Blogs from Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan, Asia

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 ... read more

SC writes: Yesterday explored Fukuoka or rather Fukuoka, Hakata and Tenjin. They are all parts of one large city now but these areas have different identities. It can get challenging when trying to look up Fukuoka on the Japan Rail website... because the station is called Hakata...! Anyway, we explored this busy and vibrant city by bus and subway. All very interesting and more than a few shops, in long arcades and often underground. As the sixth largest city in Japan and the Capital of Fukuoka province there are lots of people..it is busy! We have settled into our hotel here, again somewhat tight but comfortable enough. It does have a very good onsen, which we are enjoying nightly...no pictures obviously... Today we headed out on a planned side trip to Arita which is famous for ... read more

Today, Ralph and I had to get back to Japan ASAP. We figured it was a holiday and the train stations were going to be packed. Not only were the train stations going to be packed, but also the ferry station that had to get us over back to Japan as well. We headed out of Seoul around 9AM and I snapped a few more photos of Seoul and Busan. We take the ferry across the boat and end up back in Fukuoka. Later for dinner, we end up finding a traditional Japanese restaurant to eat at and then Ralph and I ended up exploring the city a few more hours after that. Happy holidays to everyone back at home! I am excited to go back home to LA. I got a 5 hour train ride ... read more

Saturday, 24th October 2015 I started my day early following a hearty buffet breakfast at the hotel. With a good selection of quality items coupled with tip-top Japanese service standards, this was worth my 1,200 yen. I planned to do some outlet shopping today at the Marinoa City but since it was quite early, I visited the Ohori Park first instead. Exiting from the subway station, I entered the park grounds through the Northern Gate which was already teeming with morning joggers. The centre piece of the park is a huge lake connected by a long bridge to both sides of the expansive park space. When it was time to start my shopping day, I continued my journey towards the end of the subway line to Meinohama Station where I caught another bus to the Marinoa ... read more

Sunday, 18th October 2015 I arrived at Fukuoka International Airport on the morning of 18th October 2015. The subway service to the city was located at the Domestic Terminal where this was reachable by the free shuttle bus services that were easy to locate. Arriving in Japan with a lack of sleep, I had some difficulties getting my bearings properly as I exited from the gigantic JR Hakata Station which was two stops away from the airport. I had booked a room at Hotel Nikko Fukuoka and was quietly hoping to see if there was a chance for an early check-in. Without even bothering to check through the system, the lady at the reception maintained that check-in was after 2pm - no leeway. For a five star establishment, I was rather unimpressed given that they did ... read more