Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein, and Salvador Dal�
� Fukuoka Asian Art Museum - contains art from various countries of Asia.
� Fukuoka City Museum - displays a broad range of items from the region's history, including a spectacular gold seal.
� Genko Historical Museum - In Higashi Koen (East Park); displays Japanese and Mongolian arms and armor from the 13th century as well as paintings on historical subjects. Open on weekends.
� Hakata Machiya Folk Museum - Dedicated to displaying the traditional ways of life, speech, and culture of the Fukuoka region.
The Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize was established to honor the outstanding work of individuals or organizations in Asia.
Festivals
Fukuoka is home to many festivals (matsuri) that are held throughout the year. Of these, the most famous are Hakata Dontaku and Hakata Gion Yamakasa.
Yamakasa, held for two weeks each July, is Fukuoka's oldest festival with a history of over 700 years. The festival dates back to 1241 when a priest called Shioichu Kokushi saved Hakata from a terrible plague by being carried around the city on a movable shrine and throwing water. Teams of men (no women, except small girls, are allowed), representing different districts in the city, commemorate the priest's route by racing against the clock around a set course carrying on their shoulders floats weighing several thousand pounds. Participants all wear shimekomi (called fundoshi in other parts of Japan), which are traditional loincloths. Each day of the two-week festival period is marked by special events and practice runs, culminating in the official race that takes place the last morning before dawn. Tens of thousands line the streets to cheer on the teams. During the festival period, men can be seen walking around many parts of Fukuoka in long happi coats bearing the distinctive mark of their team affiliation and
