Hiroshima needs no introduction to most people. History made sure of it. This city was the first military target of a nuclear weapon in human history. It occurred on August 6, 1945 at 8:15 am. Most of Hiroshima was destroyed, and by the end of the year 200,000 had died as a result of the blast and its effects. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) serves as a memorial of the bombing. Though it has a sad history, there are…
In our previous trip to Japan, we did a few spontaneous side trips that were not planned. And we often ended up enjoying the day and seeing a bit of the local life. Since our arrival on March 8th, the weather has been fantastic with temperatures (‘C) in high teens and low twenties. Most days were sunny and clear. Here is our spontaneous side trip out of Fukuoka to a coastal town of Karatsu, about 50 km west. The train…
Ohori Park is a large public city park (constructed between 1926 and 1929) in central Fukuoka with a large pond at its centre. Ohori is Japanese for large moat. The park is designed after the classical garden stop the West Lake of Hangzhou in China. The nearby attractions (some adjacent) to the park includes the Fukuoka Art Museum, Ohori Park Japanese Garden, Gokuku Shrine, and Fukuoka Castle Ruins. There are peony, rose, wisteria, plum blossom, and cherry blossom gardens too. There…
Hakata Old Town is a historic area where our hotel is located. What a contrast! The ability to merge a busy and modern area around Hakata Station and business district with a great place for a peaceful stroll consisting of old buildings, ancient temples, narrow alleyways, and hideaway food places (if you blink, you already miss the entrances of eateries—often, you don’t even notice it is there). We will let the photos speak for themselves with a few captions here and…
Why did we begin our trip in Fukuoka, the nearest point among Japan’s main islands to Asia mainland (and it is closer to Seoul than to Tokyo)? Convenience and weather. More than 90 direct flight are available between the city and Tokyo. There is a direct train from the airport to the city’s main transportation hub and we could be in our hotel in less than 15 minutes. And the weather tends to be warmer in southern Japan earlier in…