Jinju + Fukuoka visa run

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Another weekend + of travel.
Okay, so there was some kind of mixup with immigration and I needed to leave Korea to get a proper visa. The one in my passport apparently was not good enough. When you work overseas, visa runs are part of the life.

Since I didn't need to be in Busan to get a boat to Fukuoka until Sunday, I went to Jinju to meet up with a new friend, Jiwon. (I like to meet the people I'm FB friends with, go figure). It was a good opportunity to meet some new folks and take in some nightlife. Long story short, I met my friend and we went to dinner at the Outback Steakhouse (hah!) and then stopped for a moment to see a guy playing music at Soundgarden (see pics) and then to WaBar for a new friend's celebration. See pics as well. Post WaBar, we got another drink (or two?) and some food. And we have some great conversation for a couple of hours. Definitely a nice time in Jinju, overall.

The next (late) morning, I get a bus to Busan (to a different bus terminal this time) and start my visa run.

Busan to Fukuoka (Hakata) visa run via Camellia Ferry
Primary Goal: Visa run and back to school in quickest/most affordable way
Secondary Goal: Soak in a hot tub and sweat in a sauna, because I have a cold.


First, to get to the Busan International Ferry Terminal, take subway line 2 to Jungandong. It's about a 500m walk to the terminal from the station. Line two is connected with the Intercity bus terminal, so that was convenient.

My transportation plan was to take the overnight ferry to Fukuoka, the New Camellia. The cheapest adult round trip is 144,000 won (approx $135USD). I purchased my ticket about 5 hours before departure and changed KRW into JPY at the terminal.

The boat left Busan somewhere around 10:30, if I remember right. I had a cold, so it could have been more pleasant a journey, were that otherwise. Anyhow, I love sleeping on boats, and the slight rocking helped me sleep decently well through the night. There's the more expensive option of the Beetle, a fast hydrofoil equipped boat that gets you there in less than half the time, but that wasn't what I wanted. Being on a boat overnight saves money on accommodation. That was a good choice especially because I knew I wasn't up for the nightlife (apparently it's pretty good) in Fukuoka.

The next morning, I got off the boat around 8am. Seeing as I had gotten my directions on what to do next from the Internet, I thought I was golden. Okay, just joking. There's an information desk with helpful people and maps. If you're doing a visa run, talk with them, even if just for a city map.
Take a bus from right outside the terminal to Tenjin station (stop 9). Busses 80, 151, 152 go there. It's 180 yen to Tenjin. From Tenjin stop 9 (the first Tenjin stop you come to), cross the street and take the 305 to the Fukuoka (Yahoo!) Dome (fare, 220yen). You can take the subway from Tenjin to Tojinmachi and walk from there as well.) Walk in the direction the bus was heading, and keep an eye out for a sky blue roof at the opposite corner of the intersection. That's the Korean consulate. It's ridiculously close to the dome and adjacent shopping area
Go to the embassy, fill out your application, attach a picture, and pay your fee (Americans, 4500yen) and pick it up the next day. They say the visas are ready at 10am. I went around 9:30am, and it was ready. It's a quick, convenient pickup (just bring your receipt). I the reversed the buses back to get to the terminal in time for the noon departure of the Camella.

If you plan on taking some time to see the Fukuoka Hakata area, Nishitetsu buses offers a 600yen day pass. Not a bad deal, since getting from the ferry terminal to the consulate costs 400 yen anyway. Then you've got a return trip to wherever you might go.

I wandered around the city (thanks maps!) and found Hotel Capsule Wellbe, which is a capsule hotel and spa. A good place to take care of my cold and get some good rest inexpensively. It cost about 4000 yen (a little more than $50) and includes breakfast. If you're traveling solo, and don't care to partake so much in the nightlife, it's a good choice. (Or if you do, nothing helps a hangover like a hot tub in the morning)

Seeing as I'm writing this now from the boat, and there's a spa on the boat, I reckon I'll have a soak.

p.s. Galbijim.com has a useful wiki page for the Fukuoka visa run. Highly recommended.

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