoka)
15:02 🛍️ Fukuoka: Day 9 – Shopping/Tenjin (lunch at Ichiran, exploring/shopping in Tenjin, Kego Park, dinner again at Cowsi Camp)
15:59 🍣Fukuoka: Day 10 – Omakase day (Fukuoka Prefecture Gokoku Shrine, omakase lunch at Sushi Kijima, omakase dinner at Sushi Dokoro Ishibashi)
18:01 ⚓ KITAKYUSHU
18:18 🏰 Kitakyushu: Day 11 – Kokura (lunch at Sukesan Udon, Kokura Castle, Riverwalk Kitakyushu, Tanga market, seafood izakaya dinner at Kurofune Uomachi incl. raw mackerel, horse akami/shimofuri/belly )
20:56 🚂 Kitakyushu: Day 12 – Mojiko (day trip to Mojiko, Kyushu Railway History Museum, conveyor belt sushi at Kaisen Dokoro incl. pufferfish sperm, Kanmon Straits Museum, exploring Mojiko Retro District, Mojiko Retro Observation Gallery, yaki curry dinner at Curry Honpo)
24:56 ⚙️ Kitakyushu: Day 13 – Yahata (day trip to Yahata, Yahata Imperial Steel Works First Head Office, The Outlets Kitakyushu incl. lunch at food court, Space LABO City Science Museum, back to Kokura, izakaya dinner at Robata no Kurobee incl. ‘live’ squid)
26:43 🐡 Kitakyushu: Day 14 – Shimonoseki (day trip to Shimonoseki, seafood lunch at Shunsai Aburi Dining Karato Ya incl. raw pufferfish/whale meat/whale bacon/whale tongue/whale belly, Karato Fish Market, Kaikyokan aquarium with 100 varieties of pufferfish, back to Kokura, izakaya dinner at Washoku to Sake Robata Aoki incl. chicken tataki/’live’ shrimp, next day gyoza lunch at Kokura Tetsunabe Sohonten and shinkansen to Kagoshima)
31:02 🌋KAGOSHIMA
31:08 🐖 Kagoshima: Day 15 – Tenmonkan (explore Tenmonkan area, black pork dinner at Kurobuta Fukuya)
32:10 🚢 Kagoshima: Day 16 -Sakurajima/Aquarium (Sakurajima via ferry/island view bus, sushi train lunch at Mawaru Sushi Mekkemon Dolphin Port, Kagoshima City Aquarium, izakaya dinner at Yakitori Koh Un)
34:13 🍜 Kagoshima: Day 17 – Tenmonkan & Meizancho (Explore Tenmonkan, explore Meizancho area, black pork lunch at Kurokatsutei/Kurobe, explore pork jowl ramen dinner at Tontoro Tenmonkan)
35:06 🌧️ Kagoshima: Day 18 – Rainy day (7-Eleven breakfast, Museum of Meiji Restoration, donuts at Satsuma Jokiya, shopping at Tenmonkan, dinner at izakaya dinner Torisen Ippo incl. chicken sashimi)
36:18 💈 Kagoshima: Day 19: Culture day (Tenmonkan, hair cut at Tigre Salon, eel lunch at Unagi no Sueyoshi, Terukuni Shrine, Kagoshima City Museum of Art, satsuma cuisine dinner at Kumasotei incl. silver-stripe herring and chicken sashimi)
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GEAR & SPECS:
Panasonic G85 (M43 camera) with Sigma 56mm f/1.4
Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro for wide angle shots
DaVinci Resolve v21 for editing & production
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DAVINCI RESOLVE SETTINGS:
4K (2:1 crop at 3840x1920px) at 24fps
DaVinci YRGB Colour Managed
Rec.709 Gamma 2.4
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COLOUR GRADING:
LUT emulation: 40% Key Output Gain applied on a Rec709 Fujifilm 3513DI D65 LUT
Pixel 10 Pro (10-bit HLG): Input Colour Space set to Rec.2020 / Rec.2100 HLG (with Apply Forward OOTF).
Pixel 9 Pro (8-bit SDR): Kept at Rec.709.
Panasonic G85 (8-bit standard): Input Colour Space adjusted to DaVinci Wide Gamut (DWG)
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