The Christmas Market in 2016 goes from November 15th till December 25th. It is held right in front of JR Hakata Station, and you definitely can't miss it sprawled out beneath the blinking blue lights. There are many stalls selling all different kinds of Christmas crafts and gifts, and also various foreign food and drinks. The staff manning the stalls are all dressed in festive Christmas uniforms, and serve you with beaming smiles.

 

The craft stalls I saw ranged from stained glass candle holders to wooden toys and decorations. The food stalls were quite impressive, selling hot stollen, hot chocolate, a wide range of wine and beer, hot dogs, fried potato, steak, and authentic bucher. The cheapest foods were being sold at ¥500, and the most expensive (bucher!) was ¥1300.

 

There were many tables and chairs set up underneath the shelter of JR Station, so you could have a seat to enjoy your food. There were some standing barrel tables too. Even though it was raining on the night that I went, there were still plenty of seats out of the rain. There was also a small stage with lots of live performances from local Japanese artists.

 

The Hakata Christmas Market offers a delightful time for all, with stunning Christmas lights and a wide range of food and drink. The craft stores hype up the festive mood and offer some great selections for Christmas present shopping. With the markets right outside the train station, you don't have to travel far to enjoy some awesome Christmas festivities! As the market is held from mid November all the way till Christmas day, you have plenty of time to make your way to the city of Hakata and enjoy this lively market.


By Jaime Wong