In Search Of The Famed Yatai

One rainy night in Fukuoka, we decided that it'd be cool to walk around and look for the famed yatai there. Anyway, I am Asian (and a Malaysian). Street food is quite normal for me to enjoy, and at all hours of the day. Come over to my part of the world, and there are plenty of options for street food here.

A yatai (屋台) literally means shop stand. Yatais are also set-up temporarily during matsuris (festivals) and for me, the long lines of the yatais is a sight to see.

Not really knowing the exact place we should head to looking for them that night but I read somewhere that the stalls are set up mainly around Hakata Station, Nagahama, Tenjin and Nakasu.

Night photos in Fukuoka.

Not really sure where to head to, we took the subway from Hakata Station to Tenjin and started our walk from there. It was already raining that time, but we thought we could brave the bad weather since we were already out and about.

Typical dishes served and sold at these stalls are yakitori, oden, ramen. I guess this is where you go to if you want to try Hakata Ramen? Hakata ramen - thin egg noodles in pork based soup is Fukuoka's pride but I'll give them a pass. Can't eat pork, remember?

Anyways, a yatai usually seats around 7-8 customers and such create a place that is great to strike a conversation with the person next to you. That's what I'm told. I wouldn't know myself, being such an unfriendly git. xD

The crowd was noticeably not "up" when we were there, the weather must've made them went to somewhere more rain-friendly. I wish I had taken more photos that night, but gotta be careful of my camera too, in that drizzling weather.

That and the fact that the stall-helpers (staff/owners?) that were hustling for customers look kinda "intimidating" so I felt kinda uncomfortable pointing my camera lens everywhere. Paranoid, much? I guess so.