Best Tourist Spots in Fukuoka

Best Tourist Spots in Fukuoka

Sunday, December 4, 2016 / No Comments

Fukuoka, located in Kyushu, is one of the locations best known for its ancient cities, beaches and modern shopping malls. As such, one of the notable sites for historical buildings, Fukuoka castle can definitely not be missed!

These ruins are located in Maizuru Park. Fukuoka Castle, also known as Maizuru Castle, was built by Kuroda Nagamasa in the beginning of the 17th century to show his support for Tokugawa Ieyasu during the battle of Sekigahara. This castle was the largest on Kyushu during Edo Period but was later torn down after the Meiji Restoration. As such, not much of the castle remains except ruined walls and several turrets but these are symbols of what the castle once was.

This is the beautiful view from the citadel itself. As seen, the cherry blossoms bloom beautifully and are so terribly eye-catching. The best time to visit is during the sakura blooming season in March to April, and partake in the flower viewing season, also known as hanami. Being a popular location for hanami,  there are plenty of cleared spots for the annual event.

Near the Maizuru Park is the Ohori Park, another famous park that attracts numerous tourists every year. This park was constructed between 1926 to 1929 and was modelled after the classical garden style of the West Lake in China, giving the two an uncanny resemblance. But this is just part of its charm.

Close to the Ohori Park is the Fukuoka Art Museum, however it is closed for renovations until March 2019. Fret not, there are many other things one can do at Ohori Park and that includes visiting the Japanese Garden in Ohori Park, which allows you to see many features one can't see in other locations such as dry landscapes and tea houses.

Apart from that, there is a shrine called the Gokoku Shrine, which is located after a large torii gate. The main shrine body has a gold structure that sets it aside from other shrines in the area.

Though, if you are not one for traditional places, there is always the Fukuoka Tower! With a height of 234 meters and covered with 8000 half mirrors, it is also known as the tallest seaside tower in Japan, and gives the viewer an unforgettable sight of the town below.

However, the exclusive sight isn't the only thing Fukuoka Tower has going for it. It has a beautiful illumination from the outside that makes it a notable landmark for miles all around it!

The lights extend all the way around the body of the tower and comes in at least 4 unique patterns, each for a different season. For instance, from the left we have cherry blossoms for Spring, Milky way for Summer, full moon for Autumn and a Christmas Tree for Winter!

It is also recommended that the view outside is enjoyed after seeing the night view from the observation room.

Another point to note about the Fukuoka tower is that it is also called the Lovers' Sanctuary. In the room itself is a heart-shaped flower arch and it makes a very nice photo when a couple hold hands and touch the mirror on either side.

In addition, there is a saying that if  a couple hangs a heart shaped love key at the Lovers' Sanctuary, their love would last forever. The love key also allows you to write some messages or notable dates on it!

Apart from these three, Fukuoka also has a lot of delicious food stalls and ramen. The most notable destination for this is the Canal City Hakata, which is a large shopping and entertainment complex and contains many common shops you see in Singapore's mall, all collected into one whole large-scale building for locals and foreigners to enjoy. Right at the center if the canal is a water fountain, which features water shows every half hour from 10am to 10pm.

Hope you will consider visiting Fukuoka and enjoy your time there!

~ Reina-rin

All information and pictures taken from TripAdvisor, Japan guide and Fukuoka Tower's website.

3-gatsu no Lion

3-gatsu no Lion

Friday, December 2, 2016 / No Comments

While I was sifting through the list of anime that was scheduled to air for this year's Fall season, 3-gatsu no Lion stood out for some reason, even among titles that featured professional ice skaters, immortal demi-humans and of course, your evergreen magical girls. Part of it was due to the allure of SHAFT's visuals, which I've enjoyed immensely in both seasons of Nisekoi and Koufuku Graffiti. Thankfully, the studio has continued to impress in the 8 episodes that have so far and I don't foresee the beautiful artwork's quality dropping anytime soon.

Visuals aside, 3-gatsu no Lion's plot drew me in as well. Protagonist Kiriyama Rei is a professional Shogi player at the tender age of 17 and his salary allows him to live alone, away from his foster family. The catch here is that he's haunted by a host of childhood problems and emotional immaturity. The anime focuses on him tackling these issues by building relationships with various people, be it his homeroom teacher at school, fellow professional Shogi players and the Kawamoto family.

Through the course of the anime so far, I'm impressed by how faithful the adaptation is, with each episode even noting which chapters of the manga are being adapted. This makes things easier for viewers who wish to continue with the manga after a certain episode or even after the whole season is done.

The colourful cast of characters complement Rei's awkwardness and insecurity perfectly. Even the Kawamoto family's pet cats provide frequent comic relief with their ravenous appetites and antics. Special praise is reserved for the rotund Nikaidou Harunobu, Rei's self-proclaimed rival in Shogi. His boisterous demeanour and aggressive style of play provides the perfect foil to Rei. Like the other characters in 3-gatsu no Lion, there's more than meets the eye with Harunobu and you soon understand why he's so passionate about Shogi.

I'm amazed at the use of colours in 3-gatsu no Lion. The liberal use of cool colours and dull tones in the first few episodes depict Rei's emotions and poor state of mind. As the episode count increased, so did the range of colours. The relationships he forged with the people around him allowed him to both express himself better and eventually get rid of the skeletons in his closet. Of course, Rei still faces roadblocks in his journey, like people in real life, but scenes in complete monochrome like the one you see above become increasingly infrequent.

Providing the widest range of colours would be the Kawamoto family. Each of their scenes are filled with bright, pastel tones and watching Momo is an instant perk-me-up, with how cute she is. Hina is perhaps the most relatable character, facing your usual host of teenage problems. Akari is the dependable older sister, essentially playing the role of a parent due to their parents passing away before the start of the series. There is nary a dull moment when the Kawamoto family is present, especially when Hina becomes interested in Shogi later on.

3-gatsu no Lion hasn't even reached its tenth episode but its an anime that I look forward to, week in and week out. I might even read the manga after the anime has finished airing early next year but for now, I'm content with the anime's pacing and if the TV version already looks so good, I can't imagine what SHAFT will improve on when the Blu-Rays are released.

Written by ET

Best Tourist Spots in Kyoto, Arashiyama

Best Tourist Spots in Kyoto, Arashiyama

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December is the time for travelling, and for those of you who wish to go to Japan but are sick of Tokyo, why not check out Arashiyama?

Arashiyama is a town on the outskirts of Kyoto and takes 15 to 20 minutes by train from Kyoto. We all know who picturesque Kyoto can be, and there are some sights you can see in Arashiyama which you can't in Kyoto. It is one of the popular day trips from Kyoto and also one of the most recommended places to visit if you are on holiday in the ancient capital.

What's good about Arashiyama is that even the train station is an attraction itself! For 150 yen, you will gain access to the station's natural open-air foot-bath and you can grab a rest while chatting with your friends or just to wind up before starting your journey on a cold winter day.

It comes with benches and tables for both locals and tourists to make full use of their time while winding down after a long day. The tables are even large enough to spread tourists maps across.

Not to mention, each person gets a towel to use so you don't have to weigh yourself down with your own. And apparently, a 10 minute dip would give the best results!

Near the station are many stalls lined up, selling traditional sweets and beverages. If you have a sweet tooth like myself, this would be your time-of-the-day!

It also sells numerous pretty accessories and trinkets which would leave you in awe. A souvenir shop really doesn't get much better from Japan's!

But no amount of food can beat the unique scenery one can see only at Arashiyama! The first I would mention is the Togetsu-kyo Bridge. The bridge got its name from Emperor Kameyama during the Heian Period. The right of the bridge is the Hozu River while the left is the Katsura River. But more importantly, the bridge is increasingly pretty and the landscape is changes with each season, making it an enjoyable place to go no matter what the season is.

Halt before crossing the bridge and take the time to head on up to Iwatayama Monkey Park. As the name suggests, the park is filled with nearly 130 monkeys and you are able to even partake in the act of feeding them. Definitely not something to be missed for all primate fans out there!

If you aren't a monkey fan, no worries because there is another reason why people head up the mountain and that is for the scenery! As they say, it is always better to view scenery from a high location and that is most definitely true.

Heading past the bridge would bring you to a road lined on either sides with shops, but the main attraction here is the fabled Tenryu-ji temple.

It has been rebuilt several times since its first construction but still keeps the traditional Japanese architecture. Definitely not something to be missed if you love Japanese architecture!

Furthermore, if you continue up the path, you will come across the bamboo grove which is one of the most popular sights for Arashiyama. The soft green and mix of brown makes a very soothing landscape for selfies and group photos. With some clever editing, the brown grass can be easily changed to green as well.

The length of the bamboo gives a very good height for any photographs with your natural height, a zoom-in oneself, or even just nature on its own!

The silence in this bamboo grove is one you will not find easily anywhere else. Embrace nature and immerse yourself in the sounds and experience.

And the next final location is Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple, famous for its numerous stone Buddha images. It may appear creepy to some but the atmosphere and sights would definitely be one which you will never forget.

And last but not the least, do not forget to check out the Kimono Forest! Pillars decorated with Kimono Fabric makes the walkway one-of-a-kind and unique selfie opportunities. The clear clean fabric is pretty in the daytime, but looks amazing when it is lighted up in the nighttime too. 

All these unique sights have me awaiting desperately for the day I'll be visiting Arashiyama. I hope they made you interested in visiting too! Sharing of photos would be very much appreciated.

~ Reina-rin

All photos to be credited to their respective owners.