Widely known as a gourmet paradise, Fukuoka boasts a wide variety of local specialities.

A Fukuoka speciality in a different area is rugby, with the city being the centre of the sport for Japan’s southernmost main island, Kyushu.

Rugby in Kyushu got its start when a group of alumni from Keio University in Tokyo working for the same electric utility were transferred to Fukuoka. The team they formed, the Kyushu Rugby Club, led to the wide popularity of the sport.

As an indication of rugby’s popularity in Fukuoka, the city actually leads the nation with a proportionately higher number of registered players, compared to cities with much larger populations.

Located in the Hakata ward it is the home ground of Avispa Fukuoka football club. The stadium was also host to four games (two match days) in the IRB Junior World Championship in 2009.