Daimyo has to be one of my favourite places to go in Fukuoka. Located in the center of Chuo Ward, you will find this district super cool. Daimyo is bursting with trendy shops including big brands such as Nike and The North Face, but mainly consisting of original Japanese boutiques.
Daimyo is home to not only chic clothes and stylish twentysomethings, but it also contains a huge number of restaurants, bars, cafés and salons. At first I considered in the equivalent to Tokyo’s Harajuku, but on reflection it’s very different. The crowd here is a lot older, very rarely will you find packs of Japanese schoolgirls roaming the streets. The style is completely different; it has Fukuoka’s flavour. Fukuoka is renowned for having a strong hip-hop and vintage culture and Daimyo is no exception. Daimyo’s is centered on the 20-35 year old audience, with a more mature and refined taste.
I think that Daimyo is the heart of Fukuoka, just a few minutes away from the major department stores of Tenjin and the Oyafuko-dori bar scene with its nearby yatai (food stalls). Daimyo is a very small area, but while working your way through the winding streets of Daimyo you are bound to discover a new favourite store or coffee shop. It’s a great way to discover hidden gems as there are hundreds of hidden shops, mysterious bars and exciting new fashions.
The café culture in Daimyo is similar to Europe, where people sit out on the street and chat. Daimyo is a great place to make new friends and make the city your own. Cosmopolitan Daimyo is what made me fall in love with Fukuoka. For an afternoon of people watching Daimyo is perfect, check out the stylish girls on a Saturday, or hit up a small bar on the weekend and see the hipsters flock to the streets wearing the week’s new exciting styles. For western bars, try Three Kings British Pub, Black Sheep, or Pub Morris. Infinity is one of the more happening clubs there, and you might end up at the Happy Cock at the end of a night out. I’d recommend a visit to Small Spaces [Now Closed] for a quiet experience or just wander and see what you find.
