<div id=”body”>
12 Hours East of Fukuoka
Spring has sprung and this has Anne and Jon (British foreign students) itching to check-out somewhere new. Neither of them owns a car so they were pleasantly surprised to learn how inexpensive and easy it is to rent a car in Japan. Budget, for example, has sub-compacts starting from as little as 5,000 yen for a 12-hour rental. “Hmmmmm, just how much can we see and do in 12 hours” Jon challenged Anne. The next morning, the two sped off in their Honda on a whirlwind shopping and sightseeing tour of eastern Fukuoka. Vroooom!
First, we climb a mountain!
Their first stop is Mikazukiyama, a tiny mountain or a large hill depending on your perspective, with an easy to hike trail leading to a peak with a spectacular view of the city and sea.
Take Route 3 and head to the Higashi-ku area (East), then take Route 504 to get to Mikazuki Onsen. When you see the sign marked “Mikazuki Onsen”, turn right, go straight until you come to the junction. Park the car here and start hiking. It takes thirty minutes to reach the top for most people.
There’s nothing like hitting a mountain trail to escape the concrete jungle. A few minutes in and the morning trafffic is just a distant memory.
Eek! All these warnings about the dangerous squirrels get the better of Anne. It wasn’t until she checked her kanji dictionary that she realized the signs were not about vicious rodents after all.
Yee-haa! They made it to the top in record time. With the city at their feet, the summit’s grassy knoll is the perfect spot for a picnic.
<>
30 mins walk from the approach of Mr. Mikazuki
Farmer’s Market
After all that exercise, the couple next stop for food. “Hitomaru no sato” in Shingu-machi is a farmer’s market with lots of local produce from the nearby port of Ai. Shingu-machi is famous for its varieties of citrus products such as Hassaku, Decopon, and Iyokan. Anne and Jon mix it up with the locals.
Anne gets a quick lesson in the finer points of unusual Japanese vegetables from two fellow shoppers, followed by “Nihongo ga umai!” & “Anata no eigo mo jouzu desu, ne!”
“Honey made from lotus flowers, how could this not be good for me!” Jon finally finds something for his sweet tooth. The bee farms are just a few kilometers from the market.
At about 100 yen a piece, it takes no time at all to fill up a basket with all the fruit and veggies for the week without breaking the bank. “The more we shop, the more we save”, Anne sings. Time to start making use of that trunk!
Booty Market
Anne had heard about this place, but without a car it had always been out of reach. Now that she found a chance, she wasn’t going home empty handed. Booty Market is a huge barn that has been converted into a showroom of carefully selected American furniture, tableware and interior accessories from the 40’s-70’s. As it`s full of one-of-a-kind items not found elsewhere, it`s fun to just browse!
“A retro freezer? How did we ever live without one?” Anne and Jon find the perfect way to kitsch-out their apartment.
Anne gets her chair. The trunk comes to the rescue again, meaning there’s no delivery delay or shipping charges.
Lunch!
Feeling very satisfied the couple treat themselves to a fancy lunch – sushi no less. Thanks to a tip from a local, they decide on Sushitora. In contrast to its “inaka” location Sushitora’s stylish and sophisticated ambience was only surpassed by the colorful plate of sushi Anne and Jon enjoyed for lunch.
After all that hiking, lunch is a very welcome break. Over sushi and green tea, our pair can relax and soak up the traditional atmosphere. *Lunch on weekdays only.
Sweetie Time!
You would think that after having stuffed themselves with sushi, food would be the last thing on their minds. But because of something the Japanese call, betsubara, or second stomach, they’re headed towards downtown Koga in search of something sweet. Along some quaint little shopping streets near Koga Station, they find two traditional Japanese shops, Kagetsu Do and Kazuru Manju.
Kagetsu Do
This shop is best known for their rich and hearty castella cake. However, the locals – and surprisingly, our duo – know that their dorayaki (mini-pancakes filled with sweet red bean paste) are the real specialty! The bean paste is made on the premises! 110 yen each.
Kazuru Manju
This shop has been here for ages and their pride is Kazuru Manju, a ball-shaped sweet made with castella dough and filled with sweet white bean paste. It’s hard to just have one, and at just 90 yen each, why not go ahead and treat yourself to two?
Strawberry Picking
Despite just having feasted on sushi the duo head off to Akiyama Noen farm, where you can enjoy strawberry picking in the comfort of a bright and warm greenhouse. Eat as many strawberries as you can on the spot for 1,500 yen, or take them home at 200 yen/100g.
No bending over to pick your strawberries here! At Akiyama Engei the strawberries beds are raised. They’re almost at mouth level!
The sky finally clears up. Anne and Jon enjoy the winning combination of sunshine, sweet berries and the countryside.
Yakuouji Onsen
But wait, there’s still space in the trunk! What else can we pack in? How about water? But not just any old water. Yakuouji Onsen, located in the mountains less than 10 km from the strawberry farm, boasts excellent waters for both bathing and drinking.
All the fresh spring water you want straight from the source, and its free, free, free!
Being prepared pays off, as our pair make off with their haul in empty PET bottles.
Yakuouji Onsen (Koga City)
The spring water here is of the radon variety and is colorless, odorless, and reported to both have a calming effect and help reduce nerve pain.
Big Buddha
Philosopher Jon’s next destination is Nanzoin to see the great reclining bronze Buddha, the biggest of its kind in the world at 41m high (only 5m shorter than the Statue of Liberty).
That’s one big bronze Buddha alright. He may only have been around since 1988, but there’s no denying how impressive he is. There’s a minute-long mini-pilgrimage that runs along the back of the Buddha. It’s free but you have to take your shoes off. Convenient if you don’t think you’ll be able to complete the famous circuit of 88 temples in Shikoku.
Jon and Anne get up close and personal with some very big toes. A trip inside costs 500 yen and lets you get closer to a relic of the Buddha, which was a gift of the government of Myanmar.
Uh-oh,,, we’re lost!
While on route to the onsen, Jon makes one fatal error and almost ends up in jail- literally. It’s hard to tell from this photo, but the lovely couple are parked in front of the Fukuoka Prision in Umimachi.
Hot Tub Time
That wrong turn cost them valuable time. Finally they arrived at the luxurious Lakeside Hotel at Hisayama onsen with its 6 open-air natural baths surrounded by woods and a lake.
“Aaaah, that’s niiice” After a hard day’s driving, what better way to unwind than a good soak in an onsen. Now, what’ll be next, the lavender or the wine bath?
Final Pit Stop?
Anne fell alseep in the car on the way back but was woken by Jon after he stopped in front of a rather gaudy looking building somewhere downtown. “You know, we do have thirty minutes before the car has to go backﾉ” “What? a rabuho (love hotel)? – keep driving buddy – nice try!”
Back at Budget
After filling up the tank, it was time to hand the keys back. All in all its been a busy twelve hours but well worth it. They climbed a mountain, scored fresh veggies, sucfn76 feature
