Ryo Watanabe"The Wave Rider"
My Story
I left my office job at 29 to surf every day. Best decision of my life. Fukuoka has world-class waves, incredible street food, and the friendliest people in Japan. I've spent the last 6 years exploring every beach, every yatai stall, and every hidden trail in Kyushu. Now I help travelers discover Fukuoka the way it deserves to be experienced — on a surfboard, with a cold beer, and a bowl of the best tonkotsu ramen on the planet.
Why I Guide
Because Fukuoka is Japan's best-kept secret. Everyone goes to Tokyo and Kyoto. The real Japan — the relaxed, friendly, food-obsessed Japan — is here. I want to share it before the secret gets out.
My Hidden Gem
A beach on Itoshima Peninsula where you can surf in the morning and hike to a hidden Shinto shrine in the afternoon. The shrine is inside a cave. No tourists. Just the sound of waves and the smell of incense.
Personality & Interests
Specialties
What Travelers Say
"Ryo taught me to surf in the morning and took me to the best ramen shop I've ever been to in the evening. Perfect day."
"Fukuoka is amazing and Ryo is the reason. He knows everyone in the city and every wave on the coast."