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| Beautiful fall foliage in the Tochoji Temple (Buddhist) |
We visited Gion, the Hakata historic district to see the temples and shrines.
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| Kushida Shinto Torii gate |
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| The Kushida Shrine (Shinto) |
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| Annual street processions are held honouring the deities |
The Shinkansen train (from Fukuoka-Hakata Sttn to Yufuin.)
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| The Express train is called "Yufuin No Mori". |
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| The passenger compartment have nice wood panelling. |
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| The Shinkansen train ride was about 2.5 hours. |
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| Waterfalls |
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| Mt Fuyu stands prominently (brown) in Fuyuin. |
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| Fuyuin Sttn (where tickets are manually collected) |
Yufuin is charming, tranquil hot spring (onsen) resort town in Oita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan.
Yufuin |
| Yufuin Floral Village |
Yufuin Floral Village is a charming place in Oita Prefecture in Kyushu. It is known for its scenic beauty and relaxing atmosphere. Designed to look like a quaint European market village inspired by the Coltswold in England, it has stone cottages and flower-lined paths.
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| Kinrinko Lake in Yufuin |
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| Famous Yufuin Swiss roll. |
Inexpensive (JPY450) & fast tori&ebi tempura lunch in Fuyuin |
| Ebi (prawn) tempura |
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| Iconic roof arches of the Visitor Center. |
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| View of Mt Fuyu from the Visitor Center. |
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| View of Mt Fuyu from Hanayoshi Ryokan |
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| There was a full moon on our first night. |
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| Relative heights of the surrounding mountains. |
Hanayoshi Ryokan in Yufu, Oita
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| Our room number |
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| Entrance of the Ryokan |
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| Hanayoshi Ryokan reception |
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| Hanayoshi Ryokan layout plan |
Hanayoshi Ryokan sits on the side of a mountain facing east and overlooking Mount Yufu.
Our Kaiseki meals at Hanayoshi Ryokan in Tachibana.
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| Tachibana dining rooms. |
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| Local sake "Fuyuin No Mori" |
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| Breakfast fare is more modest. |
Our private onsen
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| Our Feet onsen |
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| Our own zen garden. |
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| Relaxing massage chair. |
Special Shinkansen JR Kyushu Sweet train (from Yufuin to Hakata Sttn)
This is the special "Aru Ressha" Discover train, and runs only from Fuyuin to Hakata. The train carriage was built for J.G. Brill Company in the USA. The company lasted for 90 years as the longest-lasting trolley and interurban manufacturer of streetcars. The company was acquired by GE Transportation in 1954.
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| The Sweet train, "Aru Ressha" |
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| Our luggage on the train platform. |
The Sweet train is all about food.....
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| Celebrities comments. |
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| At Amagase stop, we all got off and took this photo of train from overhead bridge. |
Amagase and Beppu, together with Fuyuin, are famous onsen towns in Oita, Kyushu.
We arrived in Fukuoka in evening.......and went to check out the Yatai (street food) stalls along the canal.
Dacomecca bakery in Hakata
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| A very long queue to get into the shop. |
Hakata Seafood Uoden
Uoden is a Japanese "yong tau foo", but this establishment specialises in mentaiko. The bill was JPY10,150.
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| The restaurant's own sake. |
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| The mentaiko (Alaska pollock roe) rice was good but my tummy didn't agree. |
Rakutenchi Motsunabe (Beef Offal hotpot)
Offal hotpot is one of the favourite cuisines from Fukuoka, and we had to try it. For 3 of us, the total bill came up to JPY10,880.
Ichiran Ramen
Ichiran Ramen is just round the corner from our hotel in Nakasu. This is the original shop or its HQ. The bill for 3 of us was JPY4,860.
Ichiran Ramen all diners inside must sit in cubicles like in exams.
Muzashiza Izakaya, Chuo Ward
Muzashiza is near Watanabe dori in Chuo Ward. At JPY28,520 for all the seafood grills we had, it was a really good experience we would like to go for again.
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| This huge stone stove faces the front entrance. |
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| Asahi High Ball. |
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| De-shell for us. |
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| Sardines. |
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| Rock fish |
Niku No Yama Sho(w), Tenjin
Niku was a dinner really full of value for the money. We have to walk up to the second floor. It was JPY18,700, a really good meal.
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| Kim-chi |
Ningyocho Imahan Beef in JR Hakata City Mall
This was quick lunch before we boarded "Fuyuin No Mori" train in Hakata to Fuyu. It was also our most expensive meal at JPY20,000. But it was fair because the beef restaurant serves fine dining prime beef menu.
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| Chawanmushi |
Coco Ichibanya Curry House, Nakasu
The Curry House is next to Ichiran Ramen, and also round the corner from our hotel.
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| Curry chicken cutlet with spinach, with iced cafe au lait. |
Matsuya, Nakasu
We wanted a quick breakfast on our last morning to catch the 10am open top bus tour at City Hall in Tenjin. Matsuya is a popular fast food chain famous for its gyu-don. It has thousands of branches all over Japan. Nakasu branch is next to our hotel.
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| My bento set |
The total cost of the meal for all 3 of us was JPY1,630. Very good value.
Open top bus tour
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| Ruins of Fukuoka Castle |
Fukuoka Castle ruins is located in Maizuru park. During the Edo Period it was the largest castle on Kyushu, but was almost completely torn down as an unwanted symbol of the feudal past (after Meiji restoration in 1868). The site was officially closed in 1871.
The castle was built in 17th century by Kuroda Nagamasa who was the lord of the domain. He had supported Tokugawa Ieyasu during the
battle of Sekigahara (Oct 1600).
Fukuoka Christmas markets at Tenjin and Nishinakasu
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| Acrobatic performers from Cirque du Soleil |
We stayed in Nakasu district, which is adjacent to Hakata and Tenjin, and everywhere was within walking distance.
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| Mitsui Garden Hotel in Nakasu |
Volcanic eruption in Kagoshima, Kyushu
We did not feel nor heard anything in Fukuoka. But the earthquakes in north east Japan coast off Aomori prefecture had more media coverage. Tokyo also had earthquake in southern Ibraki prefecture.
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