Last Day in Fukuoka

April 6, 2024November 11, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

It was our last day in Fukuoka and I was feeling sad about it. The morning was spent at Yusentai Park which was built in 1754. However, it was just in March 1998 that it became a designated tourist spot in Fukuoka. It was an absolute serenity. At the Ohiroma Hall, we enjoyed Macha green tea with Japanese dried confectionery. They also gifted us with origamis. The garden was well maintained and beautiful. You can check out the reel here.

Then it was time for the finale of this trip and it was to return to Maizuru Park where it all started. We didn’t experience the full bloom when we arrived in Fukuoka a week ago. We also wanted to see the Cherry Blossom illuminated. This was a first for me and I’m glad I didn’t miss it. It was an amazing experience. Here is a reel of our final day in Fukuoka. I also have to mention that our last dinner was at an Izakaya. We were treated by a Japanese friend and we had lots of fun and laughter.

I must say I love Kyushu! We could have left to South Korea earlier but changed our plan to stay longer. I tell you that the Sakura in Japan is in the next level. If someone would tell me that they are all the same, sorry I won’t believe you. Many thanks, Japan. You are always amazing! Now off to Seoul for a few days…

And finally, one last tip – stamp collecting! Check this out if you want to know what I mean.

All photos from my Kyushu posts are by Ari Vitikainen at https://www.arivitikainen.com

Uminonakamichi Seaside Park

April 4, 2024April 14, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Nemophila and Cherry Blossoms is such a perfect combination! And this was exactly why I wanted to visit Uminonakamichi Seaside Park. Uminonakamichi Seaside Park is a huge park. It measures almost four kilometers from end to end. So renting a bicycle is highly recommended if you are intending to cover the entire park. But since we were just hoping to see the Nemophila and Cherry Blossoms in one spot, we only visited the Flower Hill which is a good walking distance from the Uminonakamichi pier. Flower Hill was designed to be an open – air flower art museum. Once we entered the park, we were greeted by the vast amount of Cherry Blossoms. It was so breathtaking!

We took the last ferry of the day back to Hakata Pier and I really recommend taking the ferry instead of the train or bus as it was so much faster and convenient. For dinner, we tried a small Ramen shop near our hotel in Tenjin. It was something that I’ve never tasted before. It was delicious!

Itoshima

March 31, 2024April 15, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Itoshima was not in the initial plan. This day was supposed to be a visit to Uminonakamichi Seaside Park. But again, the Cherry Blossom was not in full bloom yet so we decided to take the bus for an hour ride to Itoshima to see the Sakurai Futamigaura’s Couple Stones framed by white Torii gates. It was said that the sunset will be gorgeous here. But it was a cloudy day. There were people taking photos with the Couple Stones but it was not crowded at all. There was no queue and it was quite peaceful. It was actually nice to spend a day by the beach on this cloudy day.

We returned to Hakata Station then decided to try another restaurant at Kitte Hakata. The 9th and 10th floors have a lot of food to choose from. Check out some of the choices here. And if you want to have a cheaper option, try the B1 floor.

Here is a reel to sum up our few days in Fukuoka. Tomorrow, off to Yufuin!

So happy in Fukuoka, Japan

March 30, 2024April 15, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

We arrived early at Hakata International Port in Fukuoka and we were the first ones to get out of the ferry because we had the Deluxe room. We rented a pocket wifi at the arrival area then took the bus to Hakata Station to leave our luggage at the hotel very close to the station. Then we took the subway to Tenjin to enjoy lunch under the Cherry Blossom while visiting the parks. One difficulty I had was to choose a bento. We were just in one small supermarket but the choices were endless…

It was my first Sakura this year and I can’t believe that one of my dreams just came true – to see the Cherry Blossom in Japan! I was also happy to see Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin while walking in Ohori Park! The Spring weather was so lovely but most of the trees were not in full bloom yet. So I decided to cancel our return to Busan in 6 days to stay longer in Fukuoka after our trips from Yufuin and Kurokawa Onsen. I really wanted to experience the full Sakura in Japan.

The next day, we enjoyed breakfast at an old fashioned cafe. Then we went to Hakata Bus station to take the bus to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. I like taking the bus as I enjoy looking out of the window. But when we were queuing at the Bus Station, we were informed that there was a road incident that will take the bus longer to travel. So we took the subway and train instead. There were lots of people in Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. But we found a quiet spot a bit outside of the shrine and enjoyed the Cherry Blossom in full bloom. It was so beautiful and my heart was full! You can watch the reel here. Please don’t forget to click the links too to see how it was.

The next day was yet another change of plan…

Back in Seoul

March 29, 2024April 14, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

After exactly a year, I was back in Seoul! I just can’t resist the thought of not seeing the Cherry Blossom season in this part of the world. So after an 11 hours and 45 minutes flight from Helsinki, we arrived in Seoul and this time we stayed in Hongdae. The initial plan was to stay near the Namsam Park and immediately climb the N Seoul Tower once we were settled at our hotel. But a few days before our flight, I learned that the Cherry blossom was not there yet. So I cancelled our hotel near the Namsam Park and decided to explore Hongdae instead. They said Hongdae is for the young and for watching Baskers perform. Unfortunately, we didn’t come across any Baskers during our one night stay in Hongdae. However, it is true that this is a place for the young as there were many young people walking in the street. There were many nice cafes though and I really like the Hot Yujacha Tea that was recommended by the staff of one of the cafes we visited. Because we were already in Hongdae, I also visited the flagship stores of both Kakao Friends and Line Friends. And one of the best things was to enjoy Banana Milk again! You can find the reel of the day here.

Here is a coffee moment in Hongdae before we took the train to Busan. When we were in Busan a year ago, I really wanted to take the ferry to Fukuoka, Japan. But we didn’t have enough time as it was our first visit to Busan. But this time, we did it. We took the overnight ferry from Busan to Fukuoka and it was an adventure of a lifetime! Please click on the links to catch a glimpse of how it was.

The next morning, we woke up in Fukuoka, Japan!