Asia | Hello from the Five Star Vagabond

Hiroshima Castle reconstructed 1958

November 21, 2016 by David Herd

Hiroshima-Castle r-constructed-1958-Japan-atom-bomb

Castle entrance

Hiroshima Castle reconstructed 1958

Hiroshima Castle reconstructed 1958 after being destroyed by the atomic bomb on August 6th 1945. Originally built in 1590 and there is concrete bunker where the first radio broadcast originated after the 1945 atomic bomb.

Bridge across the moat

Originally there were three moats however today only the inner moat remains.

Hiroshima Castle reconstructed 1958

The keep is a stunning five story 26 meter high building, very popular for selfies as you can imagine. 🙂

Let’s take a selfie

The selfie is nearly as popular with ladies as their handbag mirror. 🙂

I climbed the stairs to the top

From here you get a wonderful view of Hiroshima. This building is now a museum with an entry fee of 360 Yen, or $3.25 USD as at November 21 2016.

View from the top

Up to now I have been very lucky to experience terrific weather, so much better for taking photographs.

Hiroshima population is 1,196,853

Curiously there are 40,000 more females in the city than males.

Mountains in the distance

Hiroshima Castle is just north of the Atomic Dome and the Peace Museum.

The atomic bomb

Certainly one of the most horrific events ever in the history of the world. Please check out my photo blog on the Peace Memorial Park.

Hiroshima Castle reconstructed 1958, Museum

Many interesting exhibits in the five story museum.

Gold plated roofing tile

Roof tiles don’t get any fancier than this. 🙂

Dating back to the 16th century

I have never seen a better looking roof tile in my life. 🙂

A Samuri suit

I’m guessing this is what your well dressed Samuri wore in the 16th century, my apologies for the reflection on the glass cabinet.

Adjacent to the castle

Forgive me for not knowing the purpose of this gate & building adjacent to the castle.

One of the most interesting visitors at the castle

When a lady visits the castle she needs to dress to impress. 🙂

Many thanks for visiting my Hiroshima Castle reconstructed 1958 photo blog.

My highly rated hotel was in the perfect location next to Hiroshima station and close to tram & bus stops. For a discounted room rate & free WiFi just book through THIS LINK.

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Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

November 20, 2016 by David Herd

Atomic Bomb Dome

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park as expected was an emotional experience that I will never forget. Seventy one years ago at 8.15 am on August 6th 1945 U.S. pilots dropped an atomic bomb immediately killing 140,000 people. The Genbaku Dome you see above was the only building left standing near the centre of the bomb’s blast.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

The A-Bomb Dome from the Aioi Bridge, the bomb exploded right above the building, however the vertical columns in the building were somehow able to withstand the downward force of the blast.

It’s amazing the building survived

The bomb actually exploded 160 meters from the Dome & as you would expect everybody inside was killed instantly.

The Bell of Peace

Built in 1964 to symbolize the creation of a movement for a world without nuclear weapons and war.

Dedication of the Peace Bell

Of course as we all know, three days after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima they also bombed Nagasaki. Many people believe it was not necessary to wipe out another 70,000 civilians as Japan was on the point of surrendering.

Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims

The Cenotaph is inscribed, “Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil.”

Cenotaph & park

A memorial is held here every year on August 6th.

Flame of Peace

Since it was lit on August 1, 1964 it has burned continuously to symbolize a commitment that all nuclear weapons should be removed from our planet.

Children’s Peace Monument

At two years of age Sadako Sasaki was exposed to the bombing, she contracted leukemia ten years later and died. Shocked by her death, her classmates called for a monument to mourn all the children who died from the atomic bombing. Credit City of Hiroshima.

For me this represents the saddest memory of all

The mass murder of thousands of innocent children in Hiroshima & Nagasaki is for me the saddest part of this horrific event which we can only hope will never be repeated.

Magnificent trees

Located as you walk through the entrance of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

Trees beside the flame of peace

In the distance you can see the Atomic Bomb Dome or Genbaku Dōmu.

Goddess of Peace

Representing 3 religions, Angel’s wings for Christianity, Face of Buddha, & Shinto emblem on belt.

Obama visits Hiroshima

An historic meeting with Prime minister Abe on May 27 2016. Here are their speeches.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Thank you for visiting my Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park photo blog, we can only hope such a shocking event will never happen again.

How powerful was Hiroshima?

Compared to weapons of today it could be considered small, however that is not the case, it killed 140,000 people.

Robert Lewis, the co-pilot of the U.S. bomber “Enola Gay,” later wrote, “My God what have we done?”

That horror, encapsulated by those few words, continues to resonate worldwide.

My highly rated hotel was in the perfect location next to Hiroshima station and close to tram & bus stops. For a discounted room rate & free WiFi just book through THIS LINK.

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Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

November 20, 2016 by David Herd

Too much sashimi is never enough

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori was on my list travelling from Hiroshima to Kagoshima on the Shinkansen, so I decided to spend 24 hours in Kumamoto to see the earthquake damage to the beautiful castle.

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

One of my passions is Japanese food, which help make my visits to the great country a total joy.

As for the sake

Well that’s another story, it kind of sneaks up on you after 2 or 3 small bottles. Made from rice, “Sake” is an alcoholic beverage peculiar to Japan. It has a long history dating back to the 3rd century A.D.

Yakitori

Plus edamame washed down with cold beer, delicious.

Lots of choices here

Often language can be a barrier in Japan, however in restaurants like this you just have to point. 🙂

Seattles best coffee

Any idea who they may be having a go at, and I wonder what Starbucks thinks of the name? 🙂

Seattle’s other coffee

From what I have read about Seattle it always seems to be raining, perhaps that’s why everybody sits in coffee shops because it’s too wet to go outside. 🙂

Their coffee & cake suits me

I must admit I am a Starbucks fan.

Covered arcades

Japan in famous for it’s covered arcades which are simply shopping walkways crisscrossing the cities. Many as you can see have circular transparent domes running along the roof line letting in light and sunshine.

Pachinko

Japanese people seem to be addicted to these noisy gambling parlors which occupy prime positions in all of the busy parts of a city. The pachinko machine is like a vertical pinball machine with no flippers and a large number of relatively small balls. The noise inside these parlors is so loud it certainly must have a detrimental effect on the hearing of their customers.

Heavily promoted

Walking past you are nearly knocked over by the noise. 🙂

Trams fares are only 170 Yen

A great way to get around the city, comfortable & cheap.

I think upstairs is some sort of shrine

I couldn’t quite work out if this was a shrine or a temple.

Part of the ritual

The people visiting here would step through this circle a number of times before continuing upstairs.

Toyoko Hotel

My budget hotel was in an excellent location, good rooms with free WiFi, for a great rate just book using THIS LINK.

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Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

November 19, 2016 by David Herd

Earthquake-Trams-food-Kumamoto-Kyushu-Japan

Kumamoto Tram

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle, I was travelling on the Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Kagoshima & decided to spend 24 hours in Kumamoto to see the earthquake damage to the beautiful castle. I am very glad I stopped, firstly the damage was more than I expected, secondly Kumamoto turned out to be yet another very interesting Japanese city. The colourful efficient trams were a great way to move around the city.

Comfortable, cheap & efficient

My hotel the Toyoko Inn was in a terrific location but I couldn’t check in until 3 pm so I took a tram to the castle and walked around the perimeter.

First glimpse of the castle

My first reaction was there didn’t seem to be much damage, however I was totally wrong.

Not too much damage on this side

However the further around I went the worse the damage was.

The extent of the damage is starting to show

Naturally the castle is closed due to the damage and lots of work is being carried out.

Crumbling walls

Very few structures have survived the centuries since the castle’s construction in 1607. The original castle keep burnt down in 1877 just before the siege in in the Seinan Civil War.

Three years to repair wall

The city hopes to repair the main keep within three years, while the rest of the grounds are expected to require about 20 years to be fully repaired.

What a mess

Naturally as you would expect the castle grounds are closed to the public indefinitely until further notice. Knowing the nature of Japanese workmen they will ensure the repaired buildings and grounds will be close to perfect for the public to once again enjoy this great Japanese castle.

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

Thanks for visiting my Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle photo blog.

Toyoko Hotel

My budget hotel was in an excellent location, good rooms with free WiFi, for a great rate just book using THIS LINK.

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Battleship Island Nagasaki

November 16, 2016 by David Herd

Ferry to Battleship Island aka Gunkanjima

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine, has been abandoned since 1974. The real name is Hashima Island commonly known as Gunkanjima which translates to ‘Battleship Island’. The ferry trip takes just 45 minutes to reach the fascinating deserted island.

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine

Here is our first glimpse of the “ghost island”, and yes it does look like a battleship. 🙂

Lookout or bird’s nest?

Not too sure what this little house was used for but it is a good spot for a lookout.

We are almost at the dock

Only a hundred meters to go before we leave the ferry for an hour to walk around the island.

OK, here we are at Battleship Island Nagasaki

We are all given a number in a plastic holder to wear around our neck, I guess they don’t want to leave anybody behind.

Crumbling walls & buildings

According to our guide the destruction of walls & building is totally due to the regular typhoons that have pounded the island over the last 40 years.

The power of a typhoon

It seems incredible that typhoons & storms can reduce concrete buildings to rubble.

Japanese guide

Our guide was excellent and told us a lot about the history of Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine. For instance, from 1887 the island was a very busy coal mining facility that employed thousands of workers. In 1959 there were over 5,200 people living on the 6.3 hectare of space which was Battleship Island, this in fact made it the most densely populated place per square meter on the planet.

The boys from Sydney

Doug & Waz are two lads from western Sydney I met on the ferry, we hooked up together & explored the island, then back in Nagasaki enjoyed many ice cold beers followed by an excellent Italian dinner.

Aerial view of Hashima Island

This shot puts the island into perspective, credit to Kntrty, Flickr Source: Supplied.

Video of Battleship Island

Hashima Island is called Battleship Island

Watch this video on YouTube

My apologies for the wind noise.

Happy tourists

The island has been featured in several films and recently being the inspiration for the villain’s lair in the James Bond movie Skyfall.

More boats approach the island

There seems to be a huge amount of tourists visiting the island, TripAdvisor rate it 3rd out of 242 things to do in Nagasaki.

The power of nature

It seems hard to believe typhoons can cause such devastation.

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine

So as you can imagine after the mine mine closed in 1974 sadly Hashima Island gradually was reduced to ruins.

Make sure you take this interesting tour.

The cost was 4,300 Yen & well worth the expense, here are the ferry details.

My hotel in Nagasaki was only a three minute walk to the station & a short tram ride to the ferry terminal. Rated highly by AGODA, book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate with free WiFi.

Standing Boy of Nagasaki

Please follow think link for the full story.

A young boy carries on his back the lifeless body of his younger brother, in the devastated city of Nagasaki after the atomic bomb. An American military photographer, Joe O’Donnell, took a picture of him standing stoically near a cremation pit. No one knows the boy’s name, but the photo has become an iconic image of the human tragedy of nuclear war. This program follows the continuing efforts to deepen understanding of the photograph, while exploring the fate of thousands of “atomic-bomb orphans” and their struggles to survive the aftermath of World War II.

Thanks for visiting my Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine photo blog, please check out my Nagasaki city blog on THIS LINK.

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Nagasaki harbour street drummers

November 15, 2016 by David Herd

Nagasaki-nature-culture-history-Kyushu-Japan

Nagasaki Station

Nagasaki harbour street drummers, arriving at the station by Shinkansen from Kagoshima, I was eagerly anticipating the history and subsequent recovery of this fascinating city on the west coast of Kyushu Island.

Trams

A great way to get around the city in Nagasaki, my hotel was only 200 meters from the station where all the trams stopped as well.

My favourite Nagasaki sign

It’s on billboards, the side of trains & trams, wonderful Japanese humour. 🙂

Kankō Maru

Kankō Maru was Japan’s first steam-powered warship, originally a Dutch warship named Soembing it was presented to Japan in 1854 and renamed Kankō Maru.

Kankō Maru

She was based at Tsukiji until she was sent to the scrapyard in 1876. This exact replica was built in the Netherlands in 1987, it has a crew of 14 and can carry up to 300 passengers.

Waterfront restaurants

A number of restaurants overlook the harbour, I enjoyed many ice cold beers with two Sydney guys I met on a tour to Battleship Island.

Nagasaki nature culture history

Here I am with Doug & Waz, not much culture but lots of tradition, we solved many of the world’s problems before finally having dinner at Gorm’s, a very nice Italian restaurant.

Hills overlooking Nagasaki

One one side of the city is the bay & the other side hills overlooking the city.

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

On two occasions I was so lucky to see street performances by some amazing artists.

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

Drummers in Nagasaki perform for the crowd

Watch this video on YouTube

Nagasaki ferry terminal

I bought a ticket to Battleship Island.

Ferry terminal

The terminal itself looks like a ship with a huge funnel. 🙂

In front of the station

The tram stop was in front of Nagasaki station and my hotel was just around the corner.

Orion Hotel

Perfect location only a three minute walk to the station. Rated highly by AGODA, book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate with free WiFi.

That’s all for now.

Thanks for visiting my Nagasaki city harbour street drummers photo blog, if you have time please check out the Peace Park, Battleship Island & Nagasaki food.

Standing Boy of Nagasaki

Please follow think link for the full story.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Free Cancellation.

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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.