This post was written in 2006. Some information may be out of date.
I used the weekend to go to Fukuoka. I left at 3 a.m., got to Hiroshima at 7, and took the shinkansen to Hakata Station in Fukuoka, arriving at 9. I didn’t get back to the hotel until after midnight and fell asleep close to 2, so it was pretty much a full “24” day… Brutal schedule, but a trip that was worth every bit of it. Thanks to my overambitious two-meals-per-stop plan, my stomach is still bursting, though.
The underground shopping mall in Tenjin.
Tenjin is the heart of Fukuoka. If Hakata Station is like the area around Seoul Station, then Tenjin is like Jongno. Unlike the typical underground mall, stuffy, bad air, a maze (why do I suddenly think of Bupyeong Station…), the Tenjin underground mall has clearly put a lot of care into its lighting and interior, and only well-known brands have shops there, so it has a nice atmosphere. Two passages like this one run side by side.
Right next to Tenjin is Daimyo, a young people’s neighborhood with an Omotesando/Harajuku vibe. The streets and the people were so stylish, not what you’d expect outside Tokyo, that it was a refreshing shock.
Fukuoka streets at sunset, taken from a bridge
A river runs right across the city. Maybe because most big Japanese cities are on the coast, you always seem to see canals wherever you go. It was perfect travel weather, but Fukuoka is even more dazzling at night ^_^
The Kawabata shopping arcade (Kami-Kawabata).
Smaller cities usually have just one main arcade, but Fukuoka has quite a few. This one is next to Nakasu and Canal City, and at the top end you come out at Riverain, a mixed-use office building. There’s a famous zenzai (sweet red bean soup) shop inside this arcade, but when I got there it had already closed…
Nakasu, Fukuoka’s nightlife district, at night.
On a Saturday night the place is buzzing. Actually, the touts were out even in the morning ^_^ Broke, worn out from walking all day and reeking of sweat, I just looked around… ^_^ There were a few wine shops that looked good, but my bag was heavy so I passed. I kind of regret that.
Canal City.
I really liked this place. It’s a big shopping center plus entertainment space, with a ramen theme park and a movie theater. In Tokyo terms, it feels a lot like Shiodome. There’s even an outlet, where they were selling GAP shirts for 990 yen ^_^; I nearly went on a spree but held back ^_^
Halloween illuminations
It already feels like Christmas. Then again, once Halloween is over they go straight into getting ready for the year-end events…
Halloween illuminations 2
I really don’t get why Japan makes such a big deal of Halloween. It has nothing to do with their religion or history… Could it be a conspiracy by pumpkin growers?
The fountain.
The events never stop. It’s on a whole different level from your average provincial city.
Yatai food stalls along the river in Nakasu
They’re a lot like our Korean pojangmacha street tents. The main offerings are Nagahama ramen, yakitori, sashimi and so on. Most people drop by for a drink after work. Some stalls even had lines, but no matter how I looked at them they didn’t seem likely to be that great, so I didn’t go in. Besides, drinking alone is a bit depressing…
Besides Nakasu, there are lots of yatai on the streets of Tenjin too. It’s the first place in Japan I’ve seen with this many street stalls. It might feel more Korean than Japanese…
Tenjin streets at night
Clean and wide. There are street musicians here and there. A few fewer than in Osaka, but as you’d expect of a nightlife district there are still plenty of people around. In Hiroshima, you barely see anyone on the street after 8.
Hakata Port Tower at night
I didn’t actually go up Hakata Port Tower…
A bowling alley sign I snapped on the way
The weather was nice, so I took a shot. Did it come out well?
A building I snapped on the way
The geometric spiral shadow suddenly reminded me of Cartier-Bresson, so I just took the shot.
A clock I snapped on the way
I love the round pastel flare you get when light gets into the lens. That’s the fun of shooting with the 31mm ^_^
A tree I snapped on the way
It seemed to have an autumn feel, so I took it, though I’m not sure it came across…
An unusual pharmacy I found just before heading back
Turns out this shop has branches all over the place. The owner apparently even shows up on late-night TV… Fukuoka, what a scary town. Yikes…
It was a short one-night, two-day trip, but apart from the food I was really happy with all of it. Things are cheap, the weather is warm, there are lots of beautiful people, and I think it would be great to live in a city like this. ^_^