A Day Around Fukuoka

Kushida Shrine

After breakfast we walk through Kawabata Pedestrian Shopping Arcade and head over to the nearby historic district of Hakata.

Our first stop is Kushida Shrine. Built around 757AD. This ancient Shinto Shrine is the oldest in Fukuoka and the host of the Hakata Gion Yamakasa two week festival. (More on the festival later in the blog).

A bride and groom are having a photo session at the front of the Shrine. They look very serious.

Hakata Machiya Folk Museum

This museum is just across the street from the shrine. Here we learn a lot more about the two week Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival that takes place every July. There is an elaborate float race where teams carry huge, heavy wooden floats from the temple to numerous locations in the city.

The festival is said to have begun in the thirteenth century in order to protect people from plague. The Yamaska (floats) are about 10 metres high. The floats are built by different neighbourhoods in Fukuoka and are carried in procession to the Kushida Shrine. Most of the floats are destroyed after the event, but a few are kept.

Tochoji Temple

Nearby is the Tochoji Temple which has the largest wooden seated Buddha in Japan.

After I rang the temple gong, we walk through a narrow corridor curving behind the Buddha with paintings depicting some kind of demon story. We then enter a snaking, totally dark tunnel under the Buddha. We have to feel our way through completely blind … I am sure this is supposed to represent some kind of journey… and we emerge into the light again.

Shofukuji Temple

This temple is a short walk away. Founded in 1195AD, it is the oldest Zen temple in Japan. We cannot go into the buildings but the pond, bridge and grounds are pretty.

We take a look In Joenji Temple before heading back to the hotel for a short break and to get my sunglasses (because despite calling for cloud and rain all day, the sun has come out in full force).

Tenjin District

From the hotel we head to the Tenjin district where we check out (you guessed it), another shrine… Suikyo Tenmangu Shrine.

We then cross the street to ACROS Fukuoka Step Garden which is a rooftop garden with amazing views. Alas, it is only open on weekends. The lady says we can climb the many, many flights of stairs to check out that view. I suggest John do it while I sit in the park.
Upon returning, he says it wasn’t worth the climb.

We go through the Shintencho Shopping Street and then head to Oyafuko-dori, which is a 400 metre street with temples, dance clubs, restaurants and bars. It is quiet, obviously more or a night place.

Automated Sushi Restaurant

However we do stop into a totally automated sushi (and more) conveyer belt restaurant that is so very cool. As with Coco’s Restaurant yesterday we tell the machine at the front how many guests and if we want a table or counter seat. Then it spits out our table number and we go to the table.

At the table there is an iPad where we put in an order…up to 4 items at a time. There is so much to choose from.

Then within a few minutes your order travels down a conveyor belt track and is switched to a side track that corresponds to your table. So exciting.

Ohori Park

We take the subway to Ohori Park and check out the remains of Fukuoka Castle. We pass an area that looks like it’s full of picnic pavilions. Like really nice pavilions, each one having their own BBQ.

We walk to a bench by the lake where I have a green tea ice cream and John a coffee while we watch the turtles, jumping fish, ducks and people in swan boats.

We walk around the lake and then go back to the hotel.

Last Evening in Japan

I head out in the evening for a one hour relaxation massage. On the way back to the hotel, I see a building with lots of pumpkin lanterns decorated for Halloween. I have noticed a number of businesses decorated for Halloween.

We spend the rest of the night packing. We fly to South Korea in the morning.