Meiji Park Hakata: Fukuoka's New Park by Hakata Station

Explera DMC Japan now adds Meiji Park, officially The Gateway Park "HAKATA MEIJI", to Fukuoka programmes. The park opened on 7 August 2026, about four minutes on foot from the Hakata exit of JR Hakata Station. Architect Sou Fujimoto supervised the design, which includes a raised garden walkway and seven tenants, mostly Fukuoka restaurants.

The park was rebuilt by a group of companies led by Tokyo Tatemono under Park-PFI, a system that lets private firms build and run facilities in public parks.

What is in the park?

• 3D Garden Skywalk. A raised walkway that winds through the gardens, up to about 10 metres high.
• Gardens. Five gardens set among about 160 trees and plants, open to everyone.
• Restaurants. Seven tenants, most of them Fukuoka restaurants.
• TOTOPA. An urban sauna and spa on the upper floors of the tenant building, its first site in Kyushu.

How do we use Meiji Park for groups?

• Arrival or departure. It is next to Hakata Station, so groups can stretch their legs or eat before a Shinkansen or after arriving.
• Lunch stop. We check which restaurants can seat a group and book ahead.
• Walk in on foot. The park has no parking, so coaches drop groups near the station and they walk over.
• Sauna break. For small groups who like saunas, we can add a visit to TOTOPA.

See our guides to Fukuoka, the Kyushu region and sauna culture in Japan.

Sources: Fukuoka City: Meiji Park opening date (PDF, Japanese) and Go Fukuoka: Meiji Park.