Discover the birthplace of Japan's izakaya culture on a guided tour of Kitakyushu. Visit local bars in the downtown area around Kokura Station, the central station of Kitakyushu City, and learn about the history of the city's izakayas.

Meet your guide at Kokura Station and head to the first izakaya. Although little known to many travelers, including Japanese, Kitakyushu is one of the birthplaces of Japan's izakaya culture.
Kitakyushu was a heavy industrial city during Japan's modernization, home to the country's largest steel mill. Many workers gathered there, and when their hard shifts were over, they would enjoy alcohol in a casual style called “kaku-uchi” at a small izakaya in the neighborhood to energize themselves for the next day's work.

As the industrial structure changed, the number of heavy industry workers decreased, and the number of kaku-uchi restaurants in Kitakyushu also decreased, but there are still izakaya in this town where people can still enjoy the former “kaku-uchi” style.

Let's sign up for a nostalgic izakaya experience tour in Kitakyushu Kokura, the gateway to Kyushu via the Shinkansen bullet train. The tour is led by a skilled guide, so you can have an intense experience without worrying about the Japanese language. The tour lasts 1.5 hours and visits two restaurants.