Itoshima — Coast, Oysters, and Surf

Itoshima sits 40 minutes west of Hakata and is the closest stretch of clean Kyushu coastline to Fukuoka City. From October through April it's oyster-hut season — local farmers fire up grills at their oyster sheds along the Funakoshi inlet. Year-round, the beaches (Keya, Futamigaura with its torii arch in the sea) are surf-friendly and photogenic.