Food Tour Scramble: Tenjin Christmas Market 2025

 

It is that time of the year again and what year it has been. A lot of things have happened personally and professionally behind the scenes that has made it challenging for me to say the least. However, one thing stays the same. And that is good food is always a good idea! And seeing that we are in the holiday spirit, it would just make sense to visit the Christmas market once again. 

Witness the brightness!

I have previously written about the Tenjin Christmas Market back in 2023 which was located near the city hall complex, and you can click here to know more about my past experience. But with that out of the way, how about the installment that is this year? Well, still amazing and still fun. 

Off to a good start

As I was pretty hungry and pretty cold when I arrived, I dove straight right into ordering something to hot to warm me up. And a clam chowder standing at 800 yen seemed like the best way to kick things off.  AnThis was very soothing and was surprisingly somewhat generous with its ingredients. They were all at the bottom but some clams and potato chunks can be found at the bottom. And despite the temperature of this soup, i was able to wolf it down rather quickly. Perhaps my cold hands help it cool down much faster. But still, quite nice. 

Surprisingly decent.

But soup is not what a whole meal is made of. So for something more substantial I got myself a seafood paella. This was a pure coincidence as I did not intend to have a seafood streak continue. But the thought of some flavoured rice topped with seafood felt like a good idea. And just like the earlier chowder, it did. I have to admit that standing at 1500 yen, it was quite pricey. The flavour however, was pretty good and there were chunks of bacon and clams that made up for the price. 

Sweet finish

Then still peckish for a bit more to chow on, I got something sweet in the form of a Santa style taiyaki. its basically the grilled cake that is originally shaped like a fish, but now it is the head of Saint Nicholas. You can stop any head jokes right now. Standing at 600 yen, this was actually quite enjoyable. I had the custard filled one and it was such a joy to gobble down. The outer part was crusty while the custard was creamy, sweet and had a nice eggy taste with a light punch of vanilla. the pastry in between felt like a mochi which really provided an extra element which I like. Contrasting textures makes me happy. 

What a godsend. 

Drink wise, I got myself a hot ginger lemon standing at 700 yen. This was what I really need to heat me up and the flavours were simple but really fit the seasons. it was refreshing and warming at the same time, which I like. I did contemplate in getting a glass of wine or a beer, but I have decided to cut back on my alcohol intake due to recent health concerns. Still, that did not retract from any fun I had. 

Vocals on point. 

Speaking of fun, live performances were aplenty just like the one I attended back in 2023. Carols, pop songs and even a rap cypher took place that night. And more importantly I went there with a group of great friends which made the entire evening worthwhile. If you are somehow in this part of Japan, visiting the Christmas Market should be a no-brainer. Fukuoka really brings out the best of what it has to offer during this time of the year, and doing it consistently every year is a marvel on its own. And with that, I do wish all readers a very happy Christmas and a good start to the new year!

Until next year!