Kushida Shrine in Fukuoka, Japan

Kushida shrine lies at the heart of old Hakata, the centre of the old city and is from here that the competitors in Fukuoka's most famous festival, the Yamagasa depart on their long early morning run.
Founded in 757, Kushida shrine is not only spectacular but contains a variety of items of interest. Note in particular the Eto Arrow plate with its carvings of the Chinese zodiac and the brace of anchor stones recovered from the harbour that belonged to the Mongolian invasion fleets. Note also the Yamakasa portable shrine.
There is a ginko tree in the forecourt that a 1918 monument claims is 1000 years old. The grand deity, Ohata Nushina-mikoto, is enshrined here.
But it is in mid-July that the shrine is best enjoyed - it hosts the "Oiyama" event of the Yamakasa-gion festival. Hundreds of near naked men clad only in tight loincloths and tighter buttocks vie to carry heavy wooden shrines through the streets over a set route in the fastest times. The main event commences at 4:59am.
[Kyushu.com]

[All photos taken March 11, 2007]
[If you're traveling to Fukuoka and need to find a good hotel, check out Fukuoka Hotels for a large variety of options.]

VISA Run to Fukuoka, Japan... part II: March 11th

I had planned to get up a little bit early in order to do a lot of sightseeing, since I would only be there a few days. I did let myself sleep in a little, though, and didn't get up until 9:30. I went down to the little restaurant for my complimentary breakfast. A Japanese breakfast. I am NOT a big fan of Japanese food. Almost everything is fish or seafood of some sort.Breakfast consisted of [clockwise from top left]: rice (of course), sauteed mushrooms and veggies (kinda good, actually), fermented mung beans with oil and mustard (just tasted like rotten who knows what), plain tofu (I did eat that, with some soy sauce), 2 pieces of fried egg (the little rectangles), some sort of fish egg, shredded dried seaweed, yellow something or other (maybe candied ginger?), a huge chunk of fish, and a bit of bean paste soup (slightly fishy but not so much that I couldn't eat it). Since I don't usually eat much to begin with, what I was able to eat was enough.
After I ate I headed back to my room to get ready to go out for a day of wandering about.
My plan was to go to Gion Station to wander about the area, as the map shows several temples and what not there. I wasn't sure what the distance was between stations, but since it was only one station away, decided to just walk and find out. They aren't too far apart, so it only took about 10 minutes to get there. I'm not even sure how many temples and shrines I went to, as I know I saw more than what is shown on my little map. I love Buddhist temples and shrines. The structures are always so beautiful, and I love the little gardens and such as well.
I also did a little bit of shopping (or looking) every time I found any sort of shopping street.I think the covered shopping streets are a great idea. They are easier to keep clean and don't have to worry about covering things when it rains. Behind one of the covered shopping streets was a small river/canal, of which there are several in the city.
I was looking for a folk museum that is mentioned on the map, and wasn't sure where to look, so I kept walking and ended up at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum.

Tserennadmidin Tsegtmed, 1958-
(Mongolia)
Orkhon
1993,
oil on canvas
The Orkhon River is 1123 km in length and flows through the eastern Khangai ranges of Mongolia. The scene depicted here shows an actual site, the Red Falls on the upper reaches of the river. These falls are highly revered by Mongolians, whose grassy plains do not contain many waterfalls. Tsegmed is known for his depiction of the lively exchange between nature and people in Mongolia. The primary theme of this work lies on the sublime power of nature long revered by Mongolians. Similarities can be found between the artist's expression in this painting and the feminine lines of the traditional Buddhist figures unique to Mongolia.

I spent some time there, and quite enjoyed it. I had walked quite a ways past the museum I had been looking for, and so started to make my way back the way I came. On the way, I stopped for lunch at a fairly large bakery/cafe.

I was very pleased with my sandwich and mocha. :)
I did manage to find the Hakata Machiya Folk Museum. There do several demonstrations there at different times. The ones I saw were Hakata-ori textile weaving (which I got to try) and Hakata doll making. Hakata is a district of Fukuoka, and at one time, I think, was a merchant town.

After the museums, I checked out a couple more temples before heading back to the hotel. The clouds were starting to roll in and it was getting a bit cold. The last temple I wandered around, the Shofukuji Temple, seemed deserted; I didn't see a single person (and it was a huge temple!).

Note: I'll put up some pics of the temples in another post.

My hotel room in Fukuoka

I stayed at the Sun Life Hotel 2&3.My room was so tiny,as was the bathroom, which seems to be some sort of prefabricated plastic bathroom, with a fancy toilet and a small but deep tub.
I was amused by the instructions for the toilet, especially #1: "Sit down on the seat."

some of my class

MinYoung/Steve playing with one of the many toys. Gotta love his hair!!!One of the play areas. Clockwise from bottom left: Annie/HyeRim, MinSer, YongKyu, EunYoung/LisaLunch time. Left to right: SukMin, YongKyu, SeungWoo, WonJoon/David

my new home

the wall:This might give you an idea of what I meant in terms of the wall going in and out. The part sticking out on the left, I am pretty sure is the drains from the floor above. The bit in the middle (the opposite wall has the same thing) sticks out about 25 cm. It makes fitting things in this room a bit annoying, especially since it is such a small place to begin with.my kitchen:I do like my kitchen. I have more cupboard space and counter space (even though the microwave is on it). My fridge, however, isn't so great. It is a mini fridge. Going from a normal size fridge to a mini fridge is NOT an easy thing to do.
my bathroom:YES!!!! I have a sink and a mirror!!! (There was no mirror, and no sink in the bathroom of my last home, only a faucet coming out of the wall near the floor.)

AND... There is a cabinet in the bathroom, and a toilet paper holder. (The last one only had a corner shelf thingy above the toilet.)
the enclosed balcony:my washing machine that I am slowly figuring out (It is VERY different from all of the others that I have had here).I do like the balcony part.I do find it a bit strange, though, in that I have to climb through a window to get to it.Some of the windows slide open to a little gardenish ledge,and a great view of Namsan Tower (Seoul Tower).

one of the best signs ever

in Ohori Park, Fukuoka, Japan
[taken March 13, 2007]