Nokonoshima: A Quiet Day on an Island in Hakata Bay

This guide covers how to reach Nokonoshima, the ferry terminal, the island park, the shoreline and the way back.

Nokonoshima is worth the ferry ride for its views, since the observation deck at the summit looks out in all directions over the city of Fukuoka and the Genkai Sea. The sections below follow the day in order, from the morning ferry to the way back.

Getting to Nokonoshima from Fukuoka

Nokonoshima is an island floating in the middle of Hakata Bay. The next step is choosing a route to the ferry, and the table below sets out the options from each starting point.

From the Tenjin Highway Bus Terminal, a Nishitetsu bus runs to the Noko Ferry Terminal stop. From the Hakata Station Front stop, a Nishitetsu bus runs to the same stop. From Meinohama Station North Exit, a Nishitetsu bus also runs to that stop. At the ferry terminal in Meinohama, the municipal ferry crosses to Nokonoshima.

From	Line and operator	Change	Time or fare
Tenjin Highway Bus Terminal stop 1A to the Noko Ferry Terminal stop	Nishitetsu bus	No change	about 30 minutes
Hakata Station Front stop A to the Noko Ferry Terminal stop	Nishitetsu bus	No change	about 45 minutes
Meinohama Station North Exit to the Noko Ferry Terminal stop	Nishitetsu bus	No change	about 15 minutes
Meinohama Station North Exit to the Noko Ferry Terminal stop, fare	Nishitetsu bus, route 98	No change	210 yen
Meinohama ferry terminal to the Nokonoshima ferry terminal	Fukuoka City municipal ferry	—	about 10 minutes
Meinohama ferry terminal to the Nokonoshima ferry terminal, adult one-way fare	Fukuoka City municipal ferry	—	230 yen
Nokonoshima ferry terminal to Nokonoshima Island Park	Nishitetsu bus bound for Island Park	No change	about 13 minutes
Nokonoshima ferry terminal to NOKO'S OCEAN, on foot	On foot	—	about 5 minutes

Item	Detail
Child one-way ferry fare	120 yen
Bicycle or handcart, one-way ferry fare	120 yen

Morning: The Ferry Terminal and the Market

A savory aroma drifts from the facility next to the Nokonoshima ferry terminal, where the Noko burger is sold. Noko-no-ichi is among the facilities beside the same terminal. At Noko-no-ichi, fresh fruit and vegetables grown on Nokonoshima, souvenirs and processed goods are sold, and rental cycles are available.

From the Nokonoshima ferry terminal, the Nishitetsu bus bound for Island Park runs to the park, the next stop of the day.

Late Morning: Nokonoshima Island Park

At Nokonoshima Island Park, cherry blossoms, rape blossoms and cosmos, among other seasonal flowers, bloom through the year. The practical details for the park are in the table below.

Item	Detail
Island Park admission, adult	1,500 yen for high school age and older
Island Park admission, child	800 yen for elementary and junior high school students
Island Park admission, age 3 and older	500 yen
Island Park hours on Sundays and public holidays	9:00 to 18:30

The park has a restaurant, which is the next stop when it is time for lunch.

Midday: Omoide-dori and Lunch by the Sea

The park grounds also include a barbecue house and a mini zoo. Omoide-dori, a retro townscape street, is part of the park as well. The seaside restaurant NOKO'S OCEAN is a short walk from the Nokonoshima ferry terminal.

After lunch, the beach on the coast of Nokonoshima comes next in the day.

Afternoon: The Beach, the Summit and the Stone Wall

The swimming beach on the coast of Nokonoshima is surrounded by palm trees. From the observation deck at the summit, the city of Fukuoka and the Genkai Sea are in view, and a distant island can be seen. A stone wall built to keep deer from damaging fields still stands in part on the island.

Yara-misaki cape has a poem monument composed by Chikuzen no kami Yamanoue no Okura. The Shisaku-no-mori forest has a literary monument to the writer Kazuo Dan. The park hours listed above set the time to start back.

Heading Back: Deciding When to Leave

The municipal ferry between Meinohama and Nokonoshima sails in each direction. Noko-no-ichi, next to the ferry terminal, sells souvenirs and processed goods, which makes it a natural stop before the crossing. Before heading to the ferry, check the park hours above.

If you would rather have part of the day arranged for you, look at Nokonoshima tours on GetYourGuide.