Growing numbers of deep fried chicken enthusiasts are heading to a town that has become the epicentre of the art on a global stage.
The little karaage is one of the most popular snacks in Japan.
The treat is a more delicate version of the western classic, but with lighter oil being used in the deep fry to create a crunchier dish.
A mixture of soy sauce, ginger, salt, garlic and fruits is deployed to marinade the chicken and give it a distinctive taste.
In a yearly competition to find the best karaage in Japan, the small Nakatsu beats the much bigger cities to the top spot again and again.
It has become a hub for the dish, its reputation enticing in fast-food fans from across the world.
Next year its reputation as the best of the best will be put to the test when the Karaage Grand Prix brings on a board of expert judges for the first time.
The dish has a history stretching back to the post WWII years, when American soldiers brought with them broiler chickens which slowly became a part of Japanese diets.
Two chefs, Arata Hosokawa and Shoji Moriyama, started the industry in Nakatsu in the 1970s and refined the marinating process, the BBC reported, by adding apple and brining the bird for longer.
The recipe would prove to be an enormous success, and led to a rush of restaurants entering the business in the city.
Over the decades a healthy competition between the nearly 50 shops saw the receipt tinkered with and perfected, and now most chefs have a secret ingredient.
The late Anthony Bourdain was an enormous fan of the chicken treat.
"I'm addicted to these deep-fried chicken cutlets… It's a guilty pleasure. I know exactly where to find a Lawson in Narita International Airport, and I never get on the plane without loading up on these bad boys," he said.
Today great queues form outside the karaage restaurants each day as enthusiasts wait to try a new recipe.
Such is the local clamour for the dish - as well as its ability to bring those from far a field to Nakatsu - even the world's biggest friend chicken brand can't get a look in.
In 1990, KFC opened a shop in the city, but it closed five years later, Japan Times reported.
While KFC management blamed the location at the time, locals said they simply preferred karaage.
