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Prepared by Harold Stephens
Travel Correspondent for Thai Airways International
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For many yachtsmen and trans-Pacific sailors, Fukuoka in southern Japan is a household name. It's a port town with one of the finest, protected harbours in Kyushu, making it an ideal stopover for ships, and especially for sea-going yachts on Pacific crossings. But Fukuoka is more than a sailor's paradise. Lately this ancient port is being discovered as one of Japan's up-and-coming tourist destinations. Thai Airways International has made it one of the airline's Asian destinations.
Although Fukuoka is somewhat isolated from the rest of Japan, it has been an important entry point for foreign influence and culture. As a major port on Kyushu—the southernmost of Japan's four largest islands—it’s close to both Korea and China and it was here that some major events in Japanese history took place.
For many centuries, Fukuoka was the sole link to European civilisation. During the long period of isolation from the West, the Dutch settlement at Nagasaki in "Ky-ush-u" was Japan's only connection to the outside world.
Today tourists are finding Kyushu has much to offer—miles of striking coastal scenery, endless temples and shrines, old castles and fortresses and history, and perhaps what many people would like to forget—Nagasaki, that tragic remembrance that brought an end to World War II.
Some years ago, I visited Fukuoka briefly on a trans-Pacific sailing odyssey but unfortunately we could only spend a short time. I vowed I'd return one day but for one reason or another I always kept putting it off. Maybe it seemed too far from Tokyo where I always stopped on my way back to Bangkok.
Fukuoka does come as a surprise. Visit the city and it becomes understandable why Thai Airways International has begun direct flight service to Fukuoka, making it one of THAI's major destinations in Japan.
This time I arrived not by boat but by bullet train from Tokyo. My flight took me to Tokyo, where I considered connecting with a domestic flight to Fukuoka but at the last minute decided to travel overland by train. It was a chance to see some Japanese countryside and at the same time save a few dollars on transportation. I was wrong on both accounts.
Rather than take a taxi for the hour motor trip to Tokyo for the night, I opted to spend a night in Narita town, a fifteen-minute bus journey from the airport.
From Narita the next morning I caught the ultra fast shinkansen bullet train to Fukuoka. The journey takes seven hours at a cost of US$85. When I checked later, I discovered an air ticket would have cost $105, only $20 more. Considering meals and extras on the train, flying is half as much?
Then, one soon discovers, when travelling aboard a speeding bullet train at well over 200 kph there's not much one can see. Towns and villages zip by and make telephone poles appear like a solid fence. Attempting to read the ads on billboards is a near impossibility. Anyway, I couldn't have read the Japanese writing even if we had been travelling slower.
Nevertheless, watching the Japanese aboard the train is interesting enough to make any train trip enjoyable. They love to take photographs. They snap pictures of fellow passengers, train attendants, conductors and the flashing scenery out of the windows.
With my Insight guidebook in hand—which told me things like the climate here in the south is milder than other parts of Japan and that the people of Kyushu are reputed to be hard drinkers and outstandingly friendly—we arrived in late afternoon in Fukuoka. Or was it Hakata? It's somewhat confusing!
The airport is always referred to as Fukuoka and the shinkansen terminus as Hakata. The reason is, I read in my guide, that originally these were two separate towns—the lordly Fukuoka to the west of the Naka River and the common folks' Hakata to the east. When the two merged in 1889, the label Fukuoka was applied to both towns. But, subsequent development has chiefly been in Hakata and many residents refer to the town by that name.
Whatever, a rose is still a rose and with a population of 1.2 million, Fukuoka is today the biggest twin city in Kyushu.
As travellers soon discover upon arrival, Fukuoka is really a pleasant city, and an easy one in which to get around. It's a cosmopolitan city that generates a feeling of energy and movement.
There are two important areas in central Fukuoka: Hakata and Tenjin. The Hakata rail station is the transport terminus for the city and is surrounded by hotels and offices. The railway station is flanked by the Fukuoka Kotsu bus centre on one side and the Hakata post office on the other.
West of Hakata is Tenjin, the business and shopping centre, which is focused along Tenjin-nishi-dori. Underneath this busy street is Tenjin-chika-gai, a crowded underground shopping mall which extends for 400 metres. It's a city within itself but not the best place for visitors to do their shopping. Many of the items I've seen there are cheaper in Bangkok.
No visit to Fukuoka is complete without a visit to Nakasu, the entertainment centre of the city. The name Nakasu literally means 'sandbank in the middle of the Naka River' which is what it is, an island in the middle of the Naka River that flows between the Hakata station and the shopping centre that I just mentioned. The area has everything you would find on the Ginza in Tokyo.
Fukuoka/Hakata lies toward the north end of Kyushu. In the centre of the island there is the massive volcanic caldera culminating in Mt. Aso, while in the south there is more volcanic activity at Sakurajima. Larger towns like Kagoshima and Kumamoto offer fine gardens and some magnificent castles that are open to the public. Beppu is one of Japan's major hot-spring centres.
Kyushu is an island of shrines and temples. Camera buffs can go wild here. The most famous, the Shofukuji Temple, is a Zen temple originally founded in 1195 by the priest who first introduced Zen doctrines to Japan and who is also credited with introducing tea. The temple was badly damaged during World War II and only occupies a quarter of its former area. It's within walking distance of the Hakata station.
Also within walking distance of the Hakata rail station is the Sumiyoshi Jinja Shrine, one of the oldest in Kyushu; the main shrine was restored in 1623.
I was somewhat disappointed with Fukuokalo Castle, for only the walls remain but the view from the castle's hilltop site offers an excellent panorama of the city. The Ohori-koen Park is adjacent to the castle grounds and has a traditional (though recently constructed) Japanese garden on its southern side. The Fukuoka City Art Museum is also in the park and is open from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm daily except Mondays. You could actually spend days in the museum.
Also try to visit the Fukuoka City Historical Museum, which is now in a new building west of the town centre.
The Kushida Shrine near the Hakata River opposite the southern end of Nakasu Island is the starting point for one of the city's biggest yearly affairs—the Hakata Yamagasa Float Race. The world famous festival is held from l to 15 July. Seven groups of men race through the city carrying huge floats which weigh as much as a ton. The floats are displayed around the city for all to see during the festival.
A major sumo tournament is held in Kyushu in mid-November and, in early December, and the Fukuoka Marathon is one of the world's most important marathon races attracting world-class runners from many countries.
Fukuoka sees the arrival of yachts from the world over. It also marks the finish line for the 5500 mile Auckland/Fukuoka Yamaha Cup Yacht Race. Yachts participating in the race sail on the first leg from Auckland, New Zealand, to Suva, Fiji. They depart Suva for Agana, Guam, and set sail from there on the final leg, 1650 miles, for Fukuoka. Some of the world's fastest yachts enter the race. |
Japan is many islands connected by bridges
Japan a land of castles
Even Disneyland enters with a castle
Genghis Khan attempted to invade but was stopped by
a wind
Take the Bullet Train and pass Mt. Fuji
Samurai like these were prepared to stop Genghis
The Samurai tradition forever
The rickshaw is back, after Japan outlawed it in
1942
Streets are alive after dark
A rare sight these days, a traditional kimono store
Training them young
Smile for the camera
Kids are alike the world over
Taxi anyone?
How pretty can you get?
Geishas, few and far between these days
Temples in Japan are peace and solitude
A shrine on a lake for its beauty
Insight Guides can take you there
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Fukuoka witnessed another rather important sailing event of sorts some eight centuries ago. You can read about it in the Japanese history books. The Mongol leader Kublai Khan made two attempts to invade Japan between1274 and 1281. The invaders were defeated on their first try and, before the second attempt, a three metre high 'anti-Mongol wall' was built along the coast. In the end it proved unnecessary as a kamikaze, or 'divine wind', in the form of a typhoon wiped out the invader's fleet.
The wall is interesting to see. It originally extended for 20 km and some short stretches have been excavated at the Genko Fort north of Imajuku near Imazu-wan Bay. Other stretches of the anti-Mongol wall can be seen at Iki-no-Matsubara, back towards the city near the Odo Yacht Harbour, and at Nishijin, closer again towards the city centre.
The Hakozaki Shrine has a stone anchor retrieved from the Mongol invasion attempt and the Genko Historical Museum, also known as the Anti-Mongol Hall, displays items related to the abortive Mongolian invasions.
We all know that Japan is expensive for travellers. It's a delight to find that prices are much lower here in the south. In Fukuoka you can find a clean, inexpensive hotel room for as little as US$30. These are near the rail station. At many cafes you can have a bowl of noodles for $3, an espresso coffee for 50 cents and a sandwich for 70 cents.
Getting around by rail and bus is efficient and if you check with the tourist office for discounted rail and bus tickets they too can be inexpensive.
Next week I am flying to Brisbane on the Australian Gold Coast and I will be reporting from there. |
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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Dear Mr. Stephens. I have heard that April is the hottest month of the year in Thailand. It is the only time my husband and I have time off. Will we be able to manage it? Do you have any suggestions? Gloria McKinsey, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Dear Gloria, I see that you are from Albuquerque. I would imagine you know what heat is. Nevertheless, April is the hottest month of the year and it does become uncomfortable, but we can be thankful for air-conditioning. Everything these days is air-conditioned, taxis, public buildings, malls, restaurants, Skytrain. Air conditioning has made the world here possible. Before air-conditioning, punkah fans were the answer. These fans were large pieces of cloth on frames suspended from the ceiling and were moved backward and forward by a long cord, which a punkah boy, sitting in a corner, pulled. Imagine having a punkah boy in your bedroom every night. Times have changed. So please don’t worry about the heat. A button on the wall replaces the punkah boy. —HS
Harold Stephens
Bangkok
E-mail: ROH Weekly Travel
Note: The article is the personal view of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the view of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited.
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Next week it’s Australia. Stephens, right, tells
about incredible Australia in his book Who Needs A Road?
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