Day 2: Mojiko Retro Town, Kokura and Shinkansen test drive to Kurume (Oct 2015)


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Asia » Japan » Fukuoka » Kitakyushu
October 19th 2015
Published: November 1st 2015
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Monday, 19th October 2015

Day two of my Japan trip.

I decided to get out Fukuoka and visit the Kitakyushu district this morning. This was made convenient with my handy Kyushu Rail Pass. My express train ride from Hakata to Kokura was rather smooth as it passed through most of the minor stations along the way. Alighting at Kokura station some 40 minutes later, I continued my journey to Mojiko Retro Town where the Kyushu Railway Museum was located. This was about 15 minutes of local train ride from Kokura.

As soon as I got off from my train, I was greeted by a retro station building. Some upgrading works were on-going and the façade was concealed by the hoardings. There were signs pointing to the Railway Museum. I stood outside for a while and gathered that I was more than happy to take a snap shot of the train displays before continuing my journey around Mojiko harbour.

I stopped by for the baked curry rice at one of the restaurants near the train station. It was pretty good for a fulfilling lunch. After lunch, I ventured around the harbour area that was dotted with old custom buildings and the modern observation tower. Across the promenade lies the city of Shimonoseki on the island of Honshu. This was a nice place to spend a quiet weekday afternoon away from the crowds in big city Fukuoka.

I back-tracked my journey to Kokura where I was greeted by the castle building after 15 minutes of walking from the JR station. Along the way, I stopped by at the NHK building and had desserts at the shopping arcade to fuel up. Like all castles I've visited thus far, they were always the most impressive during the annual sakura blooming season.

The skies were nearly dark by the time I took the Shinkansen ride from Hakata to Kurume. The intend was to grab dinner at Kurume but apart from the food stands at the station, the choices were rather limited. Still, the ride was a pleasant one as it prepared myself for my journey down to Kagoshima the following day.


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