4.11.2012

Day 1 in Fukuoka : Visiting the city and history

After 7 hour bus ride from Osaka I have successfully landed in Fukuoka.

Fukuoka is a prefecture in the kyushu region.
Kyushu is an island located at the most south out of the 4 main islands Japan is made from. 
(Japan is a vertically long country)

So thinking that is going to be very warm compared to Tokyo (It's 15 hours south from Tokyo) I didn't pack very warm clothes.

My plans were very wrong, it was super cold and it was snowing.
I apparently picked the coldest weekend in the whole year to visit fukuoka.

Above is a huge poster I saw when I got to the station. I really like the guy on the top right hoho.

So from Hakata station, my roommate and I decided to walk around the main city of fukuoka before we met up with my roommate's friend at night.

Do love? for japan. 
Sounds kind of wrong but okay.


And then I found another weird signage when we were looking for the wooden buddha.
It's clear but it just sounds weird when you call it the "big buddha" when it actually has a proper name.


This used to be the biggest wooden buddha in the Kyushu area. 
You can go in for free and they have a mini maze which is pitch dark. 
It was actually quite scary walking into a place that has absolutely no light. 
Haven't experienced anything like that in a while.

Pagodas everywhere.


And as I've explained because its relatively in the southern area, they have many plants fit for the hot summer weather. (Probably 35 degrees in the summer time)

We went to go shopping at the canal city.
















Moomin cafe! Moomin is a lot more popular in Japan in then in any other country. I guess its the power of anime?





And because Fukuoka is famous for their pork bone based ramen I had to eat some!
I have to apologize to my friend though because she doesn't like eating them but I insisted in eating it.



After eating the first bowl, I still didn't have enough and decided to go to a second store. 
My roommate went shopping again while I ate the second bowl.

Yum yumm.
(The spoon is not huge, the bowl is small. I ordered a minimini ramen just to see how it tastes :))



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My roommate and I then decided to go on a tour of the cultural heritage in the city. 
The tour was free and it was very informational. The tour was also done on a volunteer base and it was very helpful.
I overall felt that the people in the city were very nice and warm.

This is a special type of wall made from plates. Where the old wall is still perserved you can see this type of design on some of the buildings. 



4.05.2012

Visiting the arts and design exhibition in Kyoto.

From Kyoto my roommate and I decided to go to Fukuoka which is maybe 7 hours south from Kyoto. And before we took the night bus again we decided to enjoy the art museum Kyoto has.
(Love the poster↑)

A weird brand name.

One of the bigger roads in Kyoto.

Walkin towards the museum.



I'm at the museum of Kyoto!

Since I studied about ukiyoe in school, I really wanted to see Hokusai's work with my own eyes.
And finally the dream of my life, I got to see his fuji mountain prints and the famous tsunami print.

Recently ukiyoe is the center of topic in the design and art scene again.

This is the fusion of the aesthetics now and old technology. 


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4.04.2012

To do list update 3!!


And the list shall grow...

Try Japanese Bar (Izakaya)
Eat 鯛めし
Eat some good Pork Cutlet トンカツ
Manga Cafe
Class Reunion
Fuji Rock Festival
Johnnys Store
Arashi Concert
Volunteer for Tsunami Relief
Eat Monjya Yaki
Go to Akihabara
Meet all my friends in Japan
Japanese Magic Straight Perm
Get a part time job
Go on an internship
Okinawa
Japanese Clubbing
Backpacking
Comedy Show
Try Street Snap
Maid Cafe
Go to at least one restaurant that got introduced in Arashi shows
Eat Sardine Soba にしん蕎麦
Eat at Caprichoza カプリチョーザ
Eat Horse Sashimi 馬刺し
Tokyo Modern Art Museum 東京現代美術館
Go watch a TV show as one of the audience
Go to the temples around my house area
Eat Tempura Rice Ball 天むす
Eat Blow Fish Sashimi ふぐ刺し
Eat Fish Sperm (sounds disgusting i know) 白子
Try getting a decorating nail in Japan
Japanese Gay Bar オカマバー
Go up Tokyo Tower
Takarazuka 宝塚
Go see AKB48
Go see Sky Tree
Go to Aiba's restaurant
Climb a mountain (Mt.fuji)
Arashi Bar
Niconico cafe/ Niconico Bar
Go to Tokyo Disney Land / Sea
Watch Japanese Musical (Cats)
Ghibli Museum 
Host Club 
Kamakura/Enoshima
Imperial Palace
Nippori Station
Hakone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakone,_Kanagawa)
Yoyogi Park
Shinjuku-Gyoen (for Hanami Plum blossom viewing)
See a Bunraku performance
Visit Tokyo-Daigaku 
Ueno Zoo/ Aquarium
Tokyo Bay Boat Cruise
So-kei Sen Baseball Game
Watch Pro Baseball Game 
Cake Buffet
アフレコカフェ
Visit the Canadian Embassay
Go to Hiroshima
Cat Cafe
Perfume Concert
Fuji-Q Amusement Park
Kichijyouji
Morning Tsukiji
Odaiba
Kyushu Area
Hiraizumi - Iwate Prefecture
Kakunodate - Akita Prefecture
Kishiwasa - Carnation Tour
Takaosan (mountain)
Skytree
Nakano Broadway
One Piece Exhibition
Roppongi Hills nightscape viewing 
Ginza Uniqlo
Ame Yoko
Motomachi
Hanami
Butler Cafe
Daikanyama
Beer Garden



4.03.2012

At my grandma's place

After visiting Arashiyama with my roommate we went to Osaka to visit my Grandma and to sleepover at my grandma's place.
We went to the super market near the house to have a huge feast!

I've noticed veggies and fruits in the super market looks perfect. Any veggies that looks kind of odd will not go out in the public.

This is poisonous blowfish.

4.02.2012

Trip to Kyoto with my roommate part2: MONKEY PARK


After walking around temples in kyoto I visited the monkey park in the mountains of arashiyama to see fat monkeys like this!

Crossed the river 

and found a sign that leads us to the monkey park!



Scary..

I don't get why we can't take pictures on the way.

We can't stare at the monkeys! Yikes!

Haha look at the angry monkey face.

It took around 20 minute to walk up the mountain to meet the monkeys.


It was pouring rain and it was frikin cold I thought of going back down at one point.





If you see a monkey on one of the paths ignore them and keep on walking!

And I finally got to the top! Look there are soo many monkeys!

We can look at the monkey from inside the shack and give them some food.

4.01.2012

Trip to Kyoto with my Roommate


   

Using my long two month spring break I went to Kyoto again with my lovely roommate.


We arrived at Kyoto station at 6am and took a train to arashiyama. 
Unfortunately it was pouring rain but because of the weather and it was a morning of a weekday there was no one walking around. 



I enjoyed taking pictures in the rain as well.





We found a bamboo street.
It was really quiet and I loved the smell of the place.