Mojiko Retro is a lovely little harbor just an hour away from Hakata Station. With old fashioned streets and buildings, Mojiko Retro is a great place for dates, some quiet time to yourself, or a lovely night out for families. Enjoy some gorgeous night views of the harbor from atop Mojiko Observatory as well!
To get to Mojiko Retro, take the JR train from Hakata to Mojiko Station. If you want to get there faster and have a JR pass, you can also opt to take the bullet train to Kokura Station, then transfer to the local line for Mojiko Station. Since I prefer straight rides with no transfers, I chose to go with the one hour trip on the JR train over the 38 minute ride with transfers. Once you arrive at Mojiko Station, you are already greeted with the harbor and retro architecture. The harbor is quite small, so you can definitely see all of Mojiko Retro in one evening. While it's still light, you can take photos of the harbor and sea, and then go to Kaikyo Plaza for some dinner and souvenir shopping. After it gets dark, you can enjoy walking along the streets with all the fairy lights turned on. Then, you can go to the Mojiko Retro Observatory and enjoy some great night views for ¥300.
The observatory tower is one of the tallest buildings there in the harbor, so you can't miss it. As soon as you enter the tower, there will be lovely staff to guide you to the elevator. Entrance fees are handled a bit differently for this tower, as you go up the elevator first, and then pay the ¥300 once you arrive at the observation floor. The floor also has a little cafe, some benches by the windows and tables for you to sit and rest. There is also a little sticker booth that prints your own personalized postcard with Mojiko Retro scenery as the background for ¥700. The view from atop the tower looking down at the harbor all lit up is very beautiful. Make sure to find a dark corner for yourself as the room lights do reflect on the observatory windows!
