Entertaining in the town of Hakata

Welcome to Fukuoka! 

I have already enough skills and knowledge to become a mountain guide in Japan, guide stage II but I feel becoming so is very risky of being sued by ignorant hikers who expect Japanese mountain as untamed as the other countries... we have a higher risk apparently.

I think travelers will come to Japan expecting a "Park" and will find it "wilderness".

People around the world think of barrier-fee trails but in Japan, it is actually the "nature" untouched.

But I like entertaining.

I think I feel appreciated when hosting and I love being hosted.

So this is the record of my being a guide of a town of Hakata for the first time as a city guide.

Otomo company

The routes and where to visit are already provided, so I felt less pressure of choosing the right place for the guests.

https://otomo-inc.com/

The guests were a couple with a grown up daughter, 3 adults,  from South Carolina, U.S. and they had come to Fukuoka by a cruiser, and they are going to visit other cities like Busan in Korea.

Fukuoka is one of the city where foreign people can visit without proper visa,  they can be a visa-waver when they travel by a ship.  Since they are staying for such a short time.

I did not take too many photos since I felt that I should not step into their privacy.

So, here is the visited places...

1) Hakata Sennen Gate
2) Syouten ji    --->  Manjyu(sweets), green tea, udon, soba is started here.
3) Seifuku ji     ---->  They had tea ceremony, and guest brought a Takatori pottorly
4) Tousyou ji   ---> a beautifull 5 layerd tower and Big Budda
 4.5) Mochi kich  ---> Japanese traditional rice crackers
5) Kushida jinjya  ---> a must go in Fukuoka
6) Kawabata Syoutengai  ---> Traditional Japanese mall
7) Hakata Riverain   ---> contrast to the tradition, very modern sophistication
8) Nagahama Ramen  ---> a must eat in Fukuoka. Everyone loves Ramen in Fukuoka
9) Rakusui en   ---> a cozy Japanese garden in a middle of office buildings.
10) 300 ho yokocho  ---> Japanese business men loves to drink from a mid-day!
11) Wineship Enoteka  ---> Excellent wines around the world
12) Sumiyoshi Syuhan  ----> Excellent sake around Kyusyu and you can taste so many with reasonable price!

Gourmet in Fukuoka 

Gourmet in Fukuoka is called "B class gourmet" meaning it is reasonably priced!

Ramen is NOT instant noodle!

I am so sad the instant noodle is so well known around the world, not the one authentic.

Fukuoka is known for a good Tonkotsu （pork bone broth) noodle!

It was sooo good! Nagahama is a name of a district, ocean front in Fukuoka city.

So Nagahama ramen was only 600 yen! Was sooo good! But you got to go there before noon otherwise there are so many people waiting outside.

Kushida Shrine and Kawabata dori 

 This is Kushida Shrine.

A full of visitors but you got to go!

It's No.1 visitor's place in Fukuoka.




















Kimono Ladies serving Maccha tea in Seifuku ji.

We are so lucky to go there on this day, 10/7 was monk's memorial day, so they opened the door to see golden the Buddha.

Also there was display of Takatori Pottery, some of them priced 120,000 yen! The monk said it was a half the regular price !

See here for modarn Takatori Yaki
http://takatoriyakisouke.com/



Japanese garden among the big city



This is Rakusui en, Japanese tea garden among the big buildings...

Kakuuchi Standing bar for Sake

The last destination is a Sake standing bar, famous Sumiyoshi syuhan... Kaku Uchi we say.

I love Sake and sake is purely made of just rice and water! No artificial flavoring!  That is the beauty of it!!  Yet they produce so many variety of flavors...

This is a good guide for some one who does not know sake...
https://favy-jp.com/topics/1697
https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/food-drink/wine/best-sake-brands-to-drink-japan-london-a7740211.html

This is the one my guest bought... Azuma ichi Jyunmai dai ginjyo.
https://www.whisky.fr/azuma-ichi-junmai-ginjo.html

I think French people knows more about how to taste good food and drink like Sake!!

There are books that rates each Sake like wines... so you can go deep very much, or can spend a fortune if you are to be a big sake lover.... in Sumiyoshi Syuhan, you can try the top quality sake of today without going bankruptcy.

I had a great time drinking while working!

Reccomended suvenier ; An authentic Soy source 

This is what I got for myself.  A good soy source!

A store bought soy source is made from
”defatted soy bean ” ( it is likely to be American genetically modified one) and they are chemically reacted to produce amino acid, and sugar and artificial flavoring is added. No Good!!

Good authentic one only use Soy beans, flour, salt.  Low quality one from the grocery stores are made of fake ingredients...

So this soy source is made by the traditional way and it will take more than 6 month to produce... whereas fake one can be produced 4-6 days.

 You can get Kikkoman anywhere in the world but this soy source you can get only in Japan! 

and it is a small bottle, 300ml, only cost 972 yen!

http://www.mitsuru-shoyu.com/

It is hard to find even in my neighborhood so I was happy I found one along the way.

It is sold here:

https://www.hakata-riverainmall.jp/floor/shop175.html

Tax free shop in Hakata Riveran.