Venti

I kept coming here and starting to write something down, only to really how utterly fucking self-important I sound. Then I remembered that I'm not writing this for you fuckers, I'm writing it for my own benefit, and as far as I'm concerned, I'm pretty fucking important, so that's fine.
Monday February 04 2008
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a week in Fukuoka

So I have a couple of my family members coming out to see me over the next couple of weeks whilst I”m on spring break, and I’ve trying to come up with cool, interesting things to do with them during there visit, preferably without leaving the city limits. This list might be of some use to anyone else spending a short time in our wonderful city.

  1. Eat some 博多ラメン (Hakata Ramen) The previous post should provide you with a taste of what to expect. Fukuoka is the home of Ramen, and 一蘭 (Ichiran) is as good a place as any to sample this delicious dish. The noodles are served in a garlic and onion broth, with optional pork cutlets and boiled egg. Excellent and affordable.
  2. Scale Fukuoka Tower and the Marinoa city ferris wheel The tower based at Seaside Momochi is the tallest seaboard skyscraper in Asia, and offers stunning views both night and day of the city and the mountains behind it on one side, and the Hakata bay on the other. The Tower has two viewing floors and a cafe. The Marinoa City Ferris Wheel is the largest Ferris in Asia, and also offers great views of the city, albeit in a slightly more kitsch environment. Take a leisurely ride and grab some great night-time shots of Fukuoka.
  3. Visit Dazaifu A train-ride away from downtown Fukuoka is the historic city of 太宰府 (Dazaifu). A popular tourist haunt, and a place for Japanese students to go and pray for academic success. This is what you’ll expect to see when you conjure an image of ‘Japan’.
  4. Shopping in 天神　 Fukuoka is the largest city on Kyushu, and Tenjin is the biggest shopping area in town. There’s a bit of everything, clothes shops galore, and lots of places to find all of the Japanese nicknacks you’ll probably want to take back home with you. Lots of places to grab lunch around Daimyo, the shockingly cool part of town which is home to Bathing Ape, and a whole host of other boutique fashion stores and record shops.
  5. A night on Oyafuko Oyafuko-dori is the place to go for a night out in Fukuoka. Lots of bars and clubs are crammed around a small street, with many buildings hosting several cool places for you to get some food, drink and dance the night away. Foreigner visiters can find solace in the company of fellow travellers in Fubar and Dark Room. Muso’s will enjoy Keith Flack, Decadent Deluxe and Early Believers. All within easy walking dastance of each other. Also on Oyafuko-Dori, Xaymaca offers delicious Caribbean cuisine and a taste of Jamaica offered by Allan, the bar’s owner.
  6. A visit to Nokonoshima If nature is your bag, noko is a nice place for a midday stroll. The island park (bus ride from the ferry port) offers uninterrupted views of the Kyushu mainland, and the sea on the other side. You can feed rabbits, chickens, goats and geese. The park also has short-stay bungalows for groups wanting to spend a nght on the island with a barbecue and the promise of seeing the sun rising over Hakata bay. Ferry from Noko Ferry port ~　600円 return.

TO BE COMPLETED