Fukuoka | Hello from the Five Star Vagabond

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

November 13, 2016 by David Herd

Two Kilometre circumference

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu Island is one of the most popular attractions in this northern Kyushu city. There are 3 separate islands connected by stone bridges.

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

Families with children & pets flock to this peaceful paradise in the heart of the city.

Feeding the ducks in the park

It’s a battle here between the ducks and the pigeons.

Feed the ducks or ride the ducks

Some choices here for you to relax out on the lake.

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

Ohori park was built between 1926 and 1929, the design is similar to the famous West Lake in China.

Art in the park

The tranquil atmosphere of Ohori park was highlighted for me by the number of artists sitting quietly capturing the beauty of their surrounds. One exception to this was a jolly fellow who continually sang rather loudly while he painted. 🙂

A picture of concentration

Painting beside the lake in Ohori Park seems like a perfect way to relax and fully appreciate your surroundings. Nearby is Fukuoka Art Museum and the Japanese gardens which certainly add value to this lovely urban oasis.

Ohori Park Pavilion

Every August there is a fireworks festival here in the park. Local Fukuoka people absolutely love their wonderful Ohori Park & use it regularly.

Ohori Park Fukuoka restaurant

Nice spot overlooking the lake to enjoy lunch, coffee or a few cocktails.

A beautiful serene urban oasis

You can’t help being impressed by this wonderful park in the heart of a busy modern city. Originally opened in 1929 & people will still be enjoying this 100 years from now.

Hotel Ascent

Hotel Ascent is in a perfect location for exploring the city, & it is adjacent to Tenjin station. For a very good discount just book through THIS LINK.

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu Island is only 2 station & 4 minutes away be train from Tenjin station.

Please check out some of the most popular below, and thank you for visiting.

Pattaya Hilton

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

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Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

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Pattaya live webcam

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Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

November 12, 2016 by David Herd

Sushizanmai

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan was the sixth & last stop in my 2 week Shinkansen (Bullet train) adventure. I wasn’t sure what to expect of the city, but I’m glad to say I was very impressed. The Yatai (pop up restaurants) were excellent as was the Fukuoka Tower. I found some excellent restaurants including my favourite sushi franchise, Sushizanmai. To top it off my hotel was right next to Tenjin station which was a great location. I would certainly recomend the hotel Ascent, for a very good discount just book through THIS LINK.

Fabulous sushi

Sushizanmai never dissapoints, even though my favourite location is their Tsujiki branch I have also enjoyed Shinjuku & Osaka brances. My following video has been seen over 60,000 times on YouTube.

Fantastic chaotic Sushi restaurant in Tokyo.

Bar Kitchen Fukuoka

Bar kitchen is 0nly a 4 minutes walk from my hotel this amazing bar is very impressive indeed. They stock about 1200 whiskeys & bourbon & the owner Tomoyuki Oka is very friendly and welcoming. I was drinking my normal Jack Daniel’s at 1200 yen a shot, this is about double what I pay in Thailand however the atmosphere more than made up for it.

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

Here is Marilyn in her familiar pose, sixty two years ago, on 15 September, 1954, Marilyn Monroe stood on a subway grate in New York City wearing a little white dress and fought an upward breeze. The scene from the Seven Year Itch, went on to become one of the most iconic moments in movie history.

Naka river fukuoka

Plenty of life & action around the river at night, with the main focus Nakasu entertainment district.

Hotel Ascent

Hotel Ascent is in a perfect location for exploring the city, & it is adjacent to Tenjin station. For a very good discount just book through THIS LINK.

Currently a Japanese rail pass can only be purchased outside the country however from March 8th 2017 selected Japanese stations will sell them at a more expensive price.

As of January 2017 $100 usd = 11,695 Yen.

Specialising in Gyoza

Down a narrow winding staircase close to my hotel was a fabulous little restaurant serving excellent Gyoza, I went there on two occasions in 3 days. 🙂

Gyoza steamed or fried

Naturally I sampled both & leaned slightly toward the fried. Cost per plate about $6 aud.

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan, gyoza restaurant.

One of my favourite Fukuoka photos, I’ve name it “Only the Lonely”.

Yatai or sidewalk restaurants

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants are really tiny “pop up” sidewalk restaurants that disappear by the morning. There are around 150 Yatai all across the city, however most are in and around Tenjin and Nakasu.

Craving a change of cuisine

As much as I love Japanese food after 2 weeks I was craving a change. The fabulous pizza is a speciality at Gorm’s, part of a Danish restaurant chain, opened 2014 in Nagasaki & shortly after in Fukuoka.

Gorm’s is very stylish

I dined in the Nagasaki branch 3 days before & was disappointed in my risotto. My friends however both had pizzas one was the seafood & mozzarella pictured above. After trying a piece of my friends I was hooked, it was sooo good. Consequently when I discovered they had a branch in Fukuoka I couldn’t wait to have a whole one to myself.

Ōhori Park

Ohori in Japanese means moat, thee large lake in the middle of the park was originally part of the moat system for the neighbouring Fukuoka Castle.

Canal City food court

Canal City is a fairly average shopping mall with a number of restaurants in the basement, for lunch I chose some premium beef washed down with a cold beer.

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan, farewell from Fukuoka

Thanks for visiting my Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan photo blog, it has been a wonderful adventure & I look forward to visiting Japan again in 2017.

Please check out some of the most popular below, and thank you for visiting.

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Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you

book through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Plus free cancellation .

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Pattaya live webcam

That’s all folks

Check out these great photo blogs.

Dotonbori in Osaka – Piss Alley Tokyo

Oyster bar Sendai – Shinkansen bullet train

Fukuoka – Hiroshima – Sapporo – Sendai

Tokyo – Kagoshima – Kanazawa – Nagoya

Nagasaki – Yokohama – Kyoto – Kamakura

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

November 9, 2016 by David Herd

Lets focus on the view

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan is 234 meters tall which makes it the tallest seaside tower in Japan. Fukuoka Tower was finished in 1989, taking a total of 14 months to build at a cost of ¥6,000,000,000, or $58,004,600 USD.

Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk hotel

Oceanfront luxury hotel near the heart of Fukuoka overlooking Hakata Bay. For a very good discounted room rate simply book through THIS LINK, book now & pay later.

By Taxi: From Fukuoka Airport, take the Fukuoka City Expressway, getting off at the Momochi Exit. Approximately 20-minute drive from the airport.

By Bus: From Fukuoka Airport, get on the bus to Fukuoka Tower & TNC Hall (139) at Fukuoka-Kuko Kokunaisen bus stop and get off at Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk-mae bus stop. The hotel is a one minute walk from the bus stop. Approximately 40-minute ride from the airport.

By Subway: From Fukuoka Airport, take the Fukuoka City Subway, getting off at Tojin-machi Station. The hotel is a 19-minute walk from the station. Approximately 15-minute subway ride from the airport.

Beautiful sandy beach

You win’t see a cleaner beach anywhere. 🙂

Mountains beyond the city

There are busses from the centre of the city to Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan.

The sea was calm that day my friends.

OK, so perhaps I’m borrowing a phrase from Seinfeld, however I was tremendously impressed by the beautiful view from Fukuoka Tower.

City view from the tower

As you can see Fukuoka is a modern city surrounded by mountains.

Waterfront hotel & shops

Certainly one of my favourite photos from the tower.

A closer view

The advantage of a zoom lens.

OK, lets see the tower

It’s 234 meters tall with a glass elevator that takes you to the top.

The view of the other side

It certainly is a magnificent looking building. Fukuoka Tower is the third tallest building in Japan, after Skytree and Tokyo Tower.

A nice sandy beach

Have a cocktail by the beach or hire a jet ski.

I’m guessing they are about to take 20 or 30 selfies.

It seems everywhere I travel most females are snapping selfies. 🙂

Popular with couples

I am told thousands of couples come here to be photographed.

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

TripAdvisor rate the tower 7 out of 282 things to do in Fukuoka.

Entrance to the elevators.

Thanks for visiting my Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan photo blog. Please put it on your bucket list for things to do in Fukuoka.

Hotel Ascent

Hotel Ascent is in a perfect location for exploring the city, & it is adjacent to Tenjin station. For a very good discount just book through THIS LINK.

Map

Fukuoka is very easy to get around on the metro, my hotel was next to Tenjin station in a great loction. For a room at an excellent rate just use THIS LINK to book.

Please check out some of the most popular below, and thank you for visiting.

Pattaya Hilton

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Check out these great photo blogs.

Dotonbori in Osaka – Piss Alley Tokyo

Oyster bar Sendai – Shinkansen bullet train

Fukuoka – Hiroshima – Sapporo – Sendai

Tokyo – Kagoshima – Kanazawa – Nagoya

Nagasaki – Yokohama – Kyoto – Kamakura 9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)

Counter only started February 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

November 7, 2016 by David Herd

Pop up restaurants

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

Due to these Yatai Fukuoka was recently rated as one of the ten greatest street food cities in Asia by CNN Travel.

The come in all shapes & sizes

Yatai began as simple, portable eateries that appeared one after another in the devastated cities throughout Japan at the end of World War II.

There is more Yatai along the river

They are a great inexpensive way to eat very good Japanese food plus of course you are going to meet new friends as the whole atmosphere encourages conversation.

There is around 150 Yatai throughout the city.

There are around 150 yatai scattered across Fukuoka, the best place to find them is on the southern end of Nakasu Island. Located in the middle of the city, Nakasu Island has a long row of around 20 yatai that are situated along the water.

Piss Alley Tokyo

A very famous Tokyo lane where the eating houses are similar to Yatai in Fukuoka, these are 2 American girls we met while having dinner. Here is my Piss Alley photo blog, just follow THIS LINK.

There are some very strange dishes available on Piss Alley.

Frog sashimi
Pig testicles
Soft-shelled turtle
Still-beating frog’s heart
Grilled salamander
Snake liquor

I was not taking any risks so I stuck to the Yakitori.

Kagomma Furusato Yataimura.

Here is another similar place to eat down south of Kyishu island in Kagoshima, for my photo blog please follow THIS LINK.

Back to Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

No other country I have visited offers such a variety of restaurants thsn Japan. For example take a look at some of the great food in Osaka.

My favourite food from Yatai etc

Yakitori wins for me, it is a Japanese type of skewered chicken generally barbecued.

For a discounted hotel rate in Japan or anywhere in the world, just book through THIS LINK

Another great looking Yatai

So many different designs.

Here is the final one

I could easily show you 100 different designs, I hope you had enjoyed this sample.

Hotel Ascent

Hotel Ascent is in a perfect location for exploring the city, & it is adjacent to Tenjin station. For a very good discount just book through THIS LINK.