Co-Working Spaces and Remote Work Friendly Places in Fukuoka City!
If you’re new in town, or even just visiting, it can be hard to pinpoint the best places in Fukuoka City for a bit of remote work. While you can always rely on large chains such as Starbucks or Komeda Coffee to have power outlets and wifi, sometimes you need a little more support for your work, want to engage with the local community, or just want to support a local business instead of a chain. Whether you’re looking for co-working spaces, or simply remote-friendly cafes and restaurants, this list has a ton of great locations that will hopefully fit your needs!
Co-Working Spaces (that allow one-day drop-ins) in the city:
Free to use with no obligation to register, the publically funded and operated Engineer Cafe located in central Fukuoka City is a friendly place for foreigners to drop into work, with monthly events for networking or learning opportunities, this is a great place to visit if you want to dip your toes into the local community.
Another facility supported by the government in order to encourage more start-up growth in Fukuoka City, the Start-Up Cafe exists inside an old, renovated elementary school in the heart of the shopping district in downtown Fukuoka City. With classrooms renovated into “offices” that can be rented for larger companies, the first floor offers a free co-working space as well as free business consulting services for those looking to start a business within Fukuoka City.
With front row seating facing the airport tarmac, users of the Tsutaya Lounge at Fukuoka Airport can watch flights land and take-off all day while working remotely. Unlike the public facilities, it is not free of charge, but it is drop-in friendly. It costs 660 yen for the first 30 minutes, and 330 yen for every 30 minutes onward, for a maximum of 2,200 yen per day, but sweetens the deal with an all-you-can-eat snack bar, and free-flow coffee, tea and soda (alcohol can also be included for a separate price.) A second location recently opened in the student-populated neighborhood of Nishijin as well.
Located across from Starbucks on the 7th floor of Tenjin Vioro, this exclusive co-working space, branded as a “co-creative connected lounge”, looks fancy and chic, but the hurdles to enter aren’t as restrictive as they seem - simply register on the Garraway app (on iOS and Google Play) and you can use the lounge for as little as 500 yen per day (students and first-time registrants can use it for free!) Amenities include a drink bar, free wifi, free printer use, power outlets, a rentable youtube studio for filming, and access to a shiny PlayStation 5!
With several locations across the city, and throughout Southeast Asia, “The Company” makes sense for digital nomads who don’t like to stay in one place for too long. Registration is free, and long-term office rental plans are available as well, but for those looking to drop in for day use, drop-in rates start at 550 yen and max out at 1650 yen after three hours. Drop-in hours are limited to 10 am-5 pm Monday to Friday, and this space offers fewer amenities than other spaces in the area, but if you’re looking to switch up your scenery frequently, The Company is a good choice.
Located inside the relatively new and stylish hotel “The Lively Hakata Fukuoka”, .andwork Fukuoka turns the hotel lobby and lounge into a functional and practical co-working space that yields a more casual and social working environment. Blow off some steam with some billards, order lunch from the hotel restaurant, and enjoy the atmosphere. It is free to register, and the hourly usage rate is 600 yen, capping out at 2,000 yen a day. Day-use users have the added perk of Happy Hour, in which beer is on tap (all you can drink) between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm for hotel guests and customers.
Probably one of the most simplified, minimalist co-working facilities in Fukuoka City, the Co-Working & Co-Learning Space “Q” in the basement of Hakata Station offers a no-frills co-working experience for those looking to just get work done. Drop-in rates start at 550 yen per hour, and max out at 2,200 yen per day. Basic amenities like wifi and power outlets are availble, and coffee is available at an extra cost. The location makes it an optimal place to work for those on-the-go, or making a brief stop in Fukuoka before continuing somewhere else, but for those stationed in the city, there are other options that offer more.
Other remote-work friendly facilities in Fukuoka City:
If blending in with the crowd and working locally amongst the hustle and bustle of the city is more your style, there are plenty of local cafes in Fukuoka that are remote-work friendly. My personal recommendations are the following:
Lamp Light Books Hotel (Tenjin) - Located in the heart of Daimyo, this 24 hour “cafe” in the lobby of the hotel offers free WiFi and power outlets, and users do not need to be hotel guests in order to use the facilities. The Cafe is open from 7am-10pm, during which time it might be polite to order a coffee, but there is no expectation to purchase anything to use the facilities during the off hours.
Manu Coffee Kujira (Yakuin) - Although there are several Manu Coffee locations in the city, the Yakuin location is the most spacious, with a minimalist and trendy interior that is popular with the younger local population. Free wifi is available, and although not all seats have access to a power outlet, there are enough that you should be able to find one if you need it.
Cafe Otto Cyclo (Canal City) - Cafe Otto is another local cafe chain that has multiple locations across the city that are all remote-work friendly (see link), but the location at Canal City is a personal favorite as the location is the best for people-watching. The counter seats all have power outlets and face large windows overlooking the center stage, so you have access to all the water shows, projection mapping projects, and entertainment from the comfort of your restaurant seat.
White Glass Coffee (Hakata) - A trendy cafe a short walk from Hakata Station, White Glass Coffee is a stylish, bright cafe with free wifi and seats with power outlets, with an ample food and dessert menu as well.
Shirouzu Coffee (Kego) - Just outside of Tenjin and Yakuin in the trendy neighborhood of Kego, Shirouzu Coffee is a niche choice just outside of the heavily populated areas, and a good spot for a light dessert or meal. Counter seating at the windows with power outlets make this another great spot for working while observing and getting a feel of the local lifestyle.
Bonus: The surprising practicality of day-spas
Yes, that’s right! If cafes are not your thing, you can spend a day combining your workload with relaxation at a local onsen. Sounds crazy, but many of the day-time facilities have adapted to offer support for remote workers who want to enjoy hot baths and sauna sweats in between e-mails.
Namiha No Yu - Located at Hakata Bayside (but accessible by bus from Tenjin or Hakata Station), Namiha No Yu is the closest onsen facility to the city that offers it all; the first floor is male/female separated hot spring baths (private baths can be reserved as well for families or couples who would rather stick together) and a restaurant serving Japanese food and drinks, the second floor offers sauna rooms, and a lounge with a manga library, free wifi, hammocks, sofas, and private cubbies with power outlets. At 1,600 yen per person (1,700 yen on weekends) , the onsen will provide you with comfortable loungewear, a bath towel, and everything else you need, and you can stay for as long as business hours allow.
Teriha Spa Resort - Located on Island City, a slight ways out of Fukuoka City, Teriha is a massive onsen facility that is built for all-day use, and is popular with families, couples, and singles alike. Facilities include two restaurants, a gym, a manga lounge, study and co-working desks, the largest stone sauna facility in Kyushu, private and segregated bathing, and even a karaoke room. Due to its remote location, a free shuttle bus runs from Tenjin and Hakata, so visitors don’t have to arrange logistics on their own. Price for non-members is 1,800 yen a day on weekdays, and 2,100 yen a day on weekends and holidays - of course, bath towels, loungewear are included in the price.
Although this is not the definitive list of cafes, co-working spaces, and remote-work friendly places in Fukuoka City, this is a list that hopefully gives you plenty of options for how to spend your day. As always, check the websites to stay up-to-date with the latest business hours, prices and plans, as things can change quickly due to external circumstances. If you have any other tips you’d like to share, please leave a comment below! Your input will help enhance others’ experience of Fukuoka City as well!