4.13.2012

Day 2 in Fukuoka: Hot spring!




2nd day in Fukuoka was a trip to Yufuin.
Yufuin is a resort for Japanese people as it's filled with hot springs. 
It's really an amazing place because every corner you go, you can go into a hot spring!

The two friends we met the day before offered us a ride to Yuufuin.
They also took us around yufuuin as well.


Many many gift shops around the area.

Even the lake and river are hot springs! And because the outside temperature was cold, you can see the steam coming out of the water.



There are restaurants and inns everywhere as well.








The four of us walking to the gift shop street.

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 :))



-----------------

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. 


------------