Sailing between islands

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2023_Blog 25_Japan



April 14 Port of Call: Fukuoka (Hakata), Japan – Weather: Heavy rain - 62°F/17°C – Wind: 7 mph.



This morning’s viewing started early for us as the ship sailed through the Kanmon Strait, also known as Straits of Shimonoseki. This stretch of water separates Honshu and Kyushu, two of Japan’s four main islands. The overcast skies and rainy conditions made viewing difficult and uncomfortable. It is always fun to pass under a bridge and this morning we did just that. The Kanmon Bridge is a 1,068 metre suspension bridge connecting Shimonoseki in Honshu to Kitakyushu in Kyushu. Our cruise director provided a running commentary over the PA system as we transited the strait.

We docked in Fukuoka (Hakata) on the northwestern side of Kyushu Island in the early afternoon and a downpour which continued for the rest of the day. Somebody has got the weather reports wrong; Japan’s rainy season is supposed to be June & July not April. Umbrellas were once again the order of the day.

Our excursion took us to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine considered to be one of Japan’s more important Shinto shrines. There are over 12,000 Tenjin shrines throughout Japan, and this one ranks quite highly.

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