Rugby World Cup 2019: exploring Japan’s Fukuoka on Kyushu Island

The city, a three-and-a-half hour flight from Hong Kong, Fukuoka on Kyushu Island is still rugby mad like the rest of the country

Known for its yatai, an open air food stand, the area also offers shochu, a traditional Japanese hard liquor

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Luis Matos, center, welcomes a few rugby revellers to his downtown pub.

Published: 3:14pm, 26 Sep 2019Updated: 9:12pm, 26 Sep 2019

The food is ravenously delicious, the weather pure bliss, the greenery rolls on and on as the scenery enraptures while the thousands of therapeutic hot springs offer pure tonic for the forlorn soul and, for the next month or so, there is also world class rugby.

The only things missing in Kyushu are the maddening crowds, and maddening costs. So get thee to Japan’s southernmost major island, a little more than a three-hour flight from Hong Kong, because there has never been a better time to visit, particularly if you want to be a last-minute part of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Between the main city of Fukuoka, which will host three pool matches, and Oita, some two hours down the road hosting three pool matches and two quarter-finals, there will be eight Rugby World Cup matches in Kyushu, starting with Canada vs Italy today at the intimate Hakatanomori Stadium in Fukuoka.

“Fukuoka has become a mid-tempo town,” says Luis Matos, who should know. Born in the Dominican Republic but raised in New York City, Matos is the owner of Off Broadway bar and has been in the hospitality business for close to 30 years in Fukuoka.

A life sized statute of the Godfather of soul James Brown is there to greet you at Goodie’s Rhythm and Blues bar in Fukuoka. Photo: Tim Noonan

“You are not going to get in too much trouble here, there is a lot of variety to enjoy, nothing is too packed and there are small spaces and pubs where it’s easy to talk to the owners. It’s a very quaint and attractive place to be and easy to navigate for both locals and foreigners. It’s also the launching point for this great and diverse island. Tokyo and Osaka have energy and are vibrant, but while Fukuoka is not nearly as frenetic, make no mistake, you can have lots of fun here. Loads of fun.”