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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

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

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

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

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

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

Plus edamame washed down with cold beer, delicious.

Lots of choices here

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

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

Seattles best coffee

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

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

Seattle’s other coffee

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

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

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

I must admit I am a Starbucks fan.

Covered arcades

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

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

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

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

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

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

 Trams fares are only 170 Yen

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

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

I think upstairs is some sort of shrine

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

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

Part of the ritual

Kumamoto trams sake yakitori

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

Toyoko Hotel

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

 

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

     

                      Here are some more posts to check out 

         Sydney                               Paris                                   Bangkok           
 497d0b6e-c0bd-4ba2-86be-c02100f050a8        65470622-d17a-4b90-bf97-2574df4c412d        1a2160c1-41f7-465a-954c-631e083eb229
          Tokyo                        Rio De Janeiro                        Budapest
f59e958e-8eaf-48b4-8e96-c291a0c13d1a        f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4        a6a948cd-f30a-49ea-a905-82be4d202cc9
           London                            Beijing                            Capetown
2246c6cf-5fa6-4fbe-ac30-b569253ad2a6        f65d714b-f44c-4b2e-9505-3511ebecbb80        4e82052a-24d0-41e1-ab84-10e8f27634d1
 
                          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
                                            d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037            01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f
 
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1g Duck

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Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

November 19, 2016 by David Herd

Kumamoto Tram

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

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

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

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

Earthquake damages Kumamoto 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

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

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

The extent of the damage is starting to show

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

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

Crumbling walls

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

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

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

 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

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

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

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

Thanks for visiting my Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle photo blog.

Toyoko Hotel

Earthquake damages Kumamoto Castle

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

         Checkout some more of my terrific blogs on the links below.

         

 Istanbul                                 Budapest                        London

Fascinating Istanbul Asia Meets Europe     Hungarian Parliament Building (2)       The Walkie Talkie (5)    

          Mostar                           Dubrobnik                            Split

43638e36-5da5-4162-98e3-635e2c149837        IMG_7425    Split Ancient Croatian Coastal city                     

                 Saigon                            Zagreb                          Vung tau

Ho Chi Minh City South Vietnam       Main Square (3)     Vung Tau statue (6)

Pattaya live webcam
 
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That’s all folks

1g Duck

Fukuoka Hiroshima Sapporo Sendai

Tokyo Kagoshima Kanazawa Nagoya

Nagasaki Yokohama Kyoto Kamakura

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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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

 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

Battleship Island Nagasaki

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

Lookout or bird’s nest?

Battleship Island Nagasaki

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

Battleship Island Nagasaki

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

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine

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

Battleship Island Nagasaki

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

Battleship Island Nagasaki

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

Japanese guide

Battleship Island Nagasaki

 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

Battleship Island Nagasaki

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

Battleship Island Nagasaki

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

 Video of Battleship Island

Hashima Island is called Battleship Island

My apologies for the wind noise.

 Happy tourists

Battleship Island Nagasaki

  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

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine

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

Battleship Island Nagasaki

It seems hard to believe typhoons can cause such devastation.

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine

Battleship Island Nagasaki

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.

Battleship Island Nagasaki

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

Nagasaki remembers Atom Bomb

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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            Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you            
 book through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
                                                                 Plus free cancellation .
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A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 
 
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That’s all folks

1g Duck

Fukuoka Hiroshima Sapporo Sendai

Tokyo Kagoshima Kanazawa Nagoya

Nagasaki Yokohama Kyoto Kamakura

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Nagasaki harbour street drummers

November 15, 2016 by David Herd

Nagasaki Station

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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

Kankō Maru

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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 

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

 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

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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

Drummers in Nagasaki perform for the crowd

Nagasaki ferry terminal

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

I bought a ticket to Battleship Island.

Ferry terminal

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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

In front of the station

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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

Orion Hotel

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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.

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

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

Nagasaki remembers Atom Bomb

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.

  Here are some more posts to check out 

         Sydney                               Paris                                   Bangkok           
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          Tokyo                        Rio De Janeiro                        Budapest
f59e958e-8eaf-48b4-8e96-c291a0c13d1a        f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4        a6a948cd-f30a-49ea-a905-82be4d202cc9
           London                            Beijing                            Capetown
2246c6cf-5fa6-4fbe-ac30-b569253ad2a6        f65d714b-f44c-4b2e-9505-3511ebecbb80        4e82052a-24d0-41e1-ab84-10e8f27634d1
 
            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
                                            d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037            01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f
A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 
Pattaya live webcam
 
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1g Duck

Fukuoka Hiroshima Sapporo Sendai

Tokyo Kagoshima Kanazawa Nagoya

Nagasaki Yokohama Kyoto Kamakura

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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

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

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

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

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

Feed the ducks or ride the ducks

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

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

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

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

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

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

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

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

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

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 

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

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

A beautiful serene urban oasis

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

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 

Ohori Park Fukuoka Kyushu

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

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

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

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 
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                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
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1g Duck

 

Pattaya live webcam
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Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

November 12, 2016 by David Herd

Sushizanmai

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

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

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

 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

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

 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

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

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

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

Hotel Ascent 

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

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.

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

 

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

Specialising in Gyoza

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

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

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

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

 Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan, gyoza restaurant.

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

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

 Yatai or sidewalk restaurants

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

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

Nagasaki Restaurants hot sake cold beer

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

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

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

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

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

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

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

Fukuoka Kyushu Island Japan

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.   

                      Here are some more posts to check out 

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                       book through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
                                                                 Plus free cancellation .
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That’s all folks

1g Duck

Check out these great photo blogs.

 

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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

 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

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

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

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

You win’t see a cleaner beach anywhere. 🙂

Mountains beyond the city

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

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

The sea was calm that day my friends.

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

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

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

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

Waterfront hotel & shops

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

Certainly one of my favourite photos from the tower. 

A closer view

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

 The advantage of a zoom lens.

OK, lets see the tower

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan  

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

The view of the other side

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

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

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

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

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

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

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

 Popular with couples

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

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

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

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

Entrance to the elevators.

Fukuoka Tower Kyushu Japan

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 

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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

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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

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

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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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

November 7, 2016 by David Herd

Pop up restaurants

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

Yatai Fukuoka 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. 

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk 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 Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

 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

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

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.

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

  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

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

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.

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

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

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

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

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

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

So many different designs.

Here is the final one

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

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

Hotel Ascent 

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

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.

That’s all for now folks.

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

Thanks for visiting my Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants photo blog.

Huge sinkhole Hakata station

Yatai Fukuoka sidewalk restaurants

Two weeks after I arrived at Hakata on the bullet train from Nagasaki this giant sinkhole appeared. Read the full story here.

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Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

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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Free Cancellation. 
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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

Pattaya live webcam
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Kagoshima restaurant village

November 6, 2016 by David Herd

Kagomma Furusato Yataimura

Kagoshima restaurant village

Kagoshima restaurant village

 Kagoshima restaurant village near the railway station is called Kagomma Furusato Yataimura. There are about 25 small restaurants that seat only 8 or 10 people.

 Kagoshima restaurant village

Kagoshima restaurant village

Many of the places are so tiny it’s hard to get a seat. 🙂

Some have seats outside as well

Kagoshima restaurant village

Big & small, it doesn’t matter, the atmosphere is fantastic.

 Big crowd for a Sunday

Kagoshima restaurant village

I’m guessing this place is crowded every night.

Yakitori washed down with hot sake.

Kagoshima restaurant village

One of my favourite Japanese dishes.

Such a busy place

Kagoshima restaurant village

The action never stops here. There really isn’t any English spoken however you can get by just pointing at the menu. 🙂

This nice guy spoke a little English

Kagoshima restaurant village

Not only that he was in Thailand on holiday the previous week. He took great delight in telling me how much he enjoyed Soi 4 & Nana Plaza. 🙂 

Lots of narrow little alleys

 Kagoshima restaurant village

This village reminded me so much of “Piss Alley” in Shinjuku in Tokyo.

Wonderful smiling faces

Fabulous food Kagoshima Japan

Some things in Japan you can be sure of, happy smiling faces, they love to be in a photograph, & people are just so nice & polite.

Hot sake coming up sir. 🙂

Kagoshima restaurant village

I realised after my first two glasses of sake the waitress was adding about 30% hot water, I thought they were tasting a little weak. Perhaps she did me a favour. 🙂

Great location & excellent hotel

Fabulous food Kagoshima Japan

My hotel was only 10 minutes walk to lots of restaurants & the ferry terminal, a great location and a great room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

A very busy village

Kagoshima restaurant village

I didn’t see any other foreigners here, I was the only one.

Kagoshima restaurant village

Kagoshima restaurant village

 

Here is a wonderful documentary

The village is quite close to the railway station which is adjacent to the Ferris wheel.

Keeping the rain out

Kagoshima restaurant village

Rain is absolutely no problem here.

Happy customers

Kagoshima restaurant village

You gotta love the Japanese people, as soon as they see a camera they want to be in the photo. 🙂

Here is a map of the village

  Kagoshima restaurant village

That’s all folks

Kagoshima restaurant village

 

Thank you for visiting my Kagoshima restaurant village photo blog. Just a reminder my hotel was in a great location, you will get a discounted room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Here is another photo blog for Kagoshima. 

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That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

Fukuoka Hiroshima Sapporo Sendai

Tokyo Kagoshima Kanazawa Nagoya

Nagasaki Yokohama Kyoto Kamakura

Counter only started June 16 2020.

 

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Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

November 6, 2016 by David Herd

Ferry across Kinko Bay to Sakurajima

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

 Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan Sakurajima had been peaceful since 2013 until July 2016, then suddenly plumes of smoke, cracks of lighting and a flow of lava came bellowing out of Japan’s Mount Sakruajima in July 2016. Located in a scenic bay on the southern island of Kyushu, this 1,117 meter high volcano has been a sleeping giant for the past three years prior to this fiery spectacle. The incident took place at 12:02 am on Tuesday at the mountain’s Showa crater, which resulted in a 5,000 meter high column of ash – but officials say no fatalities have been reported. Credit to STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM  Read about it here.

Experts have voiced concerns about the volcanic activity on the Pacific Island, primarily that it could be completely wiped by one massive eruption in the next century – killing all of its some 127 million inhabitants.

Leaving the terminal

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

Plenty to see on the short voyage across Kinko Bay.

On deck with the breeze in your face (or the phone)

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

Best spot for a photo opportunity.

Here I am heading for the island.

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

Hope to see at least a few puffs of smoke. 🙂

We arrive at Sakurajima

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

It’s a very short ferry ride, about 4 km at a cost of 170 Yen.

It is also a car ferry

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

About 5,000 people live on the island.

Tour bus around the island

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

For a 90 minute trip the cost was 500 Yen or about $6 AUD. You can get on & off the bus at different points of interest.

SAKEBI-NO-ZO (Shouting Statue) Park

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

Apparently a rock musician held a concert in 2004 in front of 75,000 screaming fans. To commemorate the concert, he built a statue of himself, this statue shouts at Sakurajima.

 Up close to the volcano

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

We enjoy a 15 minute stop at the lookout to take some photos.

Sakurajima active volcano Kagoshima lava spread

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

Many types of fruit & vegetables florish due to the volcanic ash. The Sakurajima radish is a representative traditional vegetable of Kagoshima Prefecture, normally weighing about 10kg but one may also see radish that weigh as much as 20 – 30 kg. This is the world’s heaviest radish (weighing 31.1kg) and is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Sakurajima Radish is cherished by people across Japan as a uniquely original product of Kagoshima. It stays consistent when boiled and has a flavor that absorbs well, along with a fine flesh that looks as white as snow. Sakurajima Radish can be used in a wide variety of ways, such as boiled or pickled to name but a few.

 

Here is a wonderful documentary

Eruption in 2012

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

 This spot is only 5 minutes walk from my hotel & another 5 minutes to thee ferry terminal. A great location and a great room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Thanks for visiting my Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan photo blog.

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Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

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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 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 
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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. 
Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.