Fukuoka

For night owls, there's plenty happening in the west-central downtown alleys in an area known as Tenjin at truly astounding hours. Friday nights only begin at midnight, usually with a huge and hearty bowl of tonkotsu (pork-bone soup) ramen—often referred to as "Hakata ramen"—a rich, tasty staple that locals seem to depend on for their legendary all-night stamina.

The Naka-gawa divides the city. Everything west of the river is known as Fukuoka, while everything east—including the station and airport—is referred to as Hakata, so trains or planes might say to or from Hakata rather than Fukuoka. But don't be confused: Hakata is just a ku, or district, of the whole place, which is still Fukuoka.