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!

Beautiful Kurokawa Onsen

April 3, 2024April 30, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 3 Comments

If I have all the time and money in the world, I would have stayed longer in Kurokawa Onsen. I can easily say that it was the highlight of the trip and the cost of the ryokan didn’t matter anymore. It was amazing!

We took the bus from Yufuin to Kurokawa Onsen. Our host picked us up from the bus stop which was very convenient, although, the ryokan was also accessible by foot. We were welcomed with homemade Mochis and roasted Matcha tea in a beautiful setting. Our room was so spacious with all the amenities provided for. There were many different Onsens to choose from, including private ones. There was even a standing onsen that we got to try. The outdoor separate onsen was so beautiful. I tried the female one an hour before check-out and I had it all to myself. And the dinner and breakfast were great. It was a 10 out of 10 experience! Check out the reels here and here. I absolutely recommend spending time in Kurokawa Onsen. So beautiful and relaxing. And if there is only one thing you can do in Kyushu, it must be this experience! The town was also very pretty! Look out for the boiled eggs cooked in the hot spring.

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…