Moopon

Within Japan’s tropical paradise of Okinawa, visitors can enjoy water sports,
nature and wildlife that can only be observed here.
Within the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa is the 90% jungle/mangrove island of Iriomote.
And here, visitors may be able to see the endangered species of the Iriomote Yamaneko,
a type of “wild cat” which resides only on this island.

It is thought only 100 Yamaneko remain on the island. As such,
the Yamaneko Museum or Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center is both a wildlife/eco museum as well as a refugee center for Iriomote
Yamaneko that have been rescued after being injured in a traffic accident. 

Visitors to the museum are able to learn about the ecology of the animals found on the island,including the Iriomote Yamaneko.
Explanations are provided in English throughout the museum.
As far as the rescued Iriomote Yamaneko, they can only be viewed via a live video feed.

Shuri Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in Okinawa served an important role in Okinawa’s history.
Though presently a district of Naha, Shuri was the former capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom.  
Until Okinawa became a Japanese Prefecture in 1879, Shuri Castle was both the administrative center
as well as residence for the Ryukyu kings for several centuries.

The castle was originally constructed in the late 1300s.  
Destroyed many times through war and fires, the current buildings are a result of the reconstruction efforts from 1992.
To approach the castle, located on the top of hill, visitors need to pass through many gates, including the well known Shureimon Gate.

The castle’s main hall, the Seiden was the former venue for many governmental events. A landmark of Okinawa, the Seiden’s flamboyant decoration,
architecture and vermillion color shows the difference in castle style between Okinawa and mainland Japan. 

Visitors will find the Una Plaza in front of the Seiden.
Here many ceremonies were held. The Una Plaza is enclosed by the Hokuden (North Hall), Nanden (South Hall) and the Hoshinmon (Hoshin Gate).
The Hokuden and Nanden were administrative buildings which were also used as venues to welcome visitors from China and mainland Japan.

Visitors are welcomed to view the interior of these historic halls.
 The interiors of the Hokuden and Nanden are like modern museums with informative displays about Ryukyu Kingdom as well as
the Okinawa’s history with the Japanese mainland and China. Visitors can also view local historic artifact as well as cultural replicas received during foreign trade.

The Seiden has been reconstructed in its original style.
The richness and fine furnishing the Ryukyu kings were accustomed to are displayed in the Seiden.
Visitors can even view a replica of the king's throne and crown are among the exhibits.

Facility Information:
Hours: 8:30 to 19:00 (until 18:00 from December to March, until 20:00 from July to September) 
**Last Entry is 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed: First Wednesday and Thursday of July
Admission: 820 yen
Level of English: Good

Shikinaen, located in Okinawa, was the second residence of the Ryukyu kings.
It was constructed in the 18th century.
The building were relatively simple, wooden palace buildings incorporating the Chinese red tile roofs
with a spacious Japanese garden and its a central pond.
The garden is meant to be viewed as visitors stroll around.
With both the Chinese and Japanese influence, visitors can appreciate Shikinaen’s truly unique Okinawa style.

Shikinaen was completely destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa of 1945.
However, a 20 year restoration plan began in 1975.
 In 2000, it was among the sited registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the title Gusuku Sites
and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu.

From the forest, visitors walk along a stone-paved road, made from Ryukyu limestones to the main entrance.
From here, visitors will stroll along a 300 meter circular path to view the garden.
There are many interesting parts of the garden, not limited to…
**Ikutokusen—the spring filled with clear water.
 It is designated as a national monument as it is the birthplace of the red alga
**Stone Bridge: There are two stone bridges which connect to the palace as well a small islet in the middle of the water.
**Udun Palace:  built in the 17th century, before the garden and pond, this spacious palace has 15 rooms
**Rokkaku-do: a Chinese-style hexagonal pavilion located on a nearby island

Facility Information:
Hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (until 17:30 from October to March) 
**Last Entry is 30 minutes before closing
Closed: Wednesdays (or following day if Wednesday is a national holiday or falls on June 23) 
Admission: 400 yen

Japan’s southern island paradise has a rich and unique history which can learned here,
at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum.  Relocated in 2007,
the museum is housed in a contemporary building in central Naha.
There are two separate museums: a history museum and an art museum.

The history museum covers a wide time span:
from before the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom to the modern times of today.
The museum includes collections of natural history, folklore, crafts and archaeology.
Due to the cast amount of Okinawa cultural information presented, visitors could spend a few hours exploring the facility.

The art museum is a bit smaller compared to the history museum.
However the collections are displayed in multiple galleries, in art forms including sculptures, paintings,
sketches and videos.
There is a focus on local artists and themes.
The art is rather modern.  And there are special exhibitions which require additional fee for viewing.

Facility information:
Hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays)
Last Entry is 30 minutes before closing time
Closed: Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday) as well as December 29th to 31st
Admission: 410 yen (history museum), 310 yen (art museum),
　　　　　 separate fees for special exhibitions
Level of English: Good (history museum)

Naha's Tsuboya district has been an Okinawan pottery center since the era of the Ryukyu Kingdom,
and where many pottery workshops are still located.
The Tsuboya Pottery Museum illustrates the history and the techniques of Tsuboya pottery.

Facility Information:
Hours: 10:00 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:30)
Closed: Mondays and December 28 to January 4
Admission: 315 yen

The Hakata Gion Yamakasa is one of the most intriguing festivals in Japan.
It is held annually in early July and climaxes with a spectacular time trial race in the early morning hours of July 15.
In the race, seven neighborhoods of Fukuoka's Hakata district compete in pushing colorful festival floats along a five kilometer long course through the city.

The festival is famous for two different types of floats: 
The larger kazariyama floats stand over ten meters tall, weighing over two tons.
In the past they were raced through the streets, but, after power lines were introduced in the Meiji Period,this became problematic, and today they only serve as decorative floats.
14 of them stand spread out across the city from July 1 to 14, including two at Hakata Station and Canal City Hakata. 

For the race, smaller sized kakiyama floats, about five meters tall weighing one ton, are used today.
There are seven of them, one for each of the neighborhoods participating in the race.
Since the floats do not have wheels and are dragged through the streets, water is sprinkled in front of the float so that frictionbetween the float and the road surface can be reduced
(and the participants can be cooled down). 

From July 10 to 14, the seven teams hold several practice runs and parades in preparation for the main race.
You will get a good English festival booklet with detailed maps and time schedules for these events which are interesting to watch.

On July 15 just after 1am, all 7 teams are ready at the starting point,
which is located in front of Kushida Shrine, the festival's host shrine. 

On July 15 at 4:59am, just before sunrise, the first team starts into the race, followed by the other teams in five minute intervals.
In spite of the early time of the day, thousands of spectators gather along the five-kilometer long course,
which includes several tight turns and long stretches along both narrow lanes and broad streets.
It takes each team about 30 minutes of intense effort to finish the course. 

There are a lot of spots to see the race along its long course, except around some of the more spectacular sections,
for example, the start area, where people show up hours in advance to keep good spots to watch the race.
Paid seating is available in the small court yard of Kushida Shrine, where each team has to push its float around a pole,
but these seats are virtually impossible to get because of the high competition. 

How to get there 
The festival is held in the Hakata district of Fukuoka.
Kushida Shrine is located a 5- minute walk from Canal City Hakata or Gion Subway Station,
or a 15-20 minute walk from Hakata Station.


 

Fukuoka's open air food stands (Yatai) are possibly the city's most famous symbol.
A yatai food stand can usually seat about seven or eight people and you will enjoy various foods that are generally simple and filling, in an outdoor setting.
There are over 150 yatai food stands scattered across Fukuoka but the best place to find them is on the southern end of Nakasu Island.
Located in the middle of the city, Nakasu Island has a long row of about 20 yatai food stands where you will feel you are just near water. 

Typical dishes enjoyed at yatai are grilled chicken skewers (yakitori), hot pot (oden) and most famously Hakata Ramen,a local noodle dish featuring relatively thin
ramen noodles in a pork bone based soup (tonkotsu).

Various alcoholic drinks are also available, and help make the yatai a great place to get in touch with the locals,although many of the "locals"
happen to be Japanese tourists visiting Fukuoka from other parts of Japan. 

Yatai are typically open from around 6pm to around 2am, except when the weather is very bad.
Many stands close one day of the week.
The closure day varies from stand to stand, but is often Sunday.
There can be waiting times for popular stands, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. 

How to get there  
Yatai are located throughout the city center, and visitors will likely come across some while walking through busy tourist areas in the evening. 
To reach the row of stalls on Nakasu Island travelers can take
the convenient 100 yen loop busfrom Hakata Station or Tenjin Station
(100 yen, departures every 5-10 minutes).
The closest subway stations are Nakasu Kawabata Station and Minami Tenjin Station, which are both about a 10 minute walk away. 


 

Canal City Hakata is a large shopping and entertainment complex,
calling itself a "city within the city".
Attractions include about 250 shops, cafes and restaurants, a theater, game center, cinemas, two hotels and a canal running through the complex. 

Visitors, who are planning on shopping, will likely be able to find something of interest in one of Canal City's many stores,
whether it be in a shop unique to Japan or a branch of an international company.
There is also a wide variety of restaurants, offering Japanese and international food, that generally have reasonably priced menus.
The fifth floor consists of the "Ramen Stadium", which has eight ramen shops with noodle dishes from across Japan, including the local specialty Hakata Ramen. 

Canal City has been designed to create a spacious and interesting atmosphere with creative and unique colors and shapes.
The artificial canal runs right through the middle of the five floored entertainment complex, creating a lot of open space.
At the center of the canal there is a fountain with water shows
every 30 minutes from 10:00 until 22:00. 

How to get there  

Canal City Hakata is a short ride by the 100 yen loop bus from Hakata Station or Tenjin Station (100 yen, departures every 5-10 minutes).
Alternatively, you can walk there in about 15 minutes from Hakata Station or in about 20 minutes from Tenjin Station.  


 

The ruins of Fukuoka Castle (福岡城跡, Fukuokajōato) are located in the middle of the city in Maizuru Park, named after the castle's alias, Maizuru Castle.

During the Edo Period (1603-1867), Fukuoka Castle used to be the largest castle on Kyushu,
but it was almost completely torn down after the Meiji Restoration as an unwanted symbol of the feudal past.
Nowadays only ruined walls and a few turrets remain, and the park attracts visitors with walking trails and a few lookout points. 

Fukuoka Castle was built in the beginning of the 17th century by Kuroda Nagamasa,
who was appointed lord of the surrounding Chikuzen feudal domain
(part of today's Fukuoka Prefecture) for his support of Tokugawa Ieyasu during the battle of Sekigahara.

The Kuroda clan ruled from the castle for more than two centuries until the abolition of the feudal system in 1870. 
The best time to visit the castle ruins is usually between late March and early April, when Maizuru Park turns into the city's most pleasant spot for cherry blossom viewing.
A number of walking paths are lined with cherry trees so that visitors can walk through a tunnel of flowers,and there are also plenty of lawned areas
for holding hanami parties under the blossoms. 

Among the few surviving or reconstructed castle buildings are some gates and guard towers, scattered across the castle grounds.
Parts of the moat system also remain, most noticeably on Maizuru Park's northern border and in form of the large lake at the center of the neighboring Ohori Park. 

How to get there  
The Fukuoka Castle Ruins can be reached in a 10-15 minute walk from Ohori Koen Subway Station.  


 

Seaside Momochi (シーサイドももち, Shīsaido Momochi) is Fukuoka's modern waterfront located on reclaimed land along Hakata Bay.
The area was originally developed as the site of the 1989 Asia Pacific Expo and was designed with attractive,
modern features such as wide, tree lined streets, futuristic buildings, public parks and no phone or electricity lines above ground. 

Seaside Momochi is home to several attractive amusements including beaches, museums and a variety of shopping and dining options.
The main attractions are centered around Fukuoka Tower and the Hawks Town entertainment complex,which are located about one kilometer apart:

Fukuoka Tower  
 Hours: 9:30 to 22:00 (until 21:00 from October to March) 
Closed: The last Monday and Tuesday of June 
Admission: 800 yen (20% off for foreigners who show passport identification)  

 Built in 1989 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Tower stands 234 meters tall and is far and away the city's highest building and Japan's tallest seaside tower.
The tower is adorned in over 8000 mirrors and sports a three-storied observation deck at 123 meters above ground with good views over the city.  

Robosquare  
 Hours: 9:30 to 18:00 
Closed: Second Wednesday of each month (except Jan, Jul, Aug, Dec), Dec 28-Jan 2 
Admission: Free
 
 Robosquare is a showroom where visitors can encounter robots and learn how they can be used in everyday life.
The facility has over 200 robots and offers hands-on experiences where both children and adults can play and interact with robots and learn about their technology and production.
Robot performances are held daily.
There is also a shop selling robot toys and souvenirs.
Robosquare is on the second floor of the TV Nishi Nippon building just next to Fukuoka Tower.
 
Fukuoka City Museum  
 Hours: 9:30 to 17:30 (until 19:30 from July to August except for Sundays and holidays) 
Admission ends 30 minutes before closing 
Closed: Mondays (or next day if Monday is a holiday), December 28 to January 4 
Admission: 200 yen (permanent exhibition)  

 This history museum displays the cultural development of the local region with an emphasis on Fukuoka's role as a gateway for trade and culture exchange between Japan and the Korean Peninsula.
The permanent exhibit is very well done with interactive exhibits and lots of English information.  

Fukuoka Yafuoku Dome  
 Fukuoka Yafuoku Dome is Japan’s first retractable roofed dome and multi-use arena.
The seaside stadium is home to the Softbank Hawks baseball team, which is the only professional baseball team on Kyushu.
The stadium hosts events and concerts in addition to games.  

Hawks Town Mall  
 Hours: Varies by store, typically 11:00 to 21:00 
Closed: No closing days  
 Hawks Town Mall is a shopping and entertainment zone just outside of Fukuoka Yafuoku Dome.
In addition to a selection of over 100 shops and restaurants, the mall features a diverse array of facilities including the Zepp Fukuoka performance hall, movie theater,
a Namco amusement center and a trick art museum. 

How to get there
The waterfront area can be reached in a 10-20 minute bus ride from Tenjin Station (230 yen one way),
in a 20-30 minute bus ride from Hakata Station (230 yen one way) or in a 15-20 minute walk from Nishijin or Tojinmachi Subway Stations. 
In addition, Seaside Momochi is a 20 minute, 1030 yen ferry ride from Uminonakamichi Seaside Park across Hakata Bay.
Ferries depart approximately every two hours (more frequent during busy seasons).