Tenjin Chikagai

Tenjin Underground Shopping Street

Literally 'underground street,' the chikagai over the subway Nanakuma line in Tenjin connects the Tenjin Minami subway station with the Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station and the bus terminal area at Showa Dori. It takes 10 minutes or so to walk from one side to the other and can be as crowded as the street on the ground level. I was introduced to this shopping street by local friends as a way to stay out of the hot or cold weather. There are a lot of stores and cafes including Starbucks and Kaldi Coffee. The Tenjin Chikagai connects with the department stores from Showa Dori to Keyaki Dori and the Tenjin Minami subway station at the basement second floor level. We can enter Daimaru, Parco, Tenjin Core, and other department stores directly from the shopping street. Each 'block' of the Chikagai is marked with a number and direction (east or west) to refer to where you are on the map / floor guides posted around the shopping street. Similar to a street we drive on, there are two sides, although walking traffic doesn't follow one direction or the other. It's a good place for window shopping, taking a break in a cafe, or just walking through to avoid any not ideal weather. It seems to be mostly commuter traffic between stations and most of the stores close by 8pm. I find the Chikagai a bit easier to navigate than some department stores – there is only one floor and each shop is a similar size. There aren't many restaurants although it looks like the continuous renovation will include at least one new restaurant soon. It's also really easy to detour into one of the department stores to eat a meal.