Convenience store on island off Fukuoka welcomes tourists from around the world

Fukuoka, Japan -- Over the first five months of the year, a convenience store on Nokonoshima, a popular tourist island in Hakata Bay off Fukuoka, welcomed international visitors from at least 48 countries and regions. This informal count, kept by the store's staff, shows the island's appeal to people from nearly a quarter of the world's countries.

The tally is based on answers provided by store staff to international customers asking about their origins, which they then mark on a world map displayed at the store's counter. Since April, the store has displayed this map, witnessing a growing number of visitors from diverse backgrounds. Besides Asian countries like South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Nepal, there are also customers from the United States and European nations such as France and Germany.

Notably, the map now includes representations from four African countries, including Cape Verde, a small island nation that made news by advancing to the knockout stage in its FIFA World Cup debut in June and July. NocoMart, the island's only convenience store, opened in July 2025 and serves about 100 customers on weekdays and around 200 on weekends.

Its inventory includes roughly 700 products, with many international visitors purchasing the store's original merchandise, including magnets, key chains, and T-shirts. Store manager Yuichi Asaba, 60, enjoys engaging with visitors, explaining that the world map provides an opportunity to converse with international guests, leading to further interactions.

Nokonoshima, with its circumference of about 12 kilometers and a population of 579 as of the end of July, is accessible by a 10-minute ferry ride from Meinohama Ferry Terminal in Fukuoka.