One of the places that really stood out to me while planning our slow travel trip to Fukuoka was Shikanoshima Island. As you may (or may not) know, Tim and I really love nature. So when we were looking into the best things to do in Fukuoka, we found that an island exploration was exactly what we needed. So on a sunny February day, Tim and I set off to Shikanoshima.
It’s always hard for us to get up in the morning. We really, really love our sleep and enjoy waking up without an alarm. One of the many joys of slow travel! Real rest!
But because we had planned on visiting the island, we were motivated to actually get up and start the day (albeit a liiittle late). Another reason we actually got out of bed was because free hotel breakfast service ended at 8:30am and if there’s one thing we love above all else, it’s food (especially when it’s free)!
We enjoyed a bento filled with onigiri, karaage, and tamagoyaki, with pickles on the side. And you can’t forget the miso soup and green tea.
After a hearty breakfast, we headed off to Shikanoshima.
Table of Contents
About Shikanoshima Island
Shikanoshima is a scenic island connected to Fukuoka by a narrow strip of land. You can enjoy stunning views of the ocean and nearby islands, feast on fresh seafood, and play in the beaches or go snorkeling.
The island also has historical significance. A national treasure, the gold seal of the King of Na, was discovered on the island in 1784. The seal shows Japan’s history of diplomatic negotiations around the 1st century. The seal is now displayed in the Fukuoka City Museum as part of its permanent exhibit.
Getting There
There are a few options to get to Shikanoshima Island:
- An hour-long bus ride from Tenjin to Shikashima Bus Terminal
- A 30-minute ferry from Hakata to Shikashima Ferry Terminal
- Or a 50-minute drive from Hakata by car
Japan has amazing public transportation so we decided to take the bus to the island. Plus, our accommodation was located closer to Tenjin so it was cheaper to go to the bus stop instead of taking another bus to the Hakata ferry terminal.
Of course by the time we got to the stop, our bus had already left and the next bus wasn’t for another hour. If you plan to take public transportation to the island, make sure to look at the timetables! Times may differ between weekdays, weekends, and holidays. You can find the timetable online or at the bus stop.
The bus ride to Shikanoshima was so cool because you got to see very different areas of Fukuoka. Tenjin, where the bus departs from, is a bustling urban area filled with stores, cafes, businesses, and even the huge underground mall Tenjin Chikagai. But as we passed the expressway and ventured farther away from the city, the buildings started getting smaller and everything looked less hectic.
After around 45 minutes away from Tenjin, a lot of the people on our bus exited at the stop for Uminonakamichi Seaside Park. This park is huge with plenty of playgrounds, sprawling lawns, flower gardens boasting seasonal flowers, a zoo, and an aquarium.
As we approached Shikanoshima, the bus drove through the Umi no Nakamichi or ‘road in the middle of the sea’. Like the name suggests, this road is set on a sandbar with the ocean on both sides. I took so many pictures through the smudgy bus window because it was just so beautiful.
At the end of the long stretch of road lies Shikanoshima.
Exploring Shikanoshima Island
Nakanishi Shokudo
Our plan of attack was to immediately head to Shikashima Cycle, a bike rental shop that doubles as a café. But on our way to the shop we noticed a crowd lining up to a local diner, Nakanishi Shokudo. Surely a place that had a line of locals waiting to dine in must be worth the wait. This thought was further reinforced when a nice smiling man looked at us, raised two thumbs up and said “Very delicious!”. So since we do love food above all else, we stood in line.
The most recommended item in Nakanishi Shokudo is the sazae-don, a grilled turban shell rice bowl. And yes, i had to look up what turban shells are. They are sea snails. And yes, I was a bit apprehensive.
But there’s a reason that this dish was the most recommended item at this popular diner. And I may have overheard the guys sitting at the table next to us both get the sazae-don. So we got an order of sazae-don to share (we did have a big breakfast after all).
I was honestly so glad we did! The flavors were so delicate and the slightly tough texture of the sazae was a nice accent to the softness of the scrambled egg. All the ingredients in the bowl were so fresh. And a little dab of wasabi really changes it up and adds a welcome punch of flavor. I almost wished I got my own bowl so Tim and I didn’t have to share!
If you’re not feeling up for sea snails, there are other really yummy looking things on the menu and all at reasonable prices. And an important thing to note is that Nakanishi Shokudo is a cash-only establishment so bring cash!
Shikashima Cycle
After our food detour, we finally made it to Shikashima Cycle. Not only is Shikashima Cycle a bike shop, it’s a cafe as well. And there’s a second floor with comfortable chairs and a view of the street below where you can enjoy your drink and people watch.
The scent of coffee in the air was so enticing I could barely hold myself back from ordering an iced latte (unsweetened, please!) And you get a ¥100 discount on a drink if you rent a bike.
But I know myself. I know that if I chug an iced latte before embarking on an adventure, my puny bladder will be forcing us to find a bathroom midway. So I held myself back with the promise that I would get a drink after the ride as a little treat.
Two lovely women were running the shop when we visited. They helped us choose the right bike for us and even had us try it out around the block to make sure we were comfortable before renting.
We ended up getting a tandem bike! I was a little bit embarrassed since every other patron got their own bike, but I was honestly very relieved because I am not an experienced biker. I am, in fact, what you would call a beginner. Meanwhile, Tim has spent many years mountain biking and grew up going on weekly bike rides with his family.
I won’t lie, I was pretty apprehensive when we brought up the idea of biking around to explore the island. So it was a relief that we were renting a tandem bike and Tim would have all the control. I just needed to pedal and enjoy the views (and not think about if we were gonna hit something or swerve off the road or run into oncoming traffic!)
As we biked away, I heard someone say “Ah, kawaii (cute)!” I know that from anime. I yelled out a thank you!
On the Road (Finally!)
Exploring Shikanoshima by bike is amazing. You have the ocean breeze blowing through your hair. The sun is shining on your face. The waves are crashing to the shore as you’re biking around and taking in the beautiful views of the Genkai Sea. There’s no designated bike lane on the route around the island, but when we visited there wasn’t very much traffic so for the most part, the roads were empty.
It felt so surreal biking through the neighborhoods. People were going about their daily lives and we could hear snippets of their conversations as we rode past.
The route around the island is relatively flat except for this one hill. Now for most people, that uphill section might just be a walk in the park but for me, it was the most intense hill I had ever biked up. I had to get off and take a few breaths at the top. So embarrassing!
While taking a break, we found an overgrown trail leading uphill and decided to follow it.
The trail opened up to an overgrown path that led to an overgrown platform that would have been so cool with amazing sea views, except trees had grown in front of it, blocking the view of the ocean entirely. Nonetheless, it was a good little adventure.
Katsuma Beach
Halfway through the road around Shikanoshima is Katsuma Beach. We saw signage that bikes were not allowed there so we locked up our tandem bike nearby. Tim immediately ran to the water to find out what the ocean in Japan felt like.
It was cold. It was February so it was cold.
Sitting and listening to the waves from Katsuma Beach is so relaxing. You can see some islands in the distance and the occasional ship passing by. There is also a small island nearby that houses the Shikaumi Shrine Okitsumiya. We couldn’t visit the island due to the high tide but maybe next time!
Viewpoints
As you bike around the island, there are so many viewpoints that you can stop at for photos and to take in the wonderful sea views. We stopped by every scenic spot that Google Maps showed us.
If you’re ever on your own adventure going around the island, there’s this hotdog restaurant called Shikanoshima Dog that looks sooo cool and the food pics look so good! It’s past the Shirase scenic spot and right by Futami Rock. It didn’t look open when we passed by so we didn’t get to try. But a nice juicy hotdog while enjoying the views and hearing the waves crash below you just sounds like the best time. Let me know if you do it. Please describe the overall experience (and the taste of the hotdog). I shall live that experience through you.
Shikaumi Shrine
As we were nearing the end of our journey and biking back into town, we passed by a torii gate with stairs leading uphill. On top of the hill lies Shikaumi Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to three sea gods and is the guardian deity of Hakata Bay.
We walked along the shrine grounds, marveling at the views of the sea, listening to the faint ocean waves, and hearing the rustling leaves.
There is also a museum on the main grounds. At the time of our visit, a sculpture of an oni (demon) was on display along with ink paintings depicting dragons and cranes.
While there, Tim got his omikuji, a fortune that you can get from Shinto shrines. He was fortunate and got 中吉 (middle amount of luck) which is considered good luck! I particularly loved the section on travel that when translated states, “There is no good reason to refrain.” Thanks omikuji! I’ll take that as a blessing to not refrain from our adventures!
Heading Back to Hakata
Finally, we made our way down to our bike and cycled our way back. My butt, which has never really had much experience being on a bike, was getting really sore and in my head I kept thinking “I’m definitely getting a coffee to reward myself! I finally get to have my little treat!” Unfortunately, this was not the case. What I didn’t anticipate was that the ferry that we wanted to take to Hakata was leaving in 10 minutes!
Folks, don’t be like me. When taking public transportation, please make sure to familiarize yourselves with the timetables. For the Fukuoka Municipal Ferry, you can refer to their website (you can choose to view the site in English) for the most current timetables and fares. Now if we missed the ferry we wanted, we weren’t going to be stranded on the island. There were ferries scheduled at later times and there were definitely buses leaving the island, but we wanted to watch the sunset from the ferry and get dinner in Hakata.
So we returned our bikes to the nice ladies manning the shop and ran to the ferry terminal and bought our tickets. You can purchase tickets from the window, or from a kiosk where you can select English as the main language.
Tim knew that I was really looking forward to my little treat, so he went to a vending machine (of which there are so many throughout Japan) and got me my favorite hot milk tea. I love Japanese vending machines!
The ferry arrived on time and was very clean and well-maintained. Indoor and outdoor seats are available. We chose to stay inside due to the cold weather.
The ferry made one stop at Saitozaki and plenty of passengers coming from the Uminonakamichi Seaside Park came on board. The journey to Hakata was very relaxing, with views of the ocean from the ferry windows. We were able to see Nokonoshima Island as we passed by, and watch the sun set over the horizon.
Cost
Here’s a breakdown of how much we spent on our Shikanoshima Island adventure:
- Bus from Tenjin to Shikanoshima: ¥680 (per person)
- Sazae-don from Nakanishi Shokudo: ¥1,200
- Tandem bike rental for 3 hours: ¥3,500
- Royal milk tea from the vending machine: ¥140
- Ferry from Shikanoshima to Hakata: ¥680 (per person)
Total: ¥7,560 or ~$50
Conclusion
We had a fantastic day exploring Shikanoshima! The amazing seafood. The breathtaking views. The big open sky above. The smell of the ocean breeze. I would love to visit again. And maybe next time Tim and I can rent mountain bikes and explore the roads going through the island. And we can stop by Shikanoshima Dog and get a hotdog. And at the end I can get myself a little treat!
Would you like to explore Shikanoshima? Let us know if you have any questions below!
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