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Evening fountain show with lit water jets in the canal at the center of Canal City Hakata
Photo: FlyingToaster, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Fukuoka · other

Canal City Hakata

キャナルシティ博多

A big Hakata complex with a man-made canal between its buildings: shops, food, cinema and theatre, plus fountain shows and night projection mapping.

The colorful curved buildings of Canal City Hakata seen across a river
Photo: ぱちょぴ（pacyopi）, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Looking down on Canal City Hakata's patterned plaza, curved walkways and colorful walls
Photo: FlyingToaster Uploaded by FlyingToaster at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A complex like a town with a canal running through it

Canal City Hakata is a shopping and entertainment complex in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, which opened on 20 April 1996. True to its name, a man-made canal about 180 m long flows between its fan-shaped buildings.

The American architect Jon Jerde was involved in its design. The site was originally a Kanebo factory, and right next door is Nakasu, Fukuoka's nightlife district.

Fountain shows and night-time spectacle

At the Sun Plaza Stage in the middle of the canal, fountain shows make the water dance to music. The stage is open from the first basement floor up to the fourth floor, so you can watch from any level.

At night there is "Canal Aqua Panorama", a show that combines the fountains with 3D projection mapping on the building walls and glass, a water screen and lighting. The schedule can change, so check the official website.

Shopping, cinema, theatre and ramen

Inside are lots of fashion and homeware shops and places to eat. The East Building reopened after renovation on 4 September 2026 with 16 new shops.

There is also United Cinemas, a 13-screen cinema including IMAX Laser and 4DX, and the Canal City Theater on the 4th floor of the North Building. The theatre stages musicals and more, and Shiki Theatre Company's "Cats" is scheduled to open there in February 2027.

Ramen Stadium brings together a collection of ramen shops. There are also two hotels in the complex: the Fukuoka Washington Hotel and the Grand Hyatt Fukuoka.

Getting there

It is about 10 minutes' walk from JR Hakata Station. By subway, it is about 3 minutes from Kushida-jinja-mae Station on the Nanakuma Line, or about 7 minutes from Nakasu-Kawabata Station on the Airport and Hakozaki Lines. From Hakata Station or Tenjin you can also use Nishitetsu's "Fukuoka Toshin 150 Yen Bus".

Tips

  • The fountain shows are different by day and by night. If you want to see the projection mapping, go after dark.
  • You can watch the fountain shows from the upper floors too. For a view of the whole thing, try the walkways on the upper floors.
  • Kushida Shrine, which gives its name to a station on the Nanakuma subway line, is very close, so you can walk there as well.

Sources

Updated 28 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

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