18 FUKUOKA, JAPAN RISING STAR The largest city on the southerly isle of Kyushu, Fukuoka might just be the country’s most livable conurbation, with easy access to both sea and mountains and a bevy of top-quality fish, beef and vegetables, which are staples on the menus of many a Tokyo hotspot. It was these ingredients that attracted Bangkok-based Indian chef Gaggan Anand to open his latest restaurant, in combination with local celebrity chef Goh Fukuyama, in December, aptly called GohGan, which is set in a riverside building that also houses a theatre, cocktail bar and more. Coming later in 2023 is the 162-key Ritz-Carlton Fukuoka, which will serve as an indulgent base for exploring all the delights of Kyushu, from the traditional ryokans and modern minimalist rural escapes to the superlative restaurants, Unesco-listed islands and world-class contemporary art installations and institutions. PHOTO ISTOCK 40
