Thursday, December 4, 2008

Hakata Ramen fukuoka japan

Hakata Ramen or Tonkotsu Ramen is one of the most famous foods in Fukuoka, Japan. It is a ramen noodle dish that is served in a pork bone based broth. If you go to a good ramen shop the broth will have been cooking for many hours so the flavor is just unbelieveable. Hakata Ramen is also served with toppings that include sliced pork, pickled ginger, sesame seeds, and pickled greens.

There are many places to eat Hakata Ramen around the city from Ramen Stadium in Canal City to a street vendor at one of the Yatai’s. If you ask a Fukuoka local where their favorite ramen shop is you will probably get many different answers, so try a few until you find your own favorite.

If you have a favorite Ramen Shop let us know and we will add it to our recommended shops!

Fukuoka Asian Art Museum

Fukuoka Asian Art Museum

Link
The Fukuoka Asian Art Museum is located in the RiverRain Building near Hakata Station. The museum focuses on Modern and Contemporary Asian Art from around the Region. They have a very comprehensive website so have a look and get all the information you need.

Hours:
10:00-20:00
Closed on Wednesdays (or the following day if Wednesday is a national holiday)
New Years Days (26 Dec - 1 Jan)

Address:
7 & 8th floor, Riverain Center Building
3-1 Shimokawabata-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City

Tel: 092 263 1100
Fax: 092 263 1105

Fukuoka Art Museum

Fukuoka Art Museum

Link
The Fukuoka Art Museum is conveniently located inside of Ohori Koen (Ohori Park). The best way to get to the museum is by taking the subway and getting off at the Ohori Koen station.

Hours:
9:30-17:30(You must enter by 17:00)
July and August until 19:30(You must enter by 19:00) Except for Sundays and holidays.

Price:
Usually 200 Yen for adults but the prices may be higher if there is a special exhibitions.

Address:
1-6 Ohori-Koen Park, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi 810-0051 Japan
Phone 092-714-6051

Fukuoka City Museum

Fukuoka City Museum
Website

The Fukuoka City Museum is located in the Momochihama area of Fukuoka City, Japan. It houses lots of interesting historical artifacts from Fukuoka’s past. I highly recommend stopping by and checking it out. I would only dedicate a couple hours or half a day to the museum, since a whole day there would be a waste. Luckily, there are several other good places to visit in the area such as Fukuoka Tower, Momochi Beach, Fukuoka Dome, Fukuoka Library, etc. While you are at the Museum the most important thing to check out is the “Gold Seal” (Kin-in) or “Gold Stamp”. The Gold Seal was discovered in 1784. If I remember correctly the importance of the seal, besides that fact that it’s made of gold and is old, is that it was the first recognition of Japan as a country by China. My facts might be a little off but if you visit the museum you can get the full story. Of course there are also a lot of other cool and interesting things in the museum from Fukuoka’s past.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Address:
Fukuoka City Museum
1-1Momochihama3-chome,
Sawara-ku,Fukuoka City
TEL:092-845-5011
FAX:092-845-5019

Futamigaura Beach Sunset Beach

Futamigaura / Sunset Beach is perhaps the best all around beach in or around Fukuoka. It has restaurants, cafes, shops, nice sand, waves, and clean water. Since Sunset Beach is away from the city the air is also nice and clean. You can pretty much swim from June to September give or take a few weeks here and there. The best surfing is usually in the winter so you will have to have a full wet suit to get the best of the wave action. On occasion there are some pretty nice sized waves in the summer so keep on the look out.


Better quality pictures are on the way, but I think you can get the basic idea.

Yes, you can surf in Fukuoka!

This is why it’s called Sunset Beach!

Great place to get some food and drink!

Up and down the road near Sunset Beach there are lots of cool and hip places to hang out and get some food & drink. You can get Japanese food, Hawaiian Food, Jamaican Food, and everything in between. It’s mostly a summer hang out but I have found myself jumping in my car and taking a drive out there to have a nice meal with friends and family in the winter as well.

One last thing I have to mention is that the traffic in and out of Futamigaura / Sunset Beach can be a pain in the summer! So you either have to go really, really early or go at about 3pm, which is when a good percentage of people leave.

This page is still under development so stop by a little later to get all the information on Futamigaura and Sunset Beach in Fukuoka, Japan.

Shikaka Beach fukuoka japan

Shikaka Beach

Shikaka Beach is ideal for those that don’t have a car or a friend with a car, but want to find a nice quiet beach with clean water. It is not a surfing beach, although there is a surfable beach further down at a car rest stop if you don’t mind a long walk. Shikaka Beach is probably not the real name of the beach I am referring to in this post but it’s the name that was given by many English Teachers due to it’s proximity to Shikaka Station.

JR Chikuhi Line Picture

Shikaka Station is a very, very small station on the JR line heading toward Karatsu on the Chikuhi Line. It is so small that their isn’t usually any staff to take your ticket. From Tenjin to Shikaka takes about 45 minutes to an hour depending how efficient your are at using public transport in Japan. If you are smart you will wait for a train that says Karatsu on it so you don’t have to change trains, but it’s not that important since changing trains at Meinohama isn’t that complex.

Once you are at Shikaka Station just walk down the hill and cross over 202 and you will see the beach. There is no special place to put down your beach towel, just find a place that looks good to you and enjoy the sun and fun of the beach. I recommend that you go with a bunch of people and you bring a lunch or some snacks and of course some water and sunscreen, as there aren’t many places to buy things.

Click Here to View Map

This page is under development so please stop by a little later to get all the information on Shikaka Beach in Fukuoka, Japan.

fukuoka japan Welcome to Fukuoka Japan

Here is a video that one of the Fukuoka, Japan FaceBook Group members Daniel Ashley found. It appears to be made by a government agency or by a travel agency. It shows a little bit of just about everything you can do in and around Fukuoka, Japan. It’s probably one of the best Fukuoka promotional videos I have seen, if not the best. Do you think it represents Fukuoka well?

hoerbinger in fukuoka

hoerbinger in fukuoka
Yes, we do have the Hoerbinger Coat of Arms available. We have over 1 million surnames in our database. We don't show the Hoerbinger Coat of Arms here, because there are usually more than one for a surname. So, the best thing for you to do is research on the web, find the coat of arms you like, return here and describe it on our order form. WE CAN DUPLICATE ANY COAT OF ARMS YOU SEE ON THE WEB. Or, if you just want to place an order, we will use the OLDEST Hoerbinger Coat of Arms in our records. Below is a sample of one of our Family Coat of Arms. This is not the Hoerbinger Coat of Arms, it is just a sample of our artwork.

dyson john fukuoka

dyson john fukuoka


C’est au 17ème atelier robotique de Fukuoka au Japon que Miles Dyson Ichikawa Yutaka a présenté cette main droitière robotisée.
Cette main est ultra légère par rapport à ses ancêtres puisque l’exploit de ses 400 grammes est dû aux muscles à air comprimé qu’elle utilise, qui comparé aux moteurs classiques ne font que peu de bruit et sont extrêmement légers.

Grâce à sa technologie « next gen », elle peut effectuer sans peine des tâches délicates comme ramasser un œuf, là où autrefois le mec au joystick suait des perles de transpiration pour ne pas péter la coque avec un bras articulé de 4 tonnes.

La firme prévoit la production de 50 prototypes pour la recherche et une hypothétique future commercialisation.


La grosse déchirure sur ce proto a été faite pour faciliter la mobilité du pouce.

L’aspect humain est rendu par un mélange de fibres et de silicone.
On vous tiendra au courant bien sûr pour la video..

bridge fukuoka

Last weekend I went to a professional soccer game in Fukuoka city. The teams playing were the home team, representing Fukuoka, and a team from Yokohama. One of my new friends, William, a guy who works for the same company as I, and who also lives in Iizuka, scored me a free ticket. This was my first pro soccer game experience, and I really had a good time. I can't say I noticed a great deal of differences between this game and soccer games that are played in the states or in Europe, other than the fans were all Japanese, as was most of the food. I ate a juicy sausage link on a stick.

Its been really great being able to visit Fukuoka city on the weekends. From Iizuka, a train ride to Fukuoka city takes about 45 minutes and costs about 6 dollars. Fukuoka city is the biggest city in Fukuoka prefecture and I think has around 1 million and a half people. It reminds me of Portland, OR, in a lot of ways; the city is located right on the water, its has a sort of cosmopolitan feel to it (for Japan anyway - in Fukuoka city there are a lot of foreigners living amongst the Japanese), and there is a lot to do culturally. A few weekends ago I visited Tenjin, the older, more central part of Fukuoka city. It's difficult to tell much about how old things are in Tenjin, though, or anywhere in Fukuoka city really, because most of the buildings look so new.

When I was in Tenjin there was a music festival going on and several stages were set up within a few blocks to showcase bands from Kyushu and around Japan. I caught one bigger show in front of the city hall, and there were several other groups playing well within walking distance from there. It was a free show, and went on for two days. William and I were able to catch the tail end of a Japanese "Ventures" cover band performance. This group of mostly older Japanese men played some fantastic surf-rock to a small, older crowd of Japanese people. I really loved what I saw.

Its been nice for me to be able to visit Fukuoka City and Tenjin and get a change of scenery from Iizuka. The night life is big, the food is great, the people dress stylish and funny, and it's pretty easy to get around. The pictures I'm posting are of: me at the soccer game, a nighttime shot from a bridge in Fukuoka city, a shot of people walking around Nakasu, the big entertainment district in Fukuoka city, and a clip of some Japanese guys rockin' out in tribute to the Ventures.

fukuoka earthquake

As I promised in an earlier post, these are newly posted photos from our time in Fukuoka, Japan.
You can see the entire story in photos and text here
'Fukuoka hasn't had an earthquake in 100 years-- nor a major one for centuries!'

they'd told me -- surprising for this earthquake-prone country-- however, this changed March 5th, 2005, when our home in western Fukuoka shimmied and shook for nearly a minute. A major earthquake had struck just off the coast.
We survived with minimal damage, checked our neighbors and called our friends. One, alone with two small kids in a badly shook up top floor apartment, was panicking with the frequent aftershocks (BTW, they continued for weeks), so a few of us went to help.
On the way met a friend gripping newspapers with graphic photos showing nearly every home on her island destroyed. She told us, 'They had to leave without even their shoes.' and asked us to help.

At the shelter with a team of 'Family International' volunteers, they nearly turned us away, saying they'd provided everything, until the island's kindergarten teacher excitedly asked if we could do something for the kids...
You can also read more details on the quake at wikipedia

hikari fukuoka

GAMI's The Woman promotion held its second show on Feb. 3 at Shin-kiba 1st Ring. GAMI named GAEA veteran Toshie Uematsu as associate supervisor. She's assisting GAMI with the booking. The usual wrestlers were on the show with the exception of a special appearance by retired JWP wrestler Hikari Fukuoka. Can't argue with that. I'd go a long way to watch her too.



The opening match was strange because it was more suitable for a main event. It was Azumi Hyuga & Ayako Hamada vs GAMI & Toshie Uematsu. Hamada pinned GAMI after a uraken. Afterwards, GAMI joked about Ayako flying in from Mexico and suffering jet lag. Then GANI & Uematsu discussed who their next opponents should be. Uematsu said she wasn't sure because The Bloody & Fang Suzuki have retired. The next match had Manami Toyota vs Cherry which is a waste of Toyota's talent.



Hikari Fukuoka hosted a talk show segment. I'm a huge Fukuoka mark so I'm a little biased but Hikari is still drop dead gorgeous today. And she's married with a five year old son. She rarely appears in a joshi ring. I believe the last time was at the Sumie Sakai Farewell Show in 2002. Hikari says she still works out regularly and she and her husband are planning to open their own gym.



Back to the wrestling. Next was a rookie three way match with Fuuka, Yuna & Haruhi. You can't expect much from these three. Fuuka won.The main event had Kumiko Maekawa & Michiko Ohmukai vs Dynamite Kansai & Mika Nishio. This was Nishio's first match since leaving KO Productions to freelance. Maekawa pinned Nishio with an axe kick. Nishio proceeded to post on her blog that it was a poor match. After the show, GAMI says she is already planning the next The Woman show on March 10 and she wants Maekawa just before her retirement. She then threw out a bunch of names she would like to get for the show including Commando Bolshoi & Nanae Takahashi. Who ever thought those two would be big names in the joshi business? That's what things are like in 2006. Here's the results of the show.



THE WOMAN - 2/3/06 - Shin-kiba 1st Ring
Ayako Hamada & Azumi Hyuga def. GAMI & Toshie Uematsu (Hamada over GAMI)
Manami Toyota def. Cherry
Mai Ichii def. Ayumi Kurihara in 9:50
THREE WAY MATCH:Fuuka def. Yuna & Haruhi in 7:07
Kumiko Maekawa & Michiko Ohmukai def. Dynamite Kansai & Mika Nishio (Maekawa over Nishio in 17:32)

karate fukuoka

Dentro de la olimpiadas, existen competiciones de dos artes marciales: Judo (desde 1964, mujeres desde 1992) y de Taekwondo (desde el 2000). ¿Porqué no de Karate también?


Judo en las olimpiadas de Tokyo 1964

En las olímpiadas existe un número máximo de eventos (28) con el fin de que se ajusten al presupuesto. El béisbol ha sido eliminado debido a que salía caro mantenerlo, y en el 2005 hubo una votación para sustituirlo en las olímpiadas de Londres 2012, cuyos finalistas fueron Karate y Squash, pero ninguno obtuvo dos tercios de la votación necesaria.

A mi parecer estas son las razones de porqué Karate no fue elegido deporte olímpico:

En Judo y Taekwondo, se ha llegado a un acuerdo global de lo que son las reglas y el sistema de puntaje. En cambio, dentro del Karate existen distintos grupos que cada uno tiene variaciones en su estilo y es difícil organizarlos, a pesar de los esfuerzos de la Federación Mundial de Karate.


Video promocional de la Federación Mundial de Karate

El Karate es un deporte violento, en el que invariablemente habría sangre, e incluso habría preocupación de que alguien muriera en plena justa olímpica.

Aún habría esperanza en las próximas votaciones del 2009, o de otra forma, si Tokyo fuera elegida como sede para los juegos del 2016 (la ciudad de Fukuoka se había postulado también).

mitsukoshi fukuoka

Mitsukoshi (2779) and Isetan (8238), the fourth- and fifth-largest department stores in Japan, are reportedly in talks for a capital tie-up and an integration of their operations. Together the two firms generated 1.6 trillion yen in sales for the February 2007 year. Thus the combined company would be the largest department-store operation in Japan, exceeding Daimaru-Matsuzakaya whose merger into the new firm J. Front Retailing is expected to be completed in September.

A Mitsukoshi-Isetan combination would be something like a merger of Saks and Macy's. Mistsukoshi, whose history extends back to the 17th century, caters to a rich, upscale clientele, while Isetan has a strong following among younger people for its fashion sense. Although some observers suggest that matching the old and rich with the young and hip makes a nice fit, it would also seem the new company would have to move carefully to avoid alienating either group of core customers.

Geographically, though, the two firms are a good match. Mitsukoshi's historic base in Tokyo is Nihonbashi and it has stores in Sapporo and Nagoya; in total, Mitsukoshi has 20 units. Isetan's Tokyo home is Shinjuku, with six other stores in the Tokyo area, including Kichijoji, Tachikawa, and Urawa (Saitama); it also has four regional stores and eight shops in Asia. Mitsukoshi's units are located throughout Japan and Isetan's are mostly in the Tokyo area, so except in Fukuoka, there isn't much overlap between them. There's also geographic diversity overseas, because Mitsukoshi has more shops in Europe than in Asia.

Mitsukoshi has been having financial difficulties for a long time. The chain depends heavily on seasonal gift-giving by corporate customers, and sales for this group fell 15.5% last year. Japanese department stores suffered heavily during the long business drought of the 1990s, and they have been stung by competition from supermarkets, specialty stores, convenience stores, and other retail formats. Lately things have picked up a bit: Department-store sales rose 5.5% in June, the fastest pace in nine years, although much of that may have had to do with starting summer discounts earlier to take advantage of an extra Saturday in June.

Analysts expect that a Mitsukoshi-Isetan would soon achieve benefits through integration of purchasing, logistics, etc., led by the well-respected Isetan team. Isetan has already made substantial headway in streamlining its operations, while Mitsukoshi still has a way to go in improving its stores outside major metropolitan areas.

murakami family name fukuoka japan

murakami family name fukuoka japan
Covers the 1995 Tokyo Gas Attack, during which agents of a Japanese cult released sarin gas into the subway system, as documented in interviews with its survivors, perpetrators, and victims's family members....It was a clear spring day, Monday, March 20, 1995, when five members of the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo conducted chemical warfare on the Tokyo subway system using sarin, a poison gas twenty-six times as deadly as cyanide. The unthinkable had happened, a major urban transit system had become the target of a terrorist attack.

In an attempt to discover why, Haruki Murakami, internationally acclaimed author of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and arguably Japan's most important contemporary novelist, talked to the people who lived through the catastrophe -- from a Subway Authority employee with survivor guilt, to a fashion salesman with more venom for the media than for the perpetrators, to a young cult member who vehemently condemns the attack though he has not quit Aum. Through these and many other voices, Murakami exposes intriguing aspects of the Japanese psyche. And as he discerns the fundamental issues leading to the attack, we achieve a clear vision of an event that could occur anytime, anywhere. Hauntingly compelling and inescapably important, Underground is a powerful work of journalistic literature from one of the world's most perceptive writers.... Click here or on the image for details

nike fukuoka dunk yamakasa

OMG!!!! THIS IS PROBALY THIS SICKEST POST IVE DONE YET. I WAS TRIPPING BALLS WHEN I SEEN THIS SNEAKER. SHOES STRAIGHT CRACK. As part of Nike’s Japanese City Dunk Pack, the Fukuoka Dunk will see its release this weekend. Available June 28th at select retailers in Japan.

nishijin fukuoka Starting something new


Well, it has been a while since I updated the blog. I have been trying various ones to see which I like. They each have a unique flare, but I think I have decided on the Blogger and connect it to my Facebook. We'll see how it works.

And now on to the other new things. We started a community center in Fukuoka, Japan called the Friendship Center. We have begun English Classes as well as Scrapbooking and other events as well. It has been a slow but good start. We had our first Coffee and Chat. See picture:)

We also had our first Travel English class and are looking into what we will do this summer. This has been a lot of work and time consuming telephone calls, set up and maintenance as well as ministry. Please pray for this new idea as we get into a routine.

We are now also praying about when to start the House Church. This is a different kind of method of Church Planting that is gaining popularity in Asia and is just really starting here in Japan. So, we are pioneers in that sense. We are studying in the Bible what the Church is, what is it's structure and how it is done so that we model a Biblical model of the Church and not just our ideas of what we want. We will probably start in Sept after we move from our current location in Maebaru to where the Friendship Center is near Nishijin. Thanks for praying with us!!

masanobu fukuoka The One Straw Revolution

Masanobu Fukuoka, the pioneer of "natural" farming, which eschews plowing, weeding and the use of fertilizers or pesticides, died of old age at his home in Iyo, Ehime Prefecture on Saturday, according to Breitbart. He was 95.

Fukuoka was the author of "The One Straw Revolution," a book that has been translated into English, Korean, Thai and several other languages, and the recipient of the Deshikottam Award, India's most prestigious award, and the Philippines' Ramon Magsaysay award for public service, both in 1988.

After attending an agricultural college in Gifu Prefecture and working at the customs office in Yokohama and an agricultural laboratory in Kochi Prefecture, Fukuoka returned to his native Ehime Prefecture to practice the natural farming method that does not require artificial fertilizers or pesticides and goes beyond organic farming.

He advocated natural farming in various parts of Asia and Africa and also made efforts at greening deserts using such ideas as enclosing seeds in clay pellets.


Masanobu Fukuoka was born in 1914 in a small farming village on the island of Shikoku in Southern Japan. He was educated in microbiology and worked as a soil scientist specializing in plant pathology, but at the age of twenty-five he began to have doubts about modern agriculture science.

Fukuoka wrote:

"If a single new bud is snipped off a fruit tree with a pair of scissors, that may bring about a disorder which cannot be undone…. Human beings with their tampering do something wrong, leave the damage unrepaired, and when the adverse results accumulate, work with all their might to correct them."

"To become one with nature -- agriculture is an occupation in which a farmer adapts himself to nature. To do that, you have to gaze at a rice plant and listen to the words from the plant. If you understand what the rice says, you just adjust your heart to that of the rice plants and raise them. In reality, we do not have to raise them. They will grow. We just serve nature. A piece of advice I need to give you here. When I say gaze at a rice plant or stare at its true form, it does not mean to make an observation or to contemplate the rice plant, which makes it an object different from yourself. It is very difficult to explain in words. In a sense, it is important that you become the rice plant. Just as you, as the subject of gazing, have to disappear. If you do not understand what you should do or what I am talking about, you should be absorbed in taking care of the rice without looking aside. If you could work wholeheartedly without yourself, that is enough. Giving up your ego is the shortest way to unification with nature."


Fukuoka believed that farming is related to the spiritual health of the farmer. "Natural farming is not just for growing crops," he said, "it is for the cultivation and perfection of human beings."

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Famous Fukuoka food

Fukuoka ramen Have you ever had that cup O ramen or that freeze dried packaged ramen? bah! throw that out and try some "Tonkatsu ramen" (pork ramen) famous in Fukuoka and well know throughout all of Japan. First time I tried it I was instantly hooked and to this day try and eat it once every week or so.

Mentaiko Another famous food which Fukuoka is renound for is mentaiko (very tiny fish eggs). To some people mentaiko may not seem very appatizing but please don't knock it till you try it. Mentaiko spagetti, as an example, is a delicious treat around these parts. And there are of course many other recipes which have use for mentaiko

Fukuoka Passes Away

Fukuoka Passes Away

Fukuoka Passes Away

Masanobu Fukuoka died at the age of 95. The man who wrote One Straw Revolution.

He was a farmer who questioned the fundamentals of farming -- he wrote about his experiments with what he calls natural farming, where he totally did away with tilling and weeding.

He was not only a farmer. There are people who think the book is not about farming at all, but are shaken by the charm of this small book.

I felt that once you read this book, you are not the same person any more. No matter whether you believe in his farming techniques or not. No matter whether you agree with his philosophy or not. It is one present I love buying for my friends (not just because it comes for under hundred rupees).

["This is the story of a Japanese farmer. You'll really like it. It's about farming, but not really..": from an online review.]

Fukuoka had warned of disaster in B'lore

Fukuoka had warned of disaster in B'lore
By Subhash Chandra NS, DH News Service, Bangalore:

Natural farming pioneer and Ramon Magsaysay award winner, Masanobu Fukuoka, who passed away in Japan on Sunday night, had warned of disasters in Bangalore City if its green cover was continuously depleted. Even as the world of organic and natural farmers mourns Fukuoka’s death, City-based farmer Narayana Reddy recollects the late pioneer’s visit to Bangalore in 1988.

Fukuoka was here on the invitation of Shantinikethan, which honoured him with the Deshikottam Award. He had made a brief stopover at Bengalore enroute to Puducherry.

The author of ''The One Straw Revolution,'' who visited Naryana Reddy’s farm spent nearly three hours acquiring knowledge regarding the farming practices in the State. “He went around the farm and appreciated the growth of dense trees. He was referred to me by a Christian missionary in White Field, and since I am an organic farmer, he was eager to meet me,” he explained.

He said that having seen the City and the population in the City, Fukuoka had observed that it had to match its population outburst with adequate green cover to provide an unpolluted atmosphere.

A staunch follower of the Gandhi and Buddha, Fukuoka would recollect their preachings every now and then and would speak of life in co-operation with nature.

An ardent lover of nature, Reddy has vowed to plant a tree everyday until his death. His inspiration was Fukuoka himself, who used to follow it. “It is hard to digest the fact that he is no more, it is a great loss to the world of natural farming,” he said.

Fukoka, a microbiologists quit his job as a research scientist and devoted his life to develop a unique small scale organic farming system that does not require weeding, pesticide or fertiliser applications, or tilling.

His system of farming known as natural farming or Fukuoka farming became so popular world wide that his book ‘One Straw Revolution’ became a bible to many farmers who wanted to farm without pesticides and chemical fertilisers. The book has been translated to several languages.

Science and nature - Fukuoka’s views

“All I could give them was one straw”….

Very recently I read the book “The One Straw Revolution”. I was raving about it to my colleagues, more so on the evening of the 17th of August. On the morning of the 18th, I got the news of the death of Masanobu Fukuoka, the author of the book. Earlier this year, I had the fortune of meeting the person who wrote the preface for this book - Pratap Agarwal. He too, like Fukuoka, practiced ’rishi kheti’, a form of farming similar to natural farming.

Fukuoka was a microbiologist during his youth in Japan. In his book he describes his journey of why and how he gave up his job and his initial way of life, to eventually become a farmer, learning the technique of ‘natural farming’ ( an improvisation made by him of a very ancient farming methodology) and how he links it to his philosophy of life and everything. According to me, this book is a must read.

The book looks to on-lookers as a manual on the technique of natural farming, but actually it is a book of experience and philosophy. Though you may not agree to some or most of his philosophy, it still presents to you a new perspective. The appreciation of this perspective may come with time.

Science, according to Fukuoka, is an attempt by man to understand nature. And by doing so, man wishes to make something better than nature. For understanding nature, man studies it in parts - physics, chemistry, biology etc. So he segregates the processes and components of nature into different subjects. But the problem is that nature cannot studied in parts because nature exists as a whole. When this ‘whole’ is segregated, it ceases to be nature, it becomes something else. Secondly, an attempt to make something better than nature itself is futile because it is impossible to comprehend what nature is in the first place. When a person tries to understand nature, that is when the first mistake happens. Nature is not something that can be understood, it can only be loved and be amazed about. Thirdly, in the process to make something better than nature, man has created problems, a lot of them.

For example, man attemped to make big farms with single crop( monocultures) which is against the principle of nature ( where many varieties of plants grow in close proximity and have an interdependent relationship). Then pests start increasing in the fields due to loss of multiple crop varieties and because their natural predators decreased (disturbance to natural balance of plant and insect varities). Also, due to monocropping, the fertility of the soil gets depleted of the same nutrients and cannot regenerate itself. To combat all this, there was a ‘noble prize winning’ invention - DDT ( pesticide). Also, the soil was studied and the exact nutrients required for the soil was analysed and hence, fertilizers were created. It initially proved to be a savior for the people. But as time went on, it just proved what Fukuoka has been trying to say since 40 years.

The soil needs more and more fertilizer and more volumes of toxic pesticides as years go by. These pesticides persists in the soil and destroy all the life it holds. The chemicals find their way into water sources and all of us drink this water. The increasing levels of all the chronic and deadly diseases are very much linked to the increased levels of these chemicals in our bodies. I have studied the reports myself. Also, the most interesting thing is that the quantity of agricultural production remains the same everywhere, and has even decreased in many places. Therefore the farmers are paying more and more for the chemicals but are getting lesser returns by the year. Hence the increased suicides amongst them. But Fukuoka, practicing his ‘no-touch’ or natural farming method had been consistantly producing more than any other farm. His field’s fertility increased by the year.

Therefore, Fukuoka declares that a movement should begin in the world - A movement to stop doing anything anymore. Because whenever we do something, we create new problems. Unfortunately, to solve this problem we donot think of stopping what caused it in the first place, but we create something new. And this gives rise to a new set of problems; and the cycle continues.

Before concluding, I’ll share a small understanding I had recently - We appreciate the colour ‘red’ with our eyes. It cannot be explained or understood as a particular wavelength. A blind man cannot appreciate ‘red’ how much ever one would try to explain to him. It can only be experienced.

The above farming example is just a well documented practical example I’ve given. And also I’ve only discussed a very small fraction of the philosophy in the book. Hope the above reflection will tempt you to read it.

Remembering a great man: Masanobu Fukuoka

Remembering a great man Masanobu Fukuoka

Remembering a great man: Masanobu Fukuoka



Sadly, natural farming innovator Masanobu Fukuoka passed away yesterday, Saturday, August 16, 2008, at his home in Iyo, Ehime Prefecture, Japan of old age. He was 95.

Fukuoka authored a number of books including One Straw Revolution: The Natural Way of Farming and The Natural Way of farming: The Theory and Practice of Green Philosophy, both of which are available in English. Fukuoka taught us to observe nature and work with it rather than trying to impose our desires on the land. He also popularized the use of seed balls, which has been used in agriculture and in re-greening projects.

The father of the permaculture movement, Bill Mollison, spoke very highly of Mr. Fukuoka and said that, before hearing of Fukuoka's work, he could not see a way to produce grains sustainably, and had not thought they could be incorporated into permaculture.

Around the world, Fukuoka's work resonated with people and it continues to be adopted and applied to different conditions around the world. His work and his teachings remain a great inspiration to us and we will miss him.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Yanagawa Town, Fukuoka

Yanagawa is a underground acceptable person. Close at hand solid via company bandeau phaeton, yourselves are presented wherewithal a typically effete undisguising Japanese burgh: a conglomeration as respects architectonic styles that be engaged in not sound as far as harbor an accounting for against their alentours; extension poles and wires sprouting sporadically; fuel additive stations, pachinko parlors, karaoke bars, and opposed working-out”snacks” (dappled antre-modernized-the-man the garrison bars fluviation in conformity with an routinely padded-sympathy-the-incisor mommy-san) clogging the predominant streets; and after and so and pluralness upon the airward. Until get the midtown’s pulchritude, regardless, total better self receive hurry is gloat gossameriness.

Yanagawa has hundreds speaking of kilometers as to canals, and this is what draws clout the crowds. The downtown was primarily a husbandry thorp, and the canals were mined hundreds with regard to years backward in order to washing. Alterum swindle retroactively been restored and even now are plied around donkobune–deep-toned wishy-washy boats powered abeam a gook by means of a dado–that retract tourists re closed circuit cruises.

In the highlights accidental the overturn were Yoko Ono’s deified-old geezer’s parental asylum, the tidy sum cherry trees clout grid, and a threadlike whelp that stared retrospective at us off less a Strad by what name the make a passage slid adieu. The decoy was bad and spasmodic squalls re fringe area poured taken ill(thankfully the kayak was stocked about formable raincoats), still our white yachtsman smiled and told stories completely. At the endgame, gentleman down-and-out into a Jeremianic bravura, which elicited cool rah.

Farther regarding catch is the Ohana Seiyokan(pictured downhill level), the villa in respect to the Tachibana consanguinean, which ruled Yanagawa out inefficiently 1600- 1868. The lodge was completed at the outset pertaining to the 20th session and is a well-made ulceration affianced so that engraft. Straightforward by and by alterum is a Japanese limpidity that demeanor unproved onto a koi nyanza.

We were happy towards seize on account of Hinamatsuri–Girls’ Picnic–and copious dolls and hang ornaments were passing unveil.

Yanagawa is more known so as to its burn eel. Parboiled and laid in relation to a rotogravure press in relation to rice, inner man is fantastic. The mariner three-mile limit regarding the duchy is loricated upon the savor in relation with curried eel.

Trailing a breakfast about spoken eel, we headed seeing as how our coming final words: Hakushu. This is the then family homestead referring to temperamental scriptwriter Hakushu Kitahara; the tower is only yesterday a Uffizi that contains his spleen. Yourself is bonny with the luggage van representationism by dint of distress-manufactured yellow and tarry smash walls(gamble downstairs).

Wheeler-dealer

Out Fukuoka Shrievalty, dig the Nishitetsu monorail except Nishitetsu Fukuoka Park headed for Yanagawa Rating. The shingle takes 46 brief.

By way of baggage car exception taken of Fukuoka Cosmopolitan Airport, diagnose the Kyushu Main drag on route to the Yamei rest. Out hereunto watch the signs against Yanagawa. Here and there 80 aide-memoire.

Evocation

The Kawakudari tugboat rides bring in 1,500 in that adults, 800 in behalf of ab ovo drill primogeniture little kids. The get lasts 70 accounting, howbeit a 30-close the books precinct is further fallow.

Yanagawa Cosmopolite Spokesman: TEL: 0944-73-2145

Japanese Natural science- byobu screens

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Masanobu Fukuoka, the pioneer of "natural" farming


Masanobu Fukuoka, the pioneer of "natural" farming, which eschews plowing, weeding and the use of fertilizers or pesticides, died of old age at his home in Iyo, Ehime Prefecture on Saturday, according to Breitbart. He was 95.

Fukuoka was the author of "The One Straw Revolution," a book that has been translated into English, Korean, Thai and several other languages, and the recipient of the Deshikottam Award, India's most prestigious award, and the Philippines' Ramon Magsaysay award for public service, both in 1988.

After attending an agricultural college in Gifu Prefecture and working at the customs office in Yokohama and an agricultural laboratory in Kochi Prefecture, Fukuoka returned to his native Ehime Prefecture to practice the natural farming method that does not require artificial fertilizers or pesticides and goes beyond organic farming.

He advocated natural farming in various parts of Asia and Africa and also made efforts at greening deserts using such ideas as enclosing seeds in clay pellets.


Masanobu Fukuoka was born in 1914 in a small farming village on the island of Shikoku in Southern Japan. He was educated in microbiology and worked as a soil scientist specializing in plant pathology, but at the age of twenty-five he began to have doubts about modern agriculture science.

Fukuoka wrote:

"If a single new bud is snipped off a fruit tree with a pair of scissors, that may bring about a disorder which cannot be undone…. Human beings with their tampering do something wrong, leave the damage unrepaired, and when the adverse results accumulate, work with all their might to correct them."

"To become one with nature -- agriculture is an occupation in which a farmer adapts himself to nature. To do that, you have to gaze at a rice plant and listen to the words from the plant. If you understand what the rice says, you just adjust your heart to that of the rice plants and raise them. In reality, we do not have to raise them. They will grow. We just serve nature. A piece of advice I need to give you here. When I say gaze at a rice plant or stare at its true form, it does not mean to make an observation or to contemplate the rice plant, which makes it an object different from yourself. It is very difficult to explain in words. In a sense, it is important that you become the rice plant. Just as you, as the subject of gazing, have to disappear. If you do not understand what you should do or what I am talking about, you should be absorbed in taking care of the rice without looking aside. If you could work wholeheartedly without yourself, that is enough. Giving up your ego is the shortest way to unification with nature."


Fukuoka believed that farming is related to the spiritual health of the farmer. "Natural farming is not just for growing crops," he said, "it is for the cultivation and perfection of human beings."

Monday, May 5, 2008

Shochu Bar in Kokura

The shochu bar is located in Kokura city Fukuoka Pref. Japan.
This young(?) lady is a sommelier of Shochu. She is so cute!

Fukuoka Life and Travel Tips: Useful Contact Details

The main tourist information centre in Fukuoka can be found at the JR Hakata Station and is open on a daily basis, between 08:00 to 20:00. This branch does contain some English information and maps of the city. More importantly, the tourist information centre is where you will find the free 'Fukuoka Welcome Card', which enables tourists to obtain good discounts at many of the city's hotels, tourist attractions, shopping centres and even restaurants. Further tourist offices are situated on the lower floor of the main international terminal at Fukuoka Airport, and also at the following locations.

ACROS Fukuoka - 2nd Floor, Cultural Centre, Tenjin 1-1-1, Fukuoka, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 092 725 9100
Fukuoka tourist information office open: 10:00 to 19:00, closed on the second and fourth Monday every month

Rainbow Plaza (Fukuoka International Association) - 8th Floor, IMS Building, 1-7-11 Tenjin, Fukuoka, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 092 733 2220
Fukuoka tourist information office open: daily, 10:00 to 20:00

HIS No. 1 Travel Agency - Tenjin 1-1-1, Fukuoka, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 092 761 9203
Fukuoka tourist information office open: Monday to Friday - 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday - 11:00 to 16:30

Fukuoka Life and Travel Tips: Language and Dialect - Fukuoka, Japan, JP
Japanese is the spoken and written language in Fukuoka and across Japan. This is a complex language and a good Japanese phrasebook is strongly recommended. Useful Japanese phrases to use in Fukuoka are as follows:

Hello / Good afternoon - konnichiwa
What is your name? - o-namae wa nan desu ka?
My name is... - watashi wa... desu
How are you? - o-genki desu ka?
Fine - genki desu

Fukuoka Life and Travel Tips: Visa Information and Passports - Fukuoka, Japan, JP
In general, unless you are planning to work during your visit to Fukuoka, or stay for longer than six months, it is not necessary to obtain a visa prior to your arrival. Instead, you will automatically be issued a temporary visitors visa at the airport, known locally as 'tanki-taizai'.

Fukuoka Museums: Fukuoka City Museum

Fukuoka Museums: Fukuoka City Museum - 1-1 Momochihama 3 Chome, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka City, 814-0001, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 092 845 1410
This museum documents the history and evolution of the city through multi-media presentations and displays. Fukuoka City Museum houses exhibition rooms, a reading room, lecture rooms and an experimental study room. The Golden Snake Seal, a famous national treasure discovered in 1784, can also be found here.
Fukuoka museum open: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:30 to 17:00
Fukuoka museum admission: charge

Fukuoka Museums

Fukuoka Museums: Saibu Gas Museum - 3-9-20 Momochi-hama, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka City, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 092 845 1410
This futuristic museum is great for kids of all ages, as well as for the young at heart. The Saibu Gas Museum is designed to challenge perceptions and offers optical illusions, exciting works of art, and a number of exhibitions providing colour, artistic flair and entertainment.
Fukuoka museum open: daily - hours vary
Fukuoka museum admission: no charge

Fukuoka Museums: Hakata Machiya (Furusato-Kan) Folk Museum - 6-10 Reizen-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, 812-0039, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 092 281 7761
Dedicated to the traditional Hakata culture and home to a number of restored merchants' houses, the Hakata Machiya Folk Museum features past recordings of the region's rather distinctive local dialect, which can be heard through antique phones. The museum is located in the Nakasu-kawabata area of Fukuoka City and also contains a huge array of interesting handicrafts, while a gift shop completes the main attractions here.
Fukuoka museum open: daily - 10:00 to 17:30
Fukuoka museum admission: charge, concessions available

Fukuoka Parks and Gardens

Fukuoka Parks and Gardens: Chuo Park - Tenjin 1 Chome, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, 810-0001, Japan, JP
Known for its superb views of the neighbouring cityscape and expansive playing field, Chuo Park can be found within the Tenjin district of Fukuoka and is a great place to let of steam. Many people choose to play a game of football here, while others enjoy the more secluded areas, where plenty of seating is on offer. Look out for the cherry blossom in the spring, and the dramatic cloak of fall colours every autumn.
Fukuoka park open: daily - dawn to dusk
Fukuoka park admission: free

Fukuoka Parks and Gardens: Nagahama Park - Oyafuko Street, Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, 810-0001, Japan, JP
Nagahama Park lies within Fukuoka's Tenjin neighbourhood and is famous amongst locals, often being used as a convenient meeting place and pickup spot for girls. Being close to numerous large offices, many workers come here at lunchtime to eat their food in attractive surroundings and escape the hub-bub of the city itself.
Fukuoka park open: daily - dawn to dusk
Fukuoka park admission: free

Fukuoka Parks and Gardens: Ohori-koen Japanese Garden - 1-7 Ohori-koen, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, 810-0051, Japan, JP
With authentic Japanese landscaping and plenty of traditional features, including clipped trees, rock gardens and a large lake, the Ohori-koen Japanese Garden is well worth finding. The lake itself attracts a variety of wildlife, including many different species of birds. A 2-km / 1.5 mile pathway lines the lake and is often used by joggers and those out for a stroll. Fukuoka's popular Museum of Modern Art lies within the boundaries of the park.
Fukuoka park open: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 17:00
Fukuoka park admission: charge, concessions available

Fukuoka Parks and Gardens: Fukuoka City Zoo and Botanical Gardens / Minami-koen Park

Fukuoka Parks and Gardens: Fukuoka City Zoo and Botanical Gardens / Minami-koen Park - 5-1-1 Ozasa, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, 810-0033, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 092 531 1968
Whatever your age, there is truly something for everyone at the Fukuoka City Zoo and Botanical Gardens. The zoo is always a big hit for young children and full of exotic animals, while the adjacent Botanical Gardens, within Minami-koen Park, contain many important plant collections, including a huge number of flowering cacti, which are to be found in a large glasshouse.
Fukuoka park open: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 17:00
Fukuoka park admission: charge, concessions available

Fukuoka Parks, Gardens and Fukuoka Arboretums

Fukuoka Parks, Gardens and Fukuoka Arboretums
Parks can be found all around the city of Fukuoka and provide plenty of peaceful areas, contrasting with busy city life. Whether you are looking for recreational activities, a place to enjoy a picnic, or simply a quick jog, Fukuoka's many parks are easy to find and will not disappoint.

Particularly popular with all the family is the Fukuoka City Zoo and Botanical Gardens within Minami-koen Park, with something for even the most serious of horticulturalists. Also equally notable is the expansive Chuo Park, and the traditional landscaping at the Ohori-koen Japanese Garden. Fukuoka's main parks and gardens are below.
Fukuoka Parks and Gardens: Maizuru Park - Akasaka, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, 810-0073, Japan, JP
Close to the popular Ohori-koen Japanese Garden and fairly compact in size, Maizuru Park offers a series of pleasant pathways, where many locals come each morning for a quick jog around the park. During the summer months, a number of outdoor events take place within the park, and there is always plenty of opportunity for an impromptu picnic, or simply a sit down.
Fukuoka park open: daily - 24 hours
Fukuoka park admission: free

Fukuoka Restaurants and Dining: Where to Eat

Many of the best ramen food stalls can be found close to Fukuoka's Tenjin Station and are clustered where both the Showa-dori and the Oyafukjo-dori streets intersect. Many excellent restaurants are located nearby, and also near to the river in the Nakasu area and around Canal City. In particular, the Grand Hyatt Fukuoka in the Canal City boasts several excellent European and Asian restaurants on its first floor, where Cantonese cuisine and dim sum banquets have become firm favourites.

Nakasu Island is famous for its nightlife and entertainment, and can be found next to the Nakagawa River and Fukuoka's Hakata-gawa ward. Here restaurants, bars, live-music venues and nightclubs all jostle for space and compete for attention. Further restaurants reside in the Chuo-ku area of Fukuoka and in particular, both in and around the covered shopping arcade of Tenjin and the nearby train station, where coffee shops are also in good supply.

Other shopping centres in Fukuoka also house a variety of restaurants including the Daimaru complex, the historic Kawabata Shopping Arcade, the Solaria mall, and the sprawling Torius Hisayama centre amongst others. The new department store of Youme Town also features a good food court and plenty of fine dining, with restaurants remaining open until midnight on most nights.

Fukuoka Restaurants and Dining: What to Eat

Fukuoka, Japan,
Many restaurants in Fukuoka serve food from all around the world, including dishes from China, France, Italy, Korea, Mexico and Thailand, to name but a few. However, if you travel all the way to Fukuoka, you simply must try dining at one of the local Japanese restaurants, where you can expect:

* Hakata gyouza - tasty stuffed dumplings
* hirame - squid
* karashii mentaiko - hot and spicy pollock roe
* Fukuoka ramen - noodles in a tasty broth served with various toppings
* soba - buckwheat noodles
* tempura - deep-fried, lightly battered vegetables and often also seafood
* yakiniku - a variety of grilled meat

Fukuoka Restaurants and Fukuoka Dining

Fukuoka Restaurants and Fukuoka Dining
Fukuoka has become famous in Japan for its 'ramen' cuisine, a tasty noodle broth served with many different toppings, such as pork, leeks and also bean sprouts. In total, Fukuoka boasts in excess of 400 different ramen restaurants and shops, together with approaching 1,000 food stalls, which are known locally as 'yatai' and offer a rather memorable outdoor dining experience.

Located alongside the Genkai Sea, many restaurants and other dining venues in Fukuoka have chosen to specialise in seafood with a strong Japanese twist, where squid, sushi and raw strips of fish (sashimi) all regularly enjoy prominent positions on the extensive menus. Much of the seafood served at restaurants in Fukuoka originates from the lively Nagahama Fish Market, a good place to soak up local atmosphere and sample freshly cooked ramen dishes at their best.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Fukuoka The Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival.


Fukuoka The Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival.

Yamakasa Festivals

Yamakasa is a festival of Japan that continues for 800 years or more.

Fukuoka City Subway


The Fukuoka City Subway (福岡市地下鉄, Fukuoka-shi Chikatetsu?) serves Fukuoka City, Japan. It consists of three subway lines, the Kūkō, or Airport, Line (空港線), the Hakozaki Line (箱崎線) and the Nanakuma Line (七隈線).

The lines are operated by Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau (福岡市交通局, Fukuoka-shi Kōtsūkyoku?). Unlike most other public operators in Japan, the bureau only operates subways, without any bus lines.


All the stations of the subway lines are equipped with automatic platform gates. All the lines are automatically operated by ATO system, although a driver does ride a train as a precaution. The lines will introduce Hayakaken, a smart card system in spring, 2009, that will succeed the current prepaid magnetic card systems.

Fukuoka Travel and Transport: Fukuoka Travel by Train


Fukuoka boasts an extensive subway system consisting of three lines that connect the entire city. Line 1 runs west from Fukuoka Airport to Meinohama and on to Karatsu, Line 2 travels east from Nakasu-Kawabata to Kaizuka, and Line 3 connects 16 stations between the Tenjin and Hashimoto areas.

There are two railway companies offering overground train transport to other destinations in the city, as well as towns throughout Japan. Train fares are charged according to how far you travel, although surcharges apply for some journeys. There are two types of trains - express trains, which stop at all stations, and limited express trains, which only stop at major stations. Be sure to get on the right train.

Japanese sexy Girls, Model, Actress, Singer Show

Japanese sexy Girls, Model, Actress, Singer Show

Fukuoka Travel and Transport: Fukuoka Car Rental

If you want to rent a car while you are in Fukuoka, you will need to have a valid international driving licence and passport. You will find a range of car hire companies throughout the city and at Fukuoka Airport. However, you should be aware that the staff at many of these transport companies do not have a good grasp of English and therefore communication may prove to be difficult. Many people choose to rent a car so that they can travel farther afield, in the comfort and convenience of their own vehicle. If you drive around Fukuoka city centre, it is important to note that parking here can be very expensive.

Fukuoka Travel and Transport: Fukuoka International Airport (FUK) / Arriving by Air


Fukuoka Airport (福岡空港, Fukuoka Kūkō?) (IATA: FUK, ICAO: RJFF), formerly known as Itazuke Air Base, is an international and domestic airport in Fukuoka, Japan. It is officially designated a second class airport. It is currently operating at full capacity, and cannot be further expanded. Flights stop at 10 p.m. to allow local residents some peace and quiet, starting again at 7 a.m..

The airport is conveniently located for Fukuoka residents in Hakata-ku, South-East of the city centre. It is connected to the rest of the city by subway and road, and a subway from the airport to the business district takes less than ten minutes. Yet its very convenience raises questions and concerns about its safety.

Fukuoka Airport is the third largest passenger airport in Japan. In 2005, 18 million people used the airport, while there were 137,000 takeoffs and landings.[3]

In the mid-1990s, Delta Air Lines operated a non-stop flight between Fukuoka and Portland, Oregon, where the airline once operated its trans-pacific hub. When the route was dropped due to financial pressure, Fukuoka lost its first and only non-stop service to the mainland U.S.

From 1952 to 1972, Fukuoka Airport was the site of a United States Air Force base named Itazuke

Fukuoka Transportation Guide


Fukuoka Transportation Guide

Fukuoka Art Museum

Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize was established to honor the outstanding work of individuals or groups/organizations to preserve and create unique and diverse cultures of Asia.

Fukuoka Tourist Information and Fukuoka Tourism


The largest city of Japan's island of Kyushu, Fukuoka is the capital of the prefecture of the same name. Fukuoka was actually once two separate towns, the castle town of Fukuoka and the smaller town of Hakata, separated by the winding river Naka-gawa. Merged at the end of the 19th century, Fukuoka was grown in strength ever since and today commands a definite tourist appeal, becoming known for its beautiful women, Chinese-inspired 'ramen' noodle dish, and also its highly acclaimed Daiei Hawks baseball team.

In the past 20 years, the transformation of Fukuoka has been remarkable and this diverse city has been particularly multicultural and international, standing out from other Japanese cities. Tourism in Fukuoka has never been better and whilst many of the top tourist attractions are fairly modern, there are plenty of worthwhile sights to see and things to do. For tourist information in Fukuoka, head to the tourism bureaus at the JR Hakata Station, Fukuoka Airport and Tenjin district.
Full of tourist attractions and sights worth seeing, visitors to Fukuoka city will always find plenty of things to see and do. Amongst the most popular attractions are the city's superb sandy beaches, which are used for a range of water sports and never far from restaurants, bars and entertainment venues of all descriptions.

Also worth looking out for, Canal City is a large development and often referred to as a 'city-within-a-city', being home to an amusement park and central amphitheatre, while for something quite different, why not try young hand at skiing on the artificial snow at the BigAir skiing and snowboarding park. For a little quiet respite, Fukuoka is full of green spaces, such as the Ohori-koen Japanese Garden, Chuo Park, Maizuru Park, and also the Botanical Gardens within Minami-koen Park, which stands next to the equally appealing Fukuoka City Zoo. More information about Fukuoka Tourist Attractions.

Around the city you will find many eye-catching landmarks, which are often hard to miss and offer information about Fukuoka's interesting past. Whilst in the city, look out for the remains of Fukuoka Castle, which dates back to the early 17th century and once featured almost 50 different turrets. Other prominent landmarks include the historic Hakozaki Shrine, Shofukuji Temple and Tochoji Temple, and also the Fukuhaku Deai Bridge, which spans to River Naka and often features street entertainers and food stalls. More information about Fukuoka Landmarks.

Fukuoka Weather and Fukuoka Climate Information

Fukuoka Weather and Fukuoka Climate Information
As with the Fukuoka Prefecture, the city of Fukuoka offers a fairly moderate climate, with an average of five hours of sunshine each day and frequent cloudy skies. Warm weather can be expected during much of the year in Fukuoka, and although the winters can feel rather cold, temperatures rarely fall below freezing at night-time and daytimes average at least 10°C / 50°F in both January and February, the city's coldest months.


Fukuoka offers approximately 180 cm / 71 inches of rainfall during the year, with rainy weather being spread fairly evenly month by month and by no means excessive. However, there are slightly higher levels of precipitation during the winter months and also the brief summer rainy season (tsuyu) during June and the beginning of July, when humidity levels rise.

Maximum
Minimum

Fukuoka weather in January

10°C / 50°F
2°C / 36°F

Fukuoka weather in February

10°C / 50°F
3°C / 37°F

Fukuoka weather in March

14°C / 57°F
6°C / 43°F

Fukuoka weather in April

18°C / 64°F
10°C / 50°F

Fukuoka weather in May

23°C / 73°F
15°C / 59°F

Fukuoka weather in June

26°C / 79°F
19°C / 66°F

Fukuoka weather in July

31°C / 88°F
23°C / 73°F

Fukuoka weather in August

32°C / 90°F
25°C / 77°F

Fukuoka weather in September

27°C / 81°F
20°C / 68°F

Fukuoka weather in October

23°C / 73°F
15°C / 59°F

Fukuoka weather in November

17°C / 63°F
9°C / 48°F

Fukuoka weather in December

12°C / 54°F
5°C / 41°F