Momochi District, Fukuoka-Shi

Say "Momochi" and most people think of the beach area of the same name, but it actually refers to a district to the west of Fukuoka's downtown area. This is not just any district; it is the wealthiest and most scenic in the city. The district did not even exist in the early 1980s. It was part of Hakata Bay until an ambitious (and quite successful) land reclamation project began and was completed in the late 80s. The area is still being developed, and has numerous empty lots, but already there is the Fukuoka Tower, the public library, several museums, gorgeous avenues and walking areas, and, to the far west, neighborhoods whose combined land and housing worth challenges the GNPs of the world's poorer nations. No joke! Too bad the prefecture later decided to build a freeway extension just a stone's throw away.