Not Tokyo not Osaka: Fukuoka

Fukuoka is situated on northern Kyushu and has a population of over a million people.

We visited Fukuoka in late October, 2016.

I checked JAL first, and walla ! got a returned flight to Narita, then Fukuoka and back to Sydney for $995.

As usual with our trips, we'd get nowhere without the help of the local tourist information officers, their maps, and bus / train details. There is a great Tourist counter in the main thoroughfare at Hakata Station (the largest train station in Fukuoka.)

Fukuoka has a couple of covered shopping arcades and markets, ideal to walk your loved one, protected from the heat or cold,

all the time being connected correctly !

These shrine gates are huge

So many sculptures in Japan

NANZO-IN TEMPLE IN SASAGURI

It takes about 25 minutes to get to Sasaguri from the centre of Fukuoka. Then it is about a 10 minute walk to the beautiful temple grounds, where there are many many statues.

This is what most come to see. It is the largest bronze Buddha in the world.

NOKONOSHIMA

Nokonoshima is a wee island about a 20 minute ferry trip from the mainland.

We got to Nokonoshima, and other ferry travellers went rushing off as we dawdled. Ah ! The bus that went to the garden top of Nokoshima held a lot less people than the ferry, and soon filled and left. We checked the timetable, and noted that the next bus didn't depart for almost an hour.

I weakly said "oh, let's not worry. We'll stroll around the ferry terminal, and catch the next ferry back."
Thank goodness my other half responded with: " we're not coming here to stroll around a ferry terminal. Come ! Let's get a cab."

So for the meazley sum of $10, we were taken to the stunning garden ! And thank goodness. Not just a hillside of cosmos in bloom, but other flower gardens, beautiful trees, and rabbits to play with !

flowers all year please open this link and see

YANAGAWA

Yanagawa is south of Fukuoka, and, by train, takes around fifty minutes to get there.

We went for the canal boat ride, which didn't disappoint. Although we were provided with raincoats, the spitter was occasional and light.

We did have to duck at times, as some of the bridges were quite low.

The unexpected joy was the oarsman, who, out of the blue, launched into singing an old Japanese ballad.

HITA:

We record NHK news from Japan in English from SBS. One night there was a documentary on a man decided to make fish sauce in a country that was known more for its soy.

https://www.jibtv.com/programs/japan_food_quest_kyushu/20160819.html

Why not go and try the fish sauce ?

Well, we had first to go to Hita, a seventy minute train trip east of Fukuoka.