Savor fine sushi, explore literary heritage, and end with the enchanting lights of Kokura Castle.

Sushi Excellence & Literary History Tour

A person holding a small piece of sushi with fish and rice.

Kitakyushu, blessed with abundant seafood, is renowned for sushi that captivates gourmet travelers across Japan. Beyond cuisine, the city is also rich in culture, home to preserved residences of literary giants, fascinating museums, and atmospheric landmarks. This course lets you indulge in both culinary artistry and Japan’s literary heritage, culminating in the enchanting autumn event Kokura Castle Takeakari, where bamboo lanterns bathe the castle in a dreamlike glow.

Duration : Full Day

Transportation : Car and walking

📍Places to visit on this course

  1. Edo-mae Sushi Nikaku

  2. Former Residence of Mori Ōgai

  3. Kitakyushu Literature Museum

  4. Matsumoto Seichō Memorial Museum

  5. Kokura Castle Takeakari

🚩START!

JR Kokura Station

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By car (12 minutes)

1. Edo-mae Sushi Nikaku

A single piece of nigiri sushi with a slice of fish on top of rice, set against a black background.

Savor Edo-style sushi, perfected with Kitakyushu’s finest seafood

Nestled in a quiet residential area, this long-established sushi restaurant is now run by its third generation. Awarded two stars in gourmet guides in both 2014 and 2019, it masterfully combines the time-honored traditions of Edo-style sushi with the freshness of Kitakyushu’s seafood. A true destination restaurant, offering seasonal creations that are as beautiful as they are delicious.

📍 Basic Info

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By car (10 minutes)

The literary giant’s former home, setting for his novel “Tori”

2. Former Residence of Mori Ōgai

Traditional Japanese house with a tiled roof, flanked by green bushes, seen through a stone gate. Stone pathway leads to the house entrance.

Located along "Ōgai Street," this single-story wooden house was built around 1897. Mori Ōgai, a physician and writer, lived here when he was stationed in Kokura as an army doctor in 1899 at the age of 37. Visitors can step inside and see the eight-tatami room overlooking a garden with crape myrtle and oleander, preserved much as they were in Ōgai’s time.

📍 Basic Info

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By car (7 minutes)

3. Kitakyushu Literature Museum

Exploring the city’s literary heritage

Interior of a modern museum with a high, curved ceiling and display cases featuring books and exhibits, a seating area with yellow chairs, and a stained glass window visible in the background.

This museum highlights authors connected to Kitakyushu, including Mori Ōgai, Hayashi Fumiko, Hino Ashihei, and Sugita Hisajo. Exhibits showcase valuable manuscripts, notebooks, and personal items, offering insights into both historical and contemporary writers. The museum shop features unique souvenirs such as pencils and masking tapes with literary motifs.

📍 Basic Info

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🚶‍♀️

On foot (5 minutes)

4. Matsumoto Seichō Memorial Museum

Japan’s only museum dedicated to the legendary crime novelist

A modern building with a curved metal roof and a stone and concrete construction, situated in an urban area with a sidewalk, small green bushes, and taller buildings in the background.

This museum honors Matsumoto Seichō, a Kitakyushu-born writer who revolutionized detective fiction with works such as Points and Lines and The Castle of Sand. Over 700 volumes of his works are displayed, alongside a reconstruction of his Tokyo home, including his study and library. A must-visit for fans of Japanese literature.

📍 Basic Info

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On foot (5 minutes)

5. Kokura Castle Takeakari

Autumn nights illuminated by 30,000 bamboo lanterns

Night view of a traditional Japanese building with a pagoda roof, seen through illuminated bamboo sculptures with carved holes creating a glowing pattern.

Held annually in late October to early November, this light-up event transforms Kokura Castle and the surrounding city center with 30,000 bamboo lanterns. Born from an initiative to reuse abandoned bamboo groves, it has become a beloved seasonal tradition. The shimmering lights cast an otherworldly glow, making it one of Kitakyushu’s most atmospheric autumn events.

📍 Basic Info

  • Address : Kitakyushu City, Kokurakita-Ku, Jōnai; Kokura Castle Keep Plaza; Toranomon; etc.

  • Phone : 070-8376-7103 (Public Relations Subcommittee, Kokura Castle Bamboo Lantern Festival Executive Committee)

Nighttime view of a traditional Asian castle illuminated in the background, with many small glowing lights or lanterns arranged on the ground in the foreground, surrounded by trees under a dark sky.

Pick Up!

Event Period: Late October to Early November

During Kokura Castle Takeakari, the city is enveloped in the enchanting glow of bamboo lanterns. Recognized as Japan’s No.1 New Night View City, Kitakyushu offers yet another dazzling autumn highlight.

Click here for details

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On foot (15 minutes)

JR Kokura Station

🏁GOAL!

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