Kokura is the commercial and administrative heart of Kitakyushu, containing the castle, covered shopping arcades (Riverwalk and the Uonotana and Tanukimachi shotengai), the main JR Kokura station, and the highest concentration of restaurants and bars in the city. It is where most visitors base themselves.
The shotengai shopping streets in Kokura are among the longest covered arcades in Japan — locals shop here daily for everything from fish to stationery. The area around the castle gates is the tourist centre; further south, the streets around Nishikokura and the station have a more lived-in character. Kokura's restaurant scene is particularly strong for yakitori, ramen (Kitakyushu has its own dark-broth style), and the city's specialty of yaki-udon (fried udon noodles, claimed to have been invented here).