Fukuoka, Japan Adventure 2016 (Part I)

Hello my friends! It's time to tell you my Japan trip. Sorry for the long hiatus in this blog. I was really busy with work. It's really so laborious to curate, edit and resize thousands of my photos in my cameras. All photos in this blog post were shot using SJCAM (SJ5000 WIFI) camera.

This excursion was actually my birthday trip and it happened last February 2016. The temperature was really cold! It's still winter season and the temperature is around 5-10 degrees Celsius so we had to buy some heat-tech clothes and thick jackets. This was my second Japan trip in 2016. I was also in Fukuoka last January 2016 with a different set of friends.

Guest House Nakaima (ようこそ中今へ！)
I was very thankful that Cebu Pacific Air had seat sale going to Fukuoka (福岡). We were able to book a round-trip ticket for less than US$100 (very cheap!). Fukuoka is a 3.5-hour flight from Manila, Philippines (very near!). It is located in the south-west of Japan. The international airport is a just 10 minutes from the center of the city by subway or taxi. After our flight from Manila, we went straight to our hostel - Guest House Nakaima. We chose this hostel because it's very near the attractions like Kushida Shrine and Canal City. The place was very affordable and homey. We booked it via Agoda.

The hostel has a common dining area/kitchen at the second floor. Every morning we gather here to drink our favourite matcha green tea for free!

I had the opportunity to try the traditional Japanese slippers called Geta (下駄). It's made of wood. These are worn with traditional Japanese clothing such as kimono or yukata. They really remind me of the Philippine-made Bakyâ or wooden clogs. These footwears are very noisy to use!

Kushida-jinja Shrine (櫛田神社)
We first visited the Kushida-jinja Shrine (櫛田神社) because it's very near our hostel. It's a beautiful Shinto shrine that displays some of the traditional local culture of Fukuoka. This shrine is like a garden because there are lot of plants and landscapes. This is where we first saw the cherry blossoms. In the back of the main shrine you will see a lot of torii 鳥居 (orange gates) and huge yamakasa (博多祇園山笠). Yamakasa is a large floats decorated with banners and puppets.

JR Hakata Station (博多駅)
JR Hakata Station (博多駅) is a major railway station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest station in Kyushu, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyushu for travellers from Honshu. There are a lot of big shopping centers in this station like Tokyu Hands and Hankyu Department Stores. There are subways in the underground, souvenir shops and some restaurants. On the roof top you will find a shrine dedicated for travelers.

Fukuoka Tower (福岡タワ)
Fukuoka Tower is a 234-metre (767.7 feet) tall tower located in the Momochihama area of Fukuoka, Japan. It is the tallest seaside tower in Japan. Fukuoka Tower was finished in 1989, taking a total of 14 months to build. It was built on reclaimed land out of Hakata Bay.

It was my birthday when we visited the tower so I got a free ticket. I was so overjoyed. I just showed  my passport to the receptionist and she gave me a greeting card and a free pass. The best things in life are indeed free!

Momochi Seaside Park (シーサイドももち海浜公園)
Momochi Seaside Park is a great place to go to relax on the beach and enjoy the sea. It is a one-kilometer long stretch of man-made beach at the foot of Fukuoka Tower. At the center of the beach is Marizon, an artificial island featuring restaurants, shops, a wedding hall, and a ferry port with connections to Uminonakamichi Seaside Park across Hakata Bay. The beach is a popular spot for swimming and sports such as volleyball and soccer. 

Fukuoka Yafuoku Dome (福岡ヤフオク! ドーム)

Fukuoka Yafuoku Dome is Japan’s first retractable roofed dome and multi-use arena. The seaside stadium is home to the Softbank Hawks baseball team, which is the only professional baseball team on Kyushu. The stadium hosts events and concerts in addition to games.

Japan is where you can find the best tasting matcha green tea. I did not waste my time because during my trip I ate anything matcha that I could find. This Hasgen-Dazs Crunchy Crunch was my new discovery. The ice cream is super creamy and full of deliciousness and yummy green tea flavor! I did not really care if it's freezing outside. The only thing I did not like was its expensive price tag.

Here are the other chapters of our adventure:
PART I
PART II
PART III

Thanks,
JRNuñez