Fukuoka is a prefecture of Japan on the South side of Kyushu Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka. It is the ninth most populated prefecture in Japan.
It faces the sea on three sides, bordering Saga prefecture, Oita prefecture, and Kumamoto prefecture and facing Yamaguchi Prefecture across the Kanmon Straits.
Dazaifu Tenman-gu, dedicated to the god of education, is Fukuoka's well known shrines. Spread across 3,000 acres, it's also one of the city's largest, and is particularly popular with students wanting to pass exams. Students from all over Japan visit this shrine all year round.
Fukuoka offers a variety of great food markets you may want to visit. One of the most popular is the Yanagibashi Market, known as "Hakata's Kitchen" for its many fresh produce stalls and stands.
18% of the area are designated as Natural parks, Quasi-national parks and Prefectural Natural Parks.
Diving wise, there are many city diving shops taking you out to the local dive sites around the area.
30min drive from center Fukuoka. An Island located in the Fukuoka Bay
The Island itself is connected to the main land. Very popular diving site as it is a short distance from the big city and the large schoolof Japanese horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) chased by the large sized greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) is a sight to see.
It is important to use a city type diving service as this diving location does not have a proper diving facility on site.
Visibility during summer is around 5m but during the Autumn to the Winter season the visivility picks up to 20m.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=33.677925,130.300426
All year round:
-Variety of nudibranch
-Variety of Shrimps and Crabs
-Variety of Macro marine life
Summer season:
-Schoolof Japanese horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus)
-Greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili)
Autumn season:
-Neon damselfish (Pomacentrus coelestis)
-Moorish idol (Zanclus cornutus)
-Dart fish(Ptereleotrinae)
The sacred shinto Island
Okinoshima is an island, part of the city of Munakata, Fukuoka. It is considered as sacred Shinto god.
It is famous because of it is off limits to women.
For centuries, only 200 men were allowed on the island each year on a selected day after they had "purified" themselves in the surrounding sea.
For Diving it is a 2hour boat ride from Fukuoka. This Ocean considered ”Exciting”to the local divers for it's large school of fishes and dynamic landscape.
The visibility can go up to 40-50m.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=34.243559,130.104947
All year round:
-Yellowsail Red Bass(Callanthias japonicus)
*Seen at depth of 40-50m:NormalHabitat 70m-200m
-School of Scalefin anthia(Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
-School of Chicken grunt(Parapristipoma trilineatum)
-School of Yellowstriped butterfish(Labracoglossa argentiventris)
-School of Dogtooth tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor)
-Variety of nudibranch
Home of the endangered Japanese horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus), Koinoura is a popular diving area for the local underwater photographers. There is no diving shops on the site so if you want to try this diving area, you need to join the diving service in the Fukuoka city area.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=33.805878,130.450212
A popular scenic tourist site, Futamigaura is very popular among the locals. The sunset view here are said to be spectacular.
As for diving, local diving shops visit this area on a favorable wind conditions between May to October. Nudibranch and seahorses are just some of the marine creatures you can see here.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=33.639829,130.197436
A boat diving location in the mouth of the Fukuoka bay. It is a shallow area with 8 macro diving area on the bay side and 12 outside area where you can see the larger schooling fishes.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=33.641777,130.229584
