Hakata-ku, Fukuoka

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Hakata ningyo

Old and new collide conspicuously at Hakata Dontaku, a festival held each May during Golden Week.

Hakata (博多区; -ku) is a ward in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan with a population of 176,585. It is best known as the location of Fukuoka's main train station, Hakata Station. Hakata also houses the Fukuoka Prefecture offices, Fukuoka Airport, and the city's ferry terminal Hakata Harbor (博多港 Hakata-kō).

Before 1889, Hakata was an independent town to the northeast of Fukuoka. Hakata, which was closer to the sea, housed the city's merchants, while Fukuoka housed the samurai. When the two cities merged, the samurai coerced the merchants into naming the combined city "Fukuoka".

Hakata is the traditional center for the manufacture of Hakata ningyo, which are traditional Japanese dolls that are famous throughout Japan. It is also the home of Mentai Rock, named after the popular mentaiko dish served in the region, that spawned numerous J-pop idols during the early 1980s. Neo Mentai Rock is the name given to a recent renewal in activity from local musicians.

Hakata-ben is the local Japanese dialect or ben spoken in Fukuoka.

Hakata played a role in the failure of the Mongol invasions of Japan.