Yatai!

A yatai along Nakasu area

Yatai‘s are informal food stalls that spring up on busy pedestrian walkways as the sun begins to set and are dismantled late at night or very early in the morning.  They usually sell traditional Japanese food, beer and sake.  They are found all over Japan but Fukuoka is particularly famous for its Yatai.  Each Yatai tends to specialize in a certain type of Japanese food and you can easily see it simply by looking at whats on the preparation table.  Typical dishes available at yatais are yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), oden and Fukuoka’s pride,  Hakata Ramen( egg noodles in pork based soup).

If you are in Fukuoka during a matsuri (festival) or during peak season expect very long lines in yatais as it is a must-go place for Japanese tourists from out of town.  Don’t even think about going to a yatai during the Dontaku Parade (May 3 and 4) unless you are ready to wait for more than an hour.  (That being said, the best way to find the best yatai is to look for the one with the longest line.)

Going to a yatai is certainly a great alternative to dining in restaurants, especially when you are in Fukuoka.  Prices are certainly cheaper, and the chances of sharing a conversation and a few rounds of beer with your seatmates are greater.  With the narrow space shared between customers,  you can’t help but strike a conversation, language never being a hindrance.

It is usually set up like a bar, where diners sit down side by side in 3 edges of a one square meter rectangle and the bartender/cook prepares meals in the middle.  Sometimes the outer edges of the rectangle are covered with curtains, just to make you feel exclusive.  One need not even worry about the quality of the ingredients as they are (at least in Fukuoka) regulated by the city government for cleanliness.

The more famous (and biggest) yatai strip is found in Nakasu, by the river.  If this gets too crowded (isn’t it always?), you are sure to find some other yatai in the vicinity so just wander around. The Nagahama district near Akasaka is also a good (but not as good) alternative.   Expect to sit beside salarymen relaxing after a gruelling Japanese business day, or those from Tokyo who are in Fukuoka for a business trip.  Tourists from other regions of Japan, China and Korea also abound.

If you find yourself jaded by the many nights spent in restaurants in Japan that seemed more fun in the imagination than in reality, a yatai is the best way to bring back the romanticized image you once had.  After all, the real Japan dining experience is only 50% about the food.  The rest is made up of the conversations you make and stories you gather as you struggle with your chopsticks.

Itadakimasu!

Yatais light up Nakagawa